SOURCE: Blesser House
Put your hand up if you’re looking forward to winter. No, me neither. Most of us aren’t thrilled to be bundling up and dealing with snow and cold. The upside to the change of season is that it’s a great excuse to redecorate. There’s a natural opportunity for decorating with the change of seasons. If you’re a design lover you probably embrace this chance to switch things up and personalize a few times a year. We’re always eager to freshen things up in the spring but what about winter? Maybe we’re not so keen because we feel disappointed to be forced back indoors. It actually makes more sense that we’d be more excited though since we do spend a lot more time inside during the winter months. It doesn’t have to require weeks of your time or loads of money to get your home winter ready. These are things you can do in a single day but you’ll feel excited to be inside with these little changes.
GET YOUR HOME WINTER READY
1/ Go Texture Crazy
SOURCE: Well Appointed House
When fall hits we all talk about being excited for sweaters, lattes and cozy nights at home. Somehow that feeling seems to dissipate over time and when winter rolls around we’re complaining about being stuck inside. One way to beat the winter blues is to make your home a perfect retreat that you look forward to being in. It’s the time of year when we can cuddle up under a blanket and catch up on Netflix.
There’s truly nothing that will make your home feel cozy the way texture can. Instead of the breezy, light fabrics we use in summer, texture looks snug, safe and cuddly. All the things we want in our homes during the colder months. The easiest way to introduce texture is to use chunky knits, flannel, velvets and faux fur. These are all easy to bring in the form of pillows and throws so they’re not a big change or expense but the impact is immediate. If you have a smaller space and storing summer pillows is not an option, just order the covers. We can find a place to store our summer pillow covers that won’t require any space except a portion of your linen closet or drawer.
If you really love to decorate with the seasons you can even change up your area rugs. A chunky wool or shaggy texture will add a lot of warmth and immediately get your home winter ready.
2/ Add More Light
SOURCE: Liz Marie
As our days get shorter we find ourselves coming home to dark spaces. The best way to combat that is to bring in extra lamps, either table or floor. We can’t do anything about the decreased daylight but with a few extra lamps you won’t feel the change as noticeably.
If you have dimmers for your overhead lighting, take full advantage of them during the winter months. Dimmers can add a beautiful hue to rooms not being used and will allow you to move through your space without feeling like you’re always in the dark.
If you’re not interested in more lighting via lamps, candles will do the trick. Add tapers to your dining table and place votive candles everywhere. Even your powder room will look more inviting with some candlelight. It is possible to get your home winter ready without any significant expense of money or time.
3/ Bring Nature Home
SOURCE: House & Home
It’s easy to get caught up in the floral arrangements that are plentiful in summer but winter is when we really need to inject some nature into our space. Bring in floral arrangements to keep your mood up and get your home winter ready. There may not be the same variety of colour during the winter but I think a white and green floral arrangement is as good as it gets.
We tend to love greenery and pine cones at Christmas but you can use natural elements all winter. Adding some branches to a vase is quick and easy. If you have a fireplace you can add some beautiful birch logs as an accent. You don’t even need a wood burning fireplace because it’s just the textural effect you’re going for.
You can also take advantage of a nice day to go foraging outdoors. There’s still a lot of beautiful foliage lingering around out there. You can spend an afternoon and end up with greenery for every space in your home. These are all great reminders that just because we’re stuck indoors there’s still a beautiful world of nature outside our doors.
4/ Don’t Overlook the Power of Scent
SOURCE: Lonny
There’s a reason that people use scent when selling a house by baking cookies before an open house. We all respond instinctively to scent and it can help to make your home feel cozy in the dull winter evenings.
Use scented candles, diffused oils and heavily scented flowers to give some spice to your space. If you aren’t able to go out into nature during the winter months you can bring the smell of cedar and boston fir to your home. The candle industry has left no scent undiscovered and virtually any smell you want to bring into your home can be found.
5/ Focus on Bedrooms
SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
I don’t know about you but I definitely spend more time in bed during the winter than I do in summer. Whether you like to watch tv, read a book or just sleep more, your bed needs to be winterized.
Switch up your summer sheets for some winter flannels. No, they’re not just for kids. You can find sophisticated flannel sheet sets for adults that have either a simple pattern or no pattern at all.
After the sheets it’s time to add extra blankets and pillows. Again, texture is the key to making your bedroom look and feel cozy. Add a chunky knit blanket to the end of your bed and bring pillows that are soft and luxurious. You want this to feel like a retreat rather than a punishment. I personally love the way my bedroom looks in winter and I always look forward to getting back in there after long days out in the cold.
The final step is to finish it off with some candles. Now you have yourself a cozy winter retreat to help pass the time during the cold months.
Need more tips on updating your bedroom? Read this post where I share 10 Easy Ways to Update Your Master Bedroom in Just One Weekend.
Do you have any tips for making your home feel like a winter retreat? Share with me in the comments. I always love to know what my readers are doing in their own homes.
If you know your design style but you struggle with which paint to use, take a look at my Made-For-You paint palettes. They take the guesswork out and give you the confidence to get started.
