Thanksgiving is such a special day. It’s all about gathering, relaxing and enjoying time well spent with friends and family. Creating spaces in home that feel inviting and cozy, that welcome you with open arms is essential. It’s all about creating a mood, a feeling, and believe it or not, there’s actually an easy way to achieve this through implementing the five senses: see, smell, hear, touch and taste.
See - Think color. When you enter a space, this is typically the first of the five senses you use and when it comes to design, it’s crucial. Your mind automatically begins to process your initial mood within seconds. Creating a space that visually feels warm and inviting will allow guests to feel at ease, relaxed, and comfortable. To help you get started, draw inspiration from the beautiful nature inspired earthy hues of the fall season. Think golds, oranges, reds, greens and browns.
Smell - Think seasonal scents. The scent of a space should not be underestimated. Incorporating this sensory, undoubtedly enhances the mood of a space. Think about what scents you're drawn to in the fall and how they make you feel. Warm spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger along with notes of pumpkin, apple, vanilla and woodsy amber are just a few of the numerous cozy enticing scents that can easily transform a space.
Hear - Think music. This too should not be underestimated. Music plays a key role in the overall big picture of creating a cozy feeling. When you walk into a space and you hear the sound of relaxing music, it automatically creates a calm feeling. Music can have such a positive effect on our mood, think genres such as jazz, classical, anything that is soft toned, laid back and slower in tempo.
Touch - Think textures. Incorporating different textures in a space is a key component in design. Layering in textures, whether rough, smooth, bumpy, hard or soft, not only adds such amazing visual but also tactile sensory character to a space. Wood, metal, leather and velvet are just a few of the vast array of textures that can be incorporated into a space to create a cozy feel (literally) to a space.
Taste - Think food and drinks. Ok, this one is a given. When it comes to Thanksgiving, food and drinks are a big component of the overall cozy experience! Whether you decide to go all in and make everything yourself or have a potluck style where all guests invited bring a covered dish or beverage, the taste of delicious food and drinks undoubtedly and positively enhances the mood of a space.
Remember, when creating a cozy Thanksgiving gathering it’s all about the senses, think about the five above mentioned and then have fun letting your creativity take over. Happy decorating!