When the temperatures turn from crisp to frigid, making a few adjustments to your home can turn it into the cold-weather retreat you crave. Whether you need a break from holiday obligations or simply want to recharge at home, ensure your home is set up to keep you cozy and cocooned this winter. Read on for ways to turn your home into a cold-weather retreat.
Clean the fireplace
There’s nothing more welcoming and warming than a fire going in the fire on a cold winter night. Schedule a professional chimney cleaning so you can safely light fires this winter. Whether you have a wood-burning or electric fireplace, a professional inspection and cleaning will assess any cracks or damage, clean build-up, remove debris and reduce the risk of fire or carbon monoxide leaks. After your fireplace is clean, updating your fireplace screen is a low-effort, high-impact way to update the room’s look and feel.
Rethink the rugs
A correctly sized rug can have an instant warming effect. Ensuring the high-traffic spaces have something soft underfoot will help keep you comfortable and warm all winter long. Rugs in every gathering space, runners in hallways and kitchens, and generously sized rugs in the bedroom will help you stay warm the moment your feet hit the ground.
Add more blankets
Piling more blankets throughout the house will make it easy to envelop yourself with a cozy throw when you curl up on the sofa or chair. Draping luxe throw blankets, such as cashmere, faux fur, or chunky cotton, on the sofa or chairs or folding them in an easy-to-access basket will ensure there’s always an easy-to-reach blanket available. In addition to throwing blankets, updating your throw pillows and adding a few more will invite you to sink back into your sofas and chairs.
Incorporate more lamps
From floor lamps to table lamps to cordless lamps, adding a few additional lamps to your decor plan will add a subtle ambiance and make your home glow. Turning off the overhead lighting in favor of accent lighting will bring a luminosity to the space that an overhead light can’t create.
Change the lightbulbs
Too-cool lightbulbs can create a cold, sterile space. Warmer hue lightbulbs, ideally 2700K, provide ample light and a warm glow.
Appeal to the senses
Whether you’re starting or ending your day, setting the scene by appealing to the senses can help transform the mood of the home. From lighting a candle in your favorite scent to playing your favorite playlist and incorporating seasonal greenery and florals, igniting the senses can help you ease into the season at home.
Set a soothing bath scene
Sometimes, a hot bath is the only way to warm up during the coldest winter days. Decanting the bath salts, adding a pillow to rest your head on, incorporating a tray or small table to set a drink or a book, laying down an extra plush bath mat, and having a sumptuous robe to put on post-bath are all ways to elevate the experience.
