11 unexpected ways to create a comfortable home

Most people want their home to feel inviting, comfortable, and hospitable. 

Your home doesn’t have to be a brand-new construction with tons of extra room to be comfortable. In fact, sometimes the homes that feel the most comfortable are older and filled with character. 

If you’re wondering how to make your home feel warm and cozy year-round, in this article, you’ll dive into practical ways to create a more comfortable home—and some tips are pretty unexpected!

Got a specific question? Use the links below to jump ahead as needed.

• What makes a comfortable home?
• Why do you need a comfortable home? 
• 11 ways make your home feel warm and cozy and more comfortable
• What is the healthiest temperature to keep your house?
• How do you make an old house feel warm?
• How do you make a cold room warmer?
• How do you make your home comfortable for guests?
• Why is your upstairs so hot in summer? 
• Discover how to create a more comfortable home at zero upfront cost

What makes a comfortable home?

What defines a comfortable home is unique to the people living in it, that’s for sure. But making your home feel warm and cozy to you and your guests will often depend on eliminating drafts and stuffiness, your temperature preferences, and your style.

Comfy blankets and nice lighting can help create a comfortable home and add warmth, but if your home feels too-cold or damp in the winter and too-hot in the summer, it’s likely that throw blankets and pillows and a new lamp will only take your mind off of that feeling for so long.

(Before we dive in any deeper, just a quick note here: At Sealed, we can help you get a home comfort and efficiency makeover at no upfront cost. Answer our quick—and easy!—questionnaire to see if your house qualifies.)

Why do you need a comfortable home?

Our living spaces have a big impact on our mental, emotional, and physical health. A comfortable home isn’t just about decor or being proud of your space—making your home feel warm and cozy is pretty important. Your home is where you spend most of your time, whether you’re working, resting, playing, or entertaining.

How having a comfortable home impacts your mental and emotional health

It might feel obvious, but the comfort of the space you live in has an influence on your emotions and mental health. In fact, studies show that the color you use on your walls and in your home accents can have an impact on your mood and energy levels (1). 

And how we live in our home influences our mental and emotional states as well. Reports show that untidy homes can increase stress, and decluttering your home can lead to better focus, self-esteem, and even reduce the risk of allergies or asthma (2). 

But it’s not just the organization and paint color in your home that can influence your mental health. The indoor temperature and overall airflow of your home can, too. 

A too-cold house has shown to have negative effects on your mental health.

World Health Organization

Is your house uncomfortably cold in the winter or too drafty? Does your upstairs feel too hot in the summer?

A too-cold house has shown to have negative effects on your mental health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (3). However, extreme indoor heat can increase mental health issues and increase aggression, memory, and sleep difficulties as well (4). 

Below, we’ll tackle ways to make your home more warm and cozy and combat these common home-comfort concerns. But before we do, let’s cover the ways a comfortable home can influence your physical health.

How having a comfortable home impacts your physical health

It might come as a surprise, but having a comfortable home can make a difference in your physical health. And if your home is experiencing too-hot and too-cold temperature issues, it’s likely experiencing air quality issues, too.

While you might be aware that your indoor air quality can influence your lungs and sinuses, having an inviting and cozy home can have an effect on more than just your respiratory system. 

Home air quality issues can be a concern for your respiratory health, but poor air quality can be a contributor to long-term chronic health concerns, including heart diseases and even some cancers, according to the EPA (5).

Your home’s temperature can impact the quality of your sleep. And we all know that sleep is a crucial piece of the puzzle of overall wellness.

But it’s not just air quality that matters in the equation to creating a comfortable home. Your home’s temperature can impact the quality of your sleep. And we all know that sleep is a crucial piece of the puzzle of overall wellness.  

If your home isn’t as comfortable as you’d like it to be, you can make your existing living space feel more comfortable with 11 fresh comfort tips.

11 ways to make your home warm and cozy—and super comfortable—year-round

There are plenty of ways to make your home feel more comfortable, but you’ll want to focus on changes you can make that have a lasting effect. 

Here are 11 things you can do that can make a big difference in how your home feels. 

• Eliminate cold air drafts.
• Increase insulation and airflow.
• Embrace your home’s natural light.
• Use cozy, warm LED lights in your light fixtures.
• Add fabric curtains.
• Surround yourself with items you love.
• Eliminate clutter in your home.
• Add area rugs to your floors.
• Include live plants or fresh cut flowers.
• Invest in good bed linens.
• Set your thermostat to the best temperature. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these home improvements. 

1. Eliminate cold air drafts.

If drafts in your older home are making you feel chilly and uncomfortable, it’s time to make a change. Living in an older home doesn’t mean you have to have to live with chilly drafts during the cold winter months. 

