10 Ways to Make Your Home Cozy for Winter
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The onset of winter means shorter days and therefore more time spent curled up inside. The descent into hibernation can be dark and dreary but it doesn’t have to be. This is the perfect time to give your home a winter facelift and turn it into that cozy sanctuary you have always wanted. You do not need to spend a ton of money or completely renovate your home, maybe you already have these items and you didn’t realize it, either way, we have some great tips to turn your home into the ideal space to wait out winter in.
1. Pile on the Throw Blankets
Throw blankets are probably the first thing that comes to your mind when decorating for winter. Temperatures drop and you instantly want to wrap yourself up and lay on the couch. Don’t keep it to just one, drape and layer blankets over your couch and bed in classic winter fabrics like fleece, fur, wool and flannel. Use baskets, trunks and and ladders to store your extras which is both handy and is a cute home decor accent. Your guests will thank you for the extras and this means you never have to share!
2. Warm Floors, Warm Toes
Nothing is worse than waking up and stepping onto freezing cold floors. Besides the excess of fuzzy socks and slippers, rugs are the best solution. They not only keep your toes warm but they help insulate your place. This is a double win, get actual warmth and the appearance of warmth in one go. This is especially true if you get rugs that are shaggy or thick. While these can be harder to clean, getting a smaller version like a runner for next to your bed, or layering it on top of another rug, gets you that texture but the rug is still small enough that you can wash it.
3. Cur-tain Your Enthusiasm
I am always surprised by how many people have blinds and not curtains. This may be because my cats eat the strings on blinds and I also hate lowering them and raising them combined with the effort of dusting them BUT curtains are a really easy way to add warmth to your space. You may already have curtains, like those light, translucent ones that are perfect for summer to filter in the hot light, but in winter it is best to switch to a heavier fabric with rich colors. Mine are lined on the back so it helps keep my apartment insulated. You don’t have to keep drapes to just windows either, add them to separate your spaces (like in a studio apartment) or cover that closet that doesn’t have a door,
For curtain rods I swear by Kwik Hang. This is not an ad, I just think it is genius. They were on shark tank and you just tap the holder into the frame of your window and you are done. No damage to your walls and it takes about 5 seconds.
4. Start a Fire
Not everyone is so lucky to have a fireplace, or maybe they do and they can’t use it (check out tips for how to decorate a non-working fireplace), but that doesn’t mean you can’t recreate that feeling. The soft, flickering of a flame is a relaxing and of course, cozy. Group candles on a dining table or buffet and use winter scents for a double whammy. I love the simple casing on candles and it really can go with any decor but for an extra winter bump use votives that have a wood exterior or dark metal.
Have an outdoor space? It can be hard in winter to utilize your outside areas but a fire pit surrounded by comfy seating with plenty of throws is just the key.
5. Soften Your Lighting
Adding more light to your rooms while also softening it can create a warm and relaxing home. You may think there is nothing you can do about the lighting you already have because it is too expensive to alter, you would have to hire an electrician, or you just really like the light features you have, but this is not the case. Softening your lighting to create a warm glow is as simple as replacing light bulbs or light switches, changing out a sconce, or adding a new lampshade.
LED light bulbs can come in different tones. Two that work well for winter are soft white and warm white. Additionally LED’s can come with remotes that allow them to be dimmed. If you like the light bulbs you have, or maybe they are too high in the air and you don’t want to deal with that, you can add a dimmer to your light switches to still achieve a similar effect.
When it comes to lamp shades, there are a couple ways to soften your light. You can go with a lampshade that is made of paper or linen, or, a fun trend is lampshades that are lined with metallic. If you are choosing a sconce, pick one that directs the light against the wall. This diffuses it and makes it easier on our eyes while providing a nice glowing appearance.
6. Decorate Your Table
One of the easiest ways to decorate a dining room is through tablecloths, placemats, napkins and runners. Your dining room table and buffet can be easily dressed up with a quick unroll and, it means you are already ready for any party that you may happen to throw. I think these things are great to invest in as you can have them for decades and will always make your table feel inviting and like you put intention behind each meal and guest.
I’m obsessed with the embroidered pieces below. I discovered Chamak Dhamak on Etsy and I plan on getting some of their pieces for my home. Each one seems to have love behind it.
7. Go Green
When we think of winter we do not think of gardening but instead snow and brown plants. This doesn’t mean your house can’t be a winter paradise, green thumb or not. The great thing about winter time is the excess of wreaths and garlands and similar accents. You can get clippings of winter plants like holly or spruce for vases, add pinecones into displays, and use pine boughs, magnolia, lambs ear, and eucalyptus in your wreaths and garlands. Add in string lights, berries, or candles for even more warmth. All of these things have a certain lifespan so they will only make it through the winter, but that is perfect because come spring you will want to opt for fresh tulips anyway.
8. Tapestry
Tapestries always make me think of medieval castles. They were used to insulate the castle walls and of course decorate the bare stone. Walls that are bare, especially white ones, can feel cold. I mean, have you all seen Kim Kardashian’s house? It looks like a morgue. Let’s all avoid that and add woven tapestries to our walls. If you peruse etsy there are so many different styles. Ones made of wool or macrame or ones that are entire scenes.
9. Bedding
Pillows, sheets, throws and duvet covers are all things that can be swapped out for your new winter nest. I have fleece sheets I use in the winter and they make a world of difference in keeping me extra warm. Going with soft fabrics like fleece, cotton flannel, or velvet makes your bed beyond cozy. When choosing colors I like to balance my bedding with the rest of the room. I have a white quilt, sheets and sham but I have a dark green duvet cover and a pop of color in my throw pillows. If you are going with rich tones on your walls or rugs like we mentioned earlier then use neutrals on your bed.
10. Get Baking!
I had to include something that related to cookies because cookies are a superior food group and the holidays are prime baking time. There is a reason realtors bake cookies for open houses, the smell of fresh baked cookies smells like home. If you don’t want to bake, you can get gingerbread house sets and can spend the day decorating the houses in a friendly competition. There are even gluten free, chocolate chip and OREO versions. Either way, get your cookie on.
