How to get your home cosy with smart home products
You’d be amazed how a few small changes can make such a big difference to the ambiance of your home. It’s really worth spending a bit of time focusing on things like layout and lighting, these can help make a small room look spacious or a large room feel cosier. Adding a sense of space, comfort, and even creating a zen space can help make you feel right at home. So, if you’ve got a spare afternoon this weekend, here are six super easy ideas to get started.
1. Get your tables into the sun
Light plays such an important role in our mood and general wellbeing. To get as much sunlight as you can throughout the day, try moving key spots like your desk or the kitchen table right next to a window, and ideally one you can open (when it’s mild enough) to get the vitamin D benefit. For what it’s worth, we all look much better on a Zoom call with direct sunlight on our face.
2. Invest in some smart lights
If you’re trying to figure out how to make a living room cosy, remember that lighting plays a big part. The lighting around your home can also make a big difference to general wellbeing. Swapping that cold white to a warmer hue and a softer tone is psychologically more relaxing and can help spaces feel bigger too.
Equally, for offices and bedrooms it might be worth thinking about one of our Hive colour changing bulbs. As well as being a bit of fun for the kids, blues and reds improve efficiency, which is helpful when you’re working late.
3. Is your home office working well?
Make sure you’ve got a comfortable chair, a clear table and minimal distractions. For lots of us, the kitchen table might be the only option right now. In which case, move it into the corner of the room and set some rules so that people know not to disturb you. Simple things like writing notes, rather than directly talking to you, will cut down a lot of the more trivial interruptions. Or you could even hang a ‘do not disturb’ sign on your laptop when you’ve got online meetings or calls.
The other thing to make sure is the surface you’re working on is high enough, so you’re not stooped over. If you need to work from your bedroom, try using books or shoes boxes to turn your dressing table into a stand-up desk instead. They’re much better for your body, burn loads more calories and a recent study by Business Insider showed they help boost energy and productivity too.
4. Set up smart sensors and plugs
Smart plugs and sensors might not sound like the most exciting bits of tech but they’re actually the heart of a smart home, and right now could be a good time to experiment.
The key is spending the time to connect your plugs and sensors to your other devices within your smart home ecosystem. In Hive’s case, that means setting up Hive Actions in the app (very easy to do). Do this and it opens up all sorts of ways to streamline everyday actions and get your home exactly how you want it.
For instance, you could set a sensor at the bottom of the stairs to switch everything on when you come down in the morning. So, it turns on certain lights around the house and adjusts the temperature on your smart thermostat by a few degrees. You could even get it to turn on the coffee machine (just remember to put your coffee in it first!)
5. Go green
To create a cosy living room, indoor plants can play a huge part. They don’t just look nice, they also help purify the air and fill it with oxygen. Most house plants require much less maintenance than their garden cousins. And need little more than regular watering and the occasional prune to keep them in bloom for years to come.
Websites like Crocus have a great selection for you to choose from (our favourite is Mother in Law’s tongue…) Don’t forget a pot to complement your home space and if you’re tight on space, consider hanging planters.
6. Set up a reading zone
We all know less screen time is better for you, and yet after a day of working in front of one, we can’t wait to flop down in front of the telly for the evening - yes telly is a screen! It’s a good idea to find other enjoyable ways of winding down.
Maybe it’s time to create a zen space in your home where you can do just that. Find a comfy corner that can be your dedicated reading spot, for example. Or if you don’t like reading, listen to music, write a diary and just enjoy some me time away from the rest of the household.
Position a comfy chair near a window. Get a blanket and some cosy cushions, ask Alexa to dim your smart lights. Then settle down, grab a book. And if you’re anything like us, fall asleep immediately.
Take a look at our range of smart home products to create a cosy haven today.