You can permanently fix cold air drafts by sealing up air leaks in your home and making sure you have sufficient insulation. In fact, you can fix drafty windows (yes, without installing new ones) by air sealing your house, too.  

2. Increase insulation and airflow to solve stuffy summer rooms for good.

Is your upstairs too hot? Or do you have one room that’s warmer than others in your house?

This is usually a sign of insufficient insulation and HVAC issues. You can use a short-term fix, like a portable air conditioner or box fan, to temporarily help with the problem. 

But the long-term resolution to a super stuffy upstairs is increasing your attic insulation. And if you know your house already has plenty of professionally-installed, brand-new insulation, your air conditioner may need an upgrade. Learn when to replace your air conditioner.  

3. Embrace your home’s natural light.

Natural light has a huge impact on creating a comfortable home. Not only does the warmth of sunlight create a mood-boost in the winter, but bright, natural light year-round can also make your home feel open and inviting.

If you’re worried that natural light will increase the temperature of your home in the summer to uncomfortable heights, use sheer or white cotton curtains in the summer to deflect some of the heat. (But if your home has been professionally air sealed and expertly insulated, it’s likely letting the sun shine in isn’t too big of a temperature concern.) 

Bright, natural light year-round can make your home feel open and inviting.

4. Use cozy, warm LED lights in light fixtures.

LED light bulbs can be an excellent choice for your home’s energy efficiency, but some LEDs can give off a harsh hue. 

Harsh, bright lighting can feel overwhelming to some visitors in your home. If you’re looking for an added touch of cozy comfort, switch the light bulbs in your fixtures to a warm or yellow LED light without bright white or blue hues. 

That way, you’ll be well on your way to a more comfortable home with one small change you can make in an afternoon.  

5. Add fabric curtains for a more cozy, inviting feel. 

Fabric curtains can help act as additional insulation around your windows in the winter while keeping warm air out in summer. And this can be especially helpful if you haven’t had your windows air sealed. 

Okay, so why do we keep talking about air sealing in this article about creating a comfortable home? Well, every home has air leaks—and they form along gaps and seams as your home settles over time. 

Usually, air leaks are found around your windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, and foundation. These gaps and leaks create home ventilation and air flow issues. And they’re often responsible for cold air drafts in winter and hot air coming into your home in summer. 

However, not only can curtains help with air leaks around your windows that haven’t been sealed, but natural fabrics can also help if you’re searching for how to make your home warm and cozy.

6. Surround yourself with items you love. 

One of the best things you can do to increase your home’s comfort is to fill your home with what makes you feel at ease, whether that’s artwork, books, or sports memorabilia. 

Hanging photos of family and friends or places you’ve traveled can remind you of important memories and act as a mood boost. Or supporting a favorite artist and displaying their work in your home can be inspiring and make your home feel more comfortable—to you and your guests.

7. Eliminate clutter in your home.

So, yes, you should surround yourself with things you love, but it’s an important part of creating a comfortable home to minimize clutter, too. 

You’ve heard it before, but donating items you no longer have use for or recycling and removing them from your home can help you breathe easier—figuratively and literally.

Not only does getting rid of things you no longer need help declutter and give you peace of mind, but the less stuff you have hanging around, the less opportunity there is in your home for dust to gather, settle, and impact your respiratory health. 

The less stuff you have hanging around, the less opportunity there is for dust to gather, settle, and impact your respiratory health. 

8. Add area rugs to your floors.

Area rugs can help add warmth and style, but they can help insulate your floors, too—especially if your home has wood, laminate, or tile flooring. 

Gaps around your home’s foundation can actually suck in cold air from outside, so if you don’t have carpeted floors, your feet can easily feel these cold pockets during the winter. 

And if you already have carpeted rooms, adding a statement rug on top can still add additional warmth and style. 

9. Include live plants or fresh cut flowers to help make your home feel cozy. 

Houseplants can make you feel connected to your space and nature. And you don’t have to have a green thumb or a garden to do so. 

Fresh cut flowers and live houseplants can help your home feel more comfortable, and there are many houseplants—including the well-loved pothos plant—that are easy to grow. 

Many homeowners include plants in their home to improve their home air quality. While indoor plants can help clean your air, according to Wired, you’d actually need about 80 plants per room to have a significant impact on indoor air quality (6).

But there’s a better, more effective route to filtering your home’s air than filling every corner with live plants: installing a heat pump central HVAC system, which works to heat and cool your home and filter the air all at the same time. 

10. Invest in good linens and cozy throw blankets.

If you’re wondering how to make your home feel warm and cozy year-round, investing in a great set of bed linens—ones that are specific to the season you’re in—can make a big impact on feeling comfortable throughout the year.

