Liven Up Your Home This Winter
As the days become shorter and the cold winter weather starts to roll in, many of us just want to hunker down and hibernate indoors. Just because the weather outside is cold and dreary, doesn't mean your home décor has to be. This is especially true if you're the type who likes to hole up inside and get cozy on the couch for most of the wintertime.
Now is the time to settle in and make your home a bright and lively retreat. You don't have start renovating or spend an exorbitant amount of money on new home décor, either. From the cute and cozy to the sparklingly radiant, we have plenty of easy tips and tricks for any home to try this winter. Try these decorating and lifestyle ideas to make your home feel warm and welcoming throughout the fall and winter.
Brighten Up Your Space With Color
Nothing will liven up a room faster than some splashes of bright, warm colors. A fun and bright accent wall can turn any lifeless-looking room into a warm and lively space you cannot wait to spend time in. If committing to colors with paint is not an option for you, try some fun and colorful temporary wallpaper. With this less permanent solution, you can change your walls every season!
In the spirit of adding lively color to your home, consider bringing the green of the outdoors in this year. Get some hearty indoor plants to hang around the house to add depth, color and life to your indoor space.
Accent Your Space With Blankets and Pillows
This home décor solution is two-fold. Adding a few colorful throw blankets can add splashes of color to an otherwise colorless or drab room, and they're also perfect for when you're ready to curl up on the couch and get cozy. Add some throw pillows to your couch or bed for extra cushioning and flair.
Do not neglect the bathroom, either. Every room should get a new splash of color or fun patterned accent to help liven the place up. Get some brightly colored bath mats and rugs to keep this vibe going in every part of your home.
Let There Be Light
As the days are getting shorter, make use of your interior lighting to help compensate for the lack of sunshine. Invest in some floor lamps to brighten up dark corners. Rearrange lamps and lanterns you may already have to provide extra luminosity in your most lived-in spaces. Adding candles (real or battery-operated) can add warmth and life around your home with their soft romantic flickers. For even more warmth, switch all of your lightbulbs to a soft, semi-opaque yellow light. Bonus points if you have a working fireplace—change into your comfy sweats and get that fire roaring.
To allow for optimum natural light in your home this winter, switch out your blinds and dark or heavy curtains for lighter, thinner options. Invest in some gauzy, flowy drapes or curtains to allow maximum light exposure in your home. This style of drapery will let in the most natural light while the gauzy flowy nature of the fabric will keep the vibe of the room light and lively.
Express Yourself
One of the best ways to add life to any home is with art. Thrift some silly colorful paintings or create your own art to proudly adorn your walls. Make it a family activity! Create a mosaic with tile samples on that old table in the garage. Make your own Christmas wreath and string some festive garland. If you don't feel like making your own wreaths, store-bought works just as well.
Be Scent-Sational
Whether we like it or not, the olfactory experience is part of every home. When you enter someone's home for the first time, the way their house smells is usually the first thing you notice. In the wintertime, we tend to spend lots of time indoors and keep our doors and windows shut tight. This is great for creating a physically warm and cozy space, however it may also create stale and musty odors that stick to your clothes and furniture.
The good news is, creating homey and pleasant fragrances is simple and easy. If you don't want to use heavy chemical fragrance sprays, create your own natural versions with essential oils. Clove, cinnamon and orange are all excellent choices for a festive seasonal scent. Baking cookies is a fun and easy to way to make your home smell sweet and welcoming, as well. If these sound like too much work, there's still a solution for you: buy scented candles made of soy wax, beeswax or coconut wax in your favorite scents.