How to warm up your Home for Winter

The colder months are often a time we spend at home huddled up in front of a fire or a television avoiding tiled floors and fighting over the throw rug. Often when someone discusses winter styling it is fraught with dark, moody colours and an over stuffing of cushions. We respectfully disagree. Given the right ingredients and a clear space to work with, there are many ways you can re-invent your home for the colder months and get inspired with the idea of ‘staying in’. 

Throw in a Throw

Winter is all about being calm and cozy and adding a throw rug to your bed or couch is not only going to enhance the look and feel of your space, but also offer additional warmth for those cozy nights in front of the television or fire. If you are thinking of introducing some throws into your space, you will need to consider the material and the pattern.

Throw rugs that are bright and light, with patterns or different textures can lift up an area that is lacking the natural light that winter strips your home of. Consider calming colours like turquoise or blue for your bedroom or reading area, and bright, exciting colours like yellows and oranges for the family area.

If you are considering a cotton throw, you have many options in terms of weight and style. Breathable cotton options are a good choice if you are looking for something that can withstand those warmer months as well, but if you are really after something cozy, wool might be more appropriate. Tencel throws are similar to your cotton throws as they come in greater variety but will not offer a large amount of warmth. Tencel is a very low maintenance option as well as it can be washed and ironed.

Open up your space

In those colder months when we are spending more time inside the house with the doors and windows closed, it can often feel a bit smaller than usual. There are many tricks to opening up your space, and the most obvious of this is to harness the powers of a beautiful mirror. The human brain can be easily tricked and mirrors are a great way of capturing that winter light and bouncing it around the room. Use this opportunity to remove your space of clutter and even re-arrange furniture so that your space feels new and more inviting.

Add softer lighting 

If you want to create a warm and inviting space for the winter months, consider replacing your main lighting source with lamps and fires on nights in. Even a few candles while you are having dinner or watching a movie are calming and cozy. consider using warm yellow light bulbs in your lamps for the winter months to artificially warm up your space. Modern light bulbs can offer different colour temperatures indicated in Kelvins. The warm yellow light you want for your winter months has a lower colour temperature compared to a cool blue light with a higher colour temperature making a space more energising.

Clear your windowsills

A common misconception about winter styling is big, warm, closed window decor. Yes it is true that having big curtain drapes can feel like a space is cozy and inviting, but what you are really doing is blocking the maximum amount of winter sun from entering your living room and warming it up for the rest of the evening. Use this opportunity to clear your windowsills of any clutter and open it up to as much natural light as possible. Not only will the openness add heat to your space, it will lift your spirits away from the dark and gloomy weather that might be coming over the next few months.

Introduce a new scent 

Since winter entertaining is done mostly inside, bringing a scent into the home appropriate to the season can be very welcoming and relaxing for your guests and yourselves. Try introducing cinnamon or vanilla infusers to your entryways and bathrooms or styling the kitchen with a nice bunch of your favourite flowers to enhance the space.

Mix textures and patterns

If you are thinking of bringing more cushions into your bedroom or living room in the warmer months, consider mixing textures and patterns to create a more inviting and full space. Styling these areas asymmetrically is also really important if you want to create this type of space. It gives the eye more places to look and the idea that the area is full even when it is no closer to being full than your styling in the summer months.

Floor Cushions

If you have the space in your living areas or bedrooms, consider adding in floor cushions that bring the eye’s attention to something cozy and inviting. Inviting friends over for a movie night? Want a new spot in front of the fire? Floor ottomans or cushions are an interesting addition to a space that are both practical and visually complementary to your existing furniture. Enhance a floor cushion or ottoman with a throw rug, perhaps in lambswool – but if you have pets be careful that they don’t make your new addition their new bed.