For your home to be truly warm and inviting in the winters, you need to cozy up your spaces. Here are 10 ways to do just that…
With winters knocking at doors and windows with frosty fingers, we all want to escape those drafty homes and be out in the sun. Let's face it, no one wants a dose of the winter blues. But if you are a work-at-home mom like me, or simply someone who works from home, winters can be a pain just about everywhere. And even if you do not work from home, coming home to a cold, cold house in the evening after a hard day of work isn’t quite a great ending to a day.
So sure, we all have thermostats and radiators. Or heaters and blowers. It all depends on which part of the world we live in. Even so, cozying up your home isn’t the same as simply switching on the thermostat and raising the temperature. You want your home and hearth to look as inviting and “warm” in winters as it does in the summer or spring. So how do you go about doing that? Here are ten ideas we have to cozy up your spaces for the winters, so that you will want to spend time in your home… And others will want to do so too!
10 Ways To Make Your Home Warm & Cozy
1. Throw In Some Throws
The back of a sofa, the front of a lesser used chair or a big wicker basket on the side. What do all these things have in common? Actually, they are the perfect places to hold some blankets, wraps, or throws. There is honestly nothing cozier than sinking into a comfortable chair with a hot cup of something warming in your hand, with a soft and plush wrap around you. Or on your feet and legs. In fact, the more the merrier—especially with variety. So have a faux fur one, a throw made of fleece, and maybe a heavy Sherpa blanket too for those extra frosty winter evenings. Nothing like watching a movie with great food and company, wrapped in warm and soft layers.
2. We Didn’t Start The Fire
Actually, we did. If you are lucky enough to have a real wood-burning fireplace at home, well, there can be nothing cozier than that, can it? Make sure you clear your chimney of soot and grime at the start of the winters and keep all the fire-starting supplies handy. Nicely chopped dry wood, a natural fire starter like cardboard dipped in wax, matches, a stoking rod, and for safety, a fire extinguisher. Put up pretty things on your mantel or turn it into an altar, and place a few books nearby as well. Just enjoy the natural heat and light, and the utter coziness of it all.
3. And Then There Was Light
If you don’t have a fireplace (like me), then dig out a whole host of candles, lamps, fairy lights, and everything else that emits light from storage. Fairy lights go up on walls, on curtains and can be draped over and around any dark and cold corner with a plug point. Candles and lanterns don’t need a plug point but need to be kept away from grabby fingers and inquisitive noses for safety and security. Light up dark corners and dull centers. With lamps, make sure the bulbs you use emit warm amber light instead of harsh white light. And then there are always the healing Himalayan salt lamps.
4. Go Lush & Plush
Bring out the works when it comes to fabric. Make sure your cushion covers are fuzzy, and those slippers are snuggly, and everything else is plush. All your linen needs to be soft and fluffy, plush and cozy, and nothing that feels cold to touch at this point. Keep away the cotton and the synthetics, dig out the heavy silks, fleece, velvet, and flannels to really make you want to be in your home.
5. Go All Out With Warm Colors
When you think warm, what are the colors that come to mind? Shades of deep reds, browns, purples, and maybe a few dark greys. Winter is dull and all those bright blues and greens will make your home seem a tad forbidding. Bring out those crimsons and oranges, those deep rich purples and browns and throw warm colors all around. Change the draperies and the cushion covers, change the rugs and the runners and you have yourself a warm, cozy and inviting home.
6. Go Rug Crazy Everywhere
Rugs keep the floor warm and cozy and add so much character to a room. Place those runners on either side of the bed; add a thick Persian or woolen carpet in the center and even a washable one in the bathroom. Winters mean you need to keep your feet off the floor, and rugs are the best way to do that. Also, rugs keep the warmth in and stop the cold from coming through the floor. Remember, if you have excitable pets or kids that run around, invest in the non-skid variety of rugs for added safety.
7. Move Closer To The Heat
If your dinner table is one cold setting, it’s time to change the furniture placement of your room. Move the table closer to the fireplace, or place a smaller one near the fire for a cozy dinner. If this is not possible, as a last resort, place an eco-friendly, low-energy halogen, convection ,or oil-filled heater near the table and use it only while you eat.
8. Keep A Permanent Spot For Reading/Working
The darkness falls too quickly in winters, and that favorite sunny window ledge of summers is cold and dank and lets the wind in. So designate a little working or reading spot for yourself in the winters where you have a few favorite books, your trusty laptop, and your favorite throws around. When you get cold, go snuggle up in this spot which hopefully also lets in the winter sun.
9. Cushion Up & Then Some
Much like winters is time to bring out the rugs, it’s also time to bring out the cushions—and many can go on corner rugs with a throw or two in between for some cozy family time. Here is where you can play some games with the kids, do a puzzle, or even work on lessons. Winters are cold and dipping temperatures mean families can huddle up for heat in a fun way.
10. Let In The Winter Sun
It’s nice to put the thermostat on, pull the drapes, and sit inside the cozy heat while it snows outside. But it’s even nicer to let in the warm winter sun even if all it offers is a weak glow. The sunlight kills off germs, cleans the air, and warms the cockles of your heart. It may not add too much warmth, but it will still freshen up a closed home and make your heart feel like sunshine too.
Other than that people, let’s have a happy holiday by turning off the thermostat when we aren’t at home to save energy and Mother Earth. And let’s limit the use of portable heaters as well if we can. One great way to cozy up in a cold place is put on a warm, plush jumper, right? Remember to stay active this winter, and for any winter woes, here are five herbs that help you heal inside out. Stay happy and healthy folks and remember to take care of your skin!
