Q&A Creating a Cozy Home with Lisa Kooistra

Design by LISA KOOISTRA | Photography by STEPHANI BUCHMAN

Q: What were the needs of your clients, and how did you consider them when designing this space?

A: These clients wanted us to work with the existing footprint of the home but completely update all the spaces with new paint, furniture, and decor. The idea was to create a timeless approach and keep many of the main pieces neutral but then add warmth throughout the decor that could be easily switched out.

Q: How do you approach designing a home that’s both cozy and functional enough to meet a family’s needs?

A: Creating a functional and well-designed home is the most important first step for me. Once we have created a cohesive design for the home, we can start selecting finishes and items that have a certain warmth while mixing in different fabrics and textures. Layering and adding helps achieve this overall look and feeling of coziness within your home interiors.

Q: We love the dark hardwood floor that’s installed throughout the house. What made you opt for a dark floor in this home?

A: Often, I use wood flooring, and in this project, the floors were already in this home. We ended up keeping them because they added character and another layer of warmth from the wood tones. In keeping with the dark floors, we added a warm white to the walls and mixed dark and light furniture, while the flooring grounded each room.

Q: There are so many colors and textures at play in the living room, and they all tie together so beautifully. How do you balance color and texture using fabrics, furniture, and flooring?

A: It’s important to make sure everything is balanced. If there is a darker sofa, then allowing the area rug to have interest and be in a lighter tone will help offset the dark floors. Having a dark, neutral sofa also allows us to add color and pattern with different textures of pillows and decor. We plan each area in the design phase to make sure we have a consistent overall balance of color, texture, and pattern.

Pro Tip: For warmth, ensure you have layers of different lighting sources, such as overhead lighting or table lamps.

Q: The light fixtures installed throughout this home are so unique. Tell us how you choose different light sources to create ambient lighting in a space.

A: There are certain areas in a home where using direct light is important, especially for working environments. Many of these spaces allowed us to use more ambient lighting. This helped create that cozy environment throughout. Selecting the right lighting is important, and each space can thrive in its own way with different light sources and color tones. Each light fixture was selected specifically for the clients’ needs and to achieve that overall cozy approach.

Q: The custom runner on the stairs is extraordinary. What made you decide to install this?

A: We wanted to bring the warmth of the existing stairs to life. We found there to be a beautiful richness to this tone and wanted something to pop when you opened the door. Creating this statement added so much warmth, impact, and uniqueness to the space. An entrance should have as much impact as a powder room—it shows off your style!

Q: The bedroom is such a plush, cushy space. What are the essential elements you consider when designing a cozy bedroom?

A: In bedrooms, you want to create a sense of calm. I like designing bedrooms with elements of softness that reflect you and instill a sense of tranquility. It is a private space that should be unique to you and feels like a personal retreat. The main function of this space is to sleep, and design elements like the bed should be at the forefront. Quality bedding and year-round seasonal layering elements like pillows, throw blankets, and duvets bring in visual impact and comfort, plus they can help maintain the right temperature for sleeping. An upholstered bed also adds an element of warmth with the caveat of layering the right pillows, bedding, coverlet, and a seasonal throw. Another area of plushness to consider is the area rug, which adds warmth and coziness. Drapery is an important element in a bedroom because it not only contributes to coziness but buffers sound. In this bedroom space, we wanted it to add warmth but also add to the neutral layering of other fabrics.

Q: How did you incorporate neutral colors into the design of this home, and what effect do you think they have on the overall ambiance of the space?

A: We chose a warm paint color throughout in a creamy white. This was a nice accent against the dark floors. We kept much of the lighting more neutral. Because the flooring was dark, we added rugs that were nice and light and tried to sprinkle other light fabrics and textures with pillows, drapery, and other smaller furniture pieces. This allowed us to add texture to these items and mix them with some patterns and warm tones to achieve that cozy feel.

Pro Tip: It’s also important to pick the right drapery! This creates a certain vibe but can also change the coloring in a space once the sun shines through. As a designer, I like to stick to a neutral backdrop while keeping balance and warmth in the items that are added to a space.

Q: Can you talk about your approach to designing cozy nooks in this project and how they contribute to creating an overall warm atmosphere in the home?

A: Creating nooks with unused space is important to help pull a cozy room together. Seeing open or unused space in your bedroom or main living spaces is not ideal. Balancing the larger pieces with small reading nooks, oversized chairs, benches, and more helps create a cozy feel. We added oversized and plush chairs in many of these spaces, and benches in the hallways to layer in warmth, along with the idea of being able to sit wherever in leisure.