My cats. I just think that animals give a home a sense of warmth.

More books.

blfenton, I was thinking that animals would come up. I totally agree!

Lucille, of course plants!!! I don't have a green thumb for indoor plants so DH is in charge.

I can't look at the book threads without a twinge because I sold or donated 90% of my books before we moved and I do miss the sense of place and history they gave our old home. Sigh.... However, I am surrounded by antique clocks that my dad collected and they are part of the warmth and sense of home for me since I was a child.

I love seeing things in a home that mean something to the residents. A collection of something meaningful, or handmade items, something from family history. Maybe something old that happens to have their (okay, our) name on it, or street name, that kind of thing. Things that make a connection.

and, it's probably not trendy, but I find plaids to be very warm and inviting. In our old house I had pink-cream large-pattern plaid curtains over the patio slider in a cream-and-brown family room, and it was all light and happy and warm and cozy at the same time.

This is an antique table set that we keep at the back of the LR for occasions where we need to seat a big crowd. When closed it is small and serves as a place display treasures. Here are some:

I remember a long ago decorating thread where someone went out and bought some books that had nice bindings as decorating accessories.

I think the books one has should have some meaning, either you love the authors or stories, or they had meaning for your family (I lost the vast majority of my books in the flood last year, but there are a few precious ones left- my college book on the history of art I still look through, and some of my children's yearbooks, and one of my father's yearbooks from when he went to medical school.

One of my biggest regrets is giving away so many of my parents' books when I was selling their house. I did keep all the bibles though, most of which contain family history. We have used the bibles at both joyous and sad occasions.

Things that give a house warmth besides books:

comfy chairs

lamplight

flowers

tick toc clocks (real clocks not electric ones -- especially ones that chime)

plants

afghans (but not in summer!)

needlework (samplers, needlepoint pillows, those afghans, quilts)

Family Photos.

Art, porcelain, flowers, everyone at the table together.

small rugs on top of my brown furniture

No gray. ;-) Plants, pottery collected over the years, stained wood trim, cool rocks picked up at various places, a table made by my dad, an antique oak table destroyed by my dad and then reassembled and refinished for me by my dad after I gasped in horror that he had destroyed it. Memories.

I read these lists to the tune of, These are a few of my favorite things :-)

I love this thread.

Textiles of all sorts- rugs, throws, handmade quilts, tablecloths especially if they have contrasting textures.

art

silk Persians

rich wood tones in furniture

beautiful lamps with a warm light

flowers

the glow from a fireplace

Marie what a beautiful high boy.!..tiger maple?

My art, my very special lamps that add a warm glow to every room come evening. My family and my furkids. I’ve tried to make every room of ours warm, cozy and inviting. I’m still on vacation here in Michigan, but from the limited photos on my phone, I’ve found these of my living room. I love this room so much!

Art, collectables from Ireland (usually religious), photos of my children, candles, flowers (always white), outside "stuff" (cones, branches, pebbles etc), anything that my sister makes (I have two monthly calendars with her photos, a pair of slippers she made for me) and pillows and throws. So many pillows and throws.

Texture.

Imperfections. Worn antiques. A few dings and scratches. Some whimsy and quirkiness. And some broken decorating "rules."

Music.

Sunlight, and various levels of lamp light at night.

And yes: books, animals, pillows and throw blankets, art and souvenirs from travel.

When we moved, I got rid of almost any decorative item/tchotcke that didn't have meaning. You know, the place fillers from Home Goods or Target. That said, we still have a ton of stuff. Kids' old clay creations are on display along with souvenirs from trips and framed photos and books and... but I do think all that stuff adds warmth and personality to a space, as long as it doesn't go overboard into hoarderdom!

I should have mentioned that in my old home, the one I raised seven children in, was OPEN. As in, we never locked the front door. Ever. Anybody could walk in. And yes they did. All the time. Many days, maybe even everyday, there were friends and sometime strangers coming through. It was a regular house, not very big, 1800 sf. I kept it nicely decorated, both inside and out. And the neighborhood knew that the McCarthy home was that safe place that anybody and everybody could land and regroup.

We were never broken into.

Oh my Lord, I sure miss all of that.

Cran - thank you. Yes it is tiger maple. We downsized and our new home has 2 walk-in closets in the master bedroom so we really didn't need furniture for storage. But we needed something to balance the room and fell in love with that piece - it's 70" tall and I can't even look in the top 2 drawers. So DH keeps his socks up there. We do have 2 small nightstands in tiger maple (you can see the top of one in the photo with the crystal lamp).

For me it's always color that warms up a home. Followed by lighting and fabric. The contrast between the warm colors inside vs. the cold colors outside the DR really says it all to me.

Warmth here: books for sure but you already covered that. Wood features. A view even if it is not spectacular. Fun landscaping. A comfortable kitchen with nearby seating that I discover people actually do enjoy.

Books, art, lamps, textiles.