Winterizing a home often means sealing off the cracks and batting down the hatches, but it can also mean transforming your space into an inviting retreat to escape the drab, gray days of winter. Home décor plays a huge role in adding a feeling of winter coziness and warmth. Especially if you are working from home, or the kids are learning at home, you’ll want to have spaces that feel like refuge from your desk and from the cold. Here are ideas both simple and grand that will set you on your way to creating your own cozy cabin in the woods.
add layers
Just as we add layers to our wardrobe for the winter season, it’s important to do the same to our home. This is the time to prepare for Old Man Winter’s fury, and it’s all about enhancing comfort! Add beautiful blankets to the ends of beds for those frigid nights, put mohair or velvet pillows along with a soft plush throw on the sofa, and trade those crisp cotton sheets for soft, cozy flannel. Use colors and textures that reflect the season and offset the barren surroundings—think deep burgundy, winter green, and icy blue that come in soft cashmere and timeless wool. Put on your slippers, whip up a cup of spicy chai or matcha, and grab a good read as you wrap yourself up and escape from the chill.
heat & light
The darkness of the winter season is an opportunity to bring light into your home. Whether it’s during the day or the evening, a fire in the fireplace always makes a home cozier. If your home doesn’t have a fireplace, consider adding a high-efficiency wood burning or pellet stove. These heaters not only provide warmth, but they can also help with the heating bills.
Candles have a similar effect—their warm glow can be enough to make any space feel more cozy. Choose jewel tone colors or even simple beeswax, and cluster the candles around a room—it will instantly become a refuge. If you prefer scented candles, choose something woodsy like fir or cedar—a gentle reminder of the winter forest outside.
rejuvenate
Take time to indulge yourself by making your bathroom a warm and inviting place to be. Draw up a leisurely bath with the warm glow of candles to set the mood of relaxation, and simply meditate in the peace and quiet, or listen to some of your favorite relaxing music. Follow up with an indulgent skincare routine to calm that wintry dry skin. Who says you can’t have your own spa treatment right at home?
If your bathtub at home isn’t quite doing the trick, take it up a notch and get yourself a hot tub. It’s a sound purchase that will help you get through every winter, and there’s nothing like warming up in hot bubbling water while watching the quiet snowfall around you.
baking & cooking
There’s nothing like the smell of bread in the oven or a simmering stew on the stove to help warm up a home and stir anticipation. Even if we can’t invite guests to our table this winter, it is well worth the effort to get a bean soup or beef stew going early in the day to look forward to later in the evening, and perhaps again a few days later. While you’re at it, test out your bread making skills or whip up a batch of biscuits to for a truly hearty meal. Lay out some sparkly or wintry plaid place mats, and invite a friend or loved one to join you virtually. Radiate the warmth you create a home—we could all use a little extra this winter.
color and ambiance
For a truly colorful way to brighten up your home this winter, try adding tile or a fresh coat of paint to the walls. This is a relatively easy, affordable, and lasting way to change the ambiance of any room, or just freshen up a small space. Wallpapers are also available in myriad designs, from subtle to textural, and even come in peel-and-stick form to add to one wall for effect, or above bookshelves for a simple touch. When you’re done, consider a new set of window treatments to enhance the look.
sunshine in
If you’re looking to take your winters at home to the next level, a sunroom is a picture-perfect way to bring in the energy of the warm winter sun while soaking up the benefits of its all-important provision of Vitamin D. A glass addition will not only create a sun-filled space and lift your spirits, but it will keep an array of plants thriving, allowing you to bring the beauty of the outdoors indoors.
