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When it gets cold outside, you can always take refuge inside of your home. And, while your home will always be warmer than the falling snow and freezing temperatures outdoors, you can still do more to make your home exude the coziness you crave. We’re not talking about turning up the thermostat or lighting a fire, either: a few simple décor choices will make your home as warm as it has ever felt. Here are four ways to do it:
Add and Layer Fabric Elements
From sweaters to scarves to coats and wooly hats, you layer yourself in fabrics in order to go outside in the wintertime. You can give your home the same treatment and reap the same warming reward.
Start with your sofas, where you’re sure to curl up with a good book or Netflix marathon this winter. Here, you’ll want at least one throw blanket at the ready: not only will you be able to use it when you’re chilly, but the additional layer of fabric on top of your couch instantly creates a cozier appearance. This is especially true if you layer two different throws, or if you choose a thicker one made of faux fur, for example.
Once your couch is fully fabric-ed, look outward to the rest of your room. Do you have soft textiles on the floor to cushion and warm your feet? What about your windows? In terms of the former, area rugs placed over hardwood or tile make floors feel warmer — literally. Curtains also serve a decorative and functional purpose: thick fabric hung over your windows is one of the best ways to keep heat from escaping your home during winter.
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| Photo: Creative Commons |
Brush on New Paint
Colors can also create a feeling of warmth, and everyone’s interpretation of “warm colors” will be different. Golden yellows, burnt oranges and deep reds are some of the more common shades when considering which colors are warmest. But there might be a color that speaks to you and makes you feel warm inside, even if it’s not “warm” by other people’s standards.
So, choose a bright paint color if that’s what makes you feel happy or otherwise cozy. Just make sure the color you choose goes with the rest of the elements in your room: with everything tied together, your space will feel more cohesive and, therefore, homier.
Say “Yes” to Metallic Accents
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| Photo: Creative Commons |
In a similar vein, the right metallic elements can bring warmth into a space, too. In most cases, stainless steel and chrome are seen as cooler hues that, while modern and fresh, fail to add more warmth into your space. Instead, opt for metallic accents in bronze, brass, copper or even gold. As you envision these metals, you can see why they’ll be warmer than their silvery counterparts: they have yellowy or reddish undertones, rather than icy gray.
With metallic accents, you can bring warmth to spaces other than your living room. You can swap out your kitchen hardware in a few hours, or upgrade your bathroom fixtures to these types of metal. In fact, there are plenty of ways to make your bathroom look and feel warm in winter: along with new hardware, you can install an electric towel rack, for example, to make your linens even more inviting post-shower.
Waft a Warm Aroma — Intimate Lighting Optional
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| Photo: Creative Commons |
Scent is an often overlooked way to create a certain ambience or atmosphere. However, there have to be certain aromas in your memory that make you feel warm and cozy — those should be the scents you choose to perk up your home during the winter.
For many people, these scents will be seasonal ones. Cinnamon, spiced pear, baked goods, pumpkin… all of these have ties to the fall and winter seasons, when you’ll want your home to be at its coziest. It’s up to you how you’ll create your home’s scent story: you can use air fresheners, potpourri or candles, for example.
In choosing the latter, you’ll earn the added bonus of warm, intimate lighting, which can further add to that cozy atmosphere you crave. Think about it: from weddings to fancy restaurants, tabletop candles inspire you to lean closer to loved ones, talk quietly and connect. Your home probably won’t feel that formal, of course, but having candles on lends itself to a closer, more intimate vibe that’s perfect for wintertime dinner parties, movie nights and snuggling, of course.
Get Cozy
Meet Kacey
Kacey Bradley is the lifestyle and travel blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she frequently writes for sites like US Travel News, Thought Catalog, Style Me Pretty, Tripping.com and more!
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