How to make a car feel like home

Think of a car’s interior as your living room on wheels.

Many of the same design principles apply when choosing the right style to suit your tastes.

Rely on color, texture and lighting to create the ideal driving environment for you and your family.

Color choices

Start with the palette. Exterior color can be a deciding factor in choosing a car. A car’s interior color should be valued just as much, as color can carry emotional weight. Red can induce stress; blue can inspire calm; white can open smaller spaces and inspire clarity.

Credit: Photo Credit: Acura

Credit: Photo Credit: Acura

Choose for real life. Upkeep is also important when it comes to color. Think of it the way you choose living room furnishings. Dark shades like black or gray conceal dirt and stains. For occasional joyrides, lighter, fresher colors will show less wear. Lighter colors can also deflect heat in warmer climates. If resale is a consideration, neutral colors offer broader buyer appeal.

Credit: Special

Credit: Special

Add a pop. Accent colors and details add hints of personality, like a pop of color in your home. You can also add your own pieces to play up a color scheme. Car accessories like mats and covers can add color or print and can be removed if the car is resold. Ford offers seat belt colors so you can add bright splashes of color to contrast with a neutral interior palette.

Go neutral for the long haul. Earth tones were the dominant color trend in 2025, and the same is true for interior home design. Beiges, ivories, browns and tans are available in Volvo, Cadillac, Buick, Mercedes and Hyundai models. These shades are elegant, timeless, calming and create a warm atmosphere.

Keep interior color top of mind when car shopping. For those with long commutes, the interior color should make you feel at home.

Credit: Photo Credit: Guy Spangenberg

Credit: Photo Credit: Guy Spangenberg

Texture-rich details

Texture is another way car interiors demonstrate personality and influence emotion. In the past, interior textures were used to cover up defects in the molding process. Many automakers then gravitated toward using texture for branding purposes. Quilted seats and monogram prints became associated with luxury vehicles and higher-end trims.

In recent years, a lack of texture has become associated with affordability. Think of the generic, smooth plastic surfaces found in many cars. These textures are not only uninteresting, but they’re also uninviting.

Touch matters

Nature-inspired shapes and patterns, along with personalized touches, are the future of car interiors. Brands like Scout are experimenting with unique textures, such as hemp wood, to incorporate sustainability and heritage design.

Credit: Courtesy of Scout Motors

Credit: Courtesy of Scout Motors

BMW introduced a crystal-faceted texture on the shifter and dashboard of some models for those who enjoy an upgraded, luxurious feel.

Credit: Courtesy of BMW

Credit: Courtesy of BMW

With so many touchscreens and digital displays, actual buttons or switches can serve as functional, texture-rich details. Think of doorknobs and light switches in your home. When car shopping, consider the weight and feel of toggles and switches. Are they robust or lightweight and cheap-feeling? Test them on a drive and notice what feels right to you.

Layered lighting

When it comes to lighting, many cars now offer ambient lighting in addition to the main lighting from the instrument panel and infotainment screens. Dashboard edges, door pockets, cupholders, footwells and trims can all contain LED lighting. On some cars, this lighting can create a futuristic look. For luxury vehicles, lighting can set a mood or highlight premium design elements.

Set the mood

More options mean cars can be treated like living spaces with layered lighting. This mix supplies illumination for both tasks and decorative accents. Additional lighting options don’t just mean greater visibility; they also provide balance and can affect a vehicle’s overall mood.

As with color and texture, personalization can be a major consideration. Several automakers offer personalized lighting options, such as Ford’s MyColor and Mercedes-Benz’s 64-color LED lighting, which offers variable brightness, three lighting zones and 10 color moods. While you can’t paint the walls or switch out the furniture the way you would in a home, playing with lighting is a fun compromise. Ambient lighting can add color, boost mood and be adjusted throughout the day or night.

Let the light in

Natural light is being maximized in new car designs through panoramic glass roofs. Brands like Tesla, Subaru and Lexus offer expansive glass roofs for an open, airy feel. Like a living room with large windows, an influx of natural light makes the interior seem more spacious, welcoming and bright.

A car’s interior isn’t just about ease of use. Research shows that lighting intensity and color can influence heart rate and cognitive performance. As technology advances, so does the capability of car customization. Tools like ambient lighting, coupled with current design trends, allow car buyers to personalize their interiors for comfort and style, making the most of time spent in the car.

If there’s a design element in your living room that you gravitate toward, it may just translate to your car. Seating and infotainment systems are other major ways cars are becoming homier. With self-driving cars on the horizon, automakers are reconsidering the design of car interiors more than ever to capture the essence of being at home while on the road.

Beth Livesay is a Texas-based editor at Cox Automotive. Prior to her work writing about cars, she spent 12 years running print and digital magazines. She has written for HuffPost, The Tease, Revlon, Bloomingdale’s, and National Hardware, among other brands.