Flannel sheets are a great choice for super cold winters, of course, but linen sheets and performance cotton options can be a great choice for maintaining a comfortable home in the summer. 

And including throwing blankets throughout your house can help you feel warm and cozy in winter, no matter what room you’re in. Simply trade out your throw blankets for lighter throws in the summer, or tuck them away until autumn comes back around.

11. Set your thermostat to the best temperature for you. 

One big way to make sure you’re maintaining a comfortable home is to set your thermostat to the right temperature setting to help you feel great whatever season you’re in.

A smart thermostat can help regulate your HVAC system’s energy use while still keeping a comfortable home temperature. It learns your preferences and patterns, and it can help reduce wasted energy when no one’s home. (All while making sure your home will be comfortable before your return).

But if you’re like most homeowners, you like to keep energy efficiency in mind, too, when setting your thermostat. Below are recommended temperatures for your thermostat based on efficiency and physical comfort.

Ideal home temperatures based on season: 

• Winter: 68°F, or the lowest comfortable temperature for your household
• Spring: 68–70°F
• Summer: 72–78°F, or the highest comfortable temperature for your household
• Fall: 68–70°F

But here’s the most important thing to know about setting the best temperature for your house: Having an HVAC system that modulates—no matter what temperature is comfortable to you—can minimize your home’s energy use while also maximizing your home’s comfort.

Yes, you can actually be comfortable during the depths of winter or heights of summer without wasting energy—and while setting your thermostat to your preferred temp.

Comfortable Home FAQ

Next, we’ll tackle some common questions around how to make your home feel warm and cozy.

Have a specific question about creating a comfortable home not answered below? Contact us!

What is the healthiest temperature to keep your house?

It’s recommended to keep your home set to at least 68–78°F in the winter if you have health concerns or older family members, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Safety Services (7).

But remember, Sealed can help make your home feel amazing year-round, no matter what your preferred thermostat temperature is. 

What temperature is best for sleeping? 

To keep yourself comfortable overnight and promote healthy sleep, the recommended bedroom temperature is between 60°F and 68°F (8).

How do I make an old house feel warm?

Blankets, space heaters, and additional layers of clothing can help your old house feel warmer in the short term. But professional insulation, air sealing, and an energy-efficient heating system are the permanent fixes that work together to make an older house feel warm and cozy. 

To learn more, read How to Heat an Old House Efficiently.  

How do I make a cold room warmer?

If you have one room that just won’t get warm, a space heater could be the quickest temporary fix. But to permanently fix the problem of uneven temperatures in your home, getting an expert opinion will help you pinpoint the exact problem. Usually, having just one too-cold room stems from insulation or airflow problems in your home. 

(And working with Sealed can help you fix those insulation and airflow issues for good!)

How do I make my home comfortable for guests?

To create a comfortable home for guests to visit, keeping your house at a comfortable temperature in each room of your house (even the rooms you don’t regularly use, but that your guests do) can make a big difference for your visitors. And many of the above suggestions can help, too.

It can be tempting to avoid adjusting the thermostat if you’re set on keeping your house a certain temperature to lower your energy bills. However, we can help you create a plan for important home upgrades that can increase your comfort while decreasing energy use.

(So, yes, you can adjust your thermostat to feel better whenever you need to and still reduce energy use.)

Sealed can help you create a plan for important home upgrades that can increase your comfort while decreasing energy use.

Why is my upstairs so hot in summer? 

Heat rises, and when the cooled air inside your house escapes through air leaks in your house and attic, it creates a vacuum and sucks in warm air from outside. If your upstairs floor doesn’t get cool enough in the summer, it’s likely you don’t have a sufficient thermal boundary between your home and the outdoor heat—meaning, your home is taking in too much hot air from outside.

Talking with an expert can help you pinpoint the right improvement that can fix a too-hot upstairs floor for good.

The entire house has stayed much more comfortable and consistent. Sealed made my home modern without having to look modern.

Gretchen H., Sealed customer

Create a comfortable home with Sealed

Having a permanently comfortable home is an important part of loving your space—all while making it feel warm and cozy to visitors. 

We can help you love the home you’re in and make it feel amazing in every season. 

Sealed uses the powerful combination of insulation, air sealing, and heat pumps (the Tesla of HVAC systems) to create a comfortable home that’s incredibly energy efficient. 

And with Sealed, you can get this work done at zero upfront cost—you pay us back for the project at a rate based on the energy you save each month. 

And we back our work 100%—if you don’t save energy, we don’t get paid.

Answer our quick questionnaire today to see if your house qualifies.