With winter well on the way, and many parts of the country buried in snow, the time has come to make our living rooms a little cosier. We need little havens we can enjoy while all manner of meteorological evil is unfolding outside. Check out our tips below.
Get Blinds That Complement The Room
Blinds can make a big difference in how a room feels. Somehow, they make everything feel more relaxed and under control. What’s more, they’re particularly useful in the autumn and winter when the sun is low in the sky, allowing you to control precisely how much light enters your rooms.
Blinds also change how light interacts with your rooms. On dreary winter days, it can be difficult to get all of the illumination that you want through your windows. But blinds have a fabulous ability to reflect artificial light back into the space, making up for any deficit left by the lack of natural light. Try them and see if they make a difference. They’re usually an inexpensive addition.
Insulate your windows
Insulating your windows will physically make your living room ‘cosier’. About 18% to 25% of a home’s heat can be lost through uninsulated windows. By hiring a company to add secondary glazing to your sash windows or casement windows, you can keep your home warmer longer (and save money on your energy bills).
There are other ways to insulate windows which can be cheaper. For example, it’s possible to add adhesive insulating window film to windows to reduce heat loss (ideal for rental accommodation). You can also insulate your living room by hanging up winter curtains. Both of these options won’t offer as much insulation as double glazing, but will still greatly reduce heat loss.
Connect To Outdoor Spaces
You can also invest in ways to connect more with outdoor spaces. There are various ways you can do this, ranging from the inexpensive to the costly.
One idea is to simply install a picture frame window. These don’t have any openings or fittings. Instead, they are simply a single pane of glass that provides unimpeded views of a scene outside.
You can also bring the outdoors into your living room by literally bringing elements of it into your space. For instance, it can sometimes be cosy to keep a birch tree log next to your fire during the winter months.
More costly options include conservatories and indoor-outdoor spaces, connected by bi-folding doors.
Add Textural Elements
Adding various textures and elements can help to enhance the cosiness of your room. It doesn’t feel so monotone and clinical. When you add lots of throws, fabrics and rugs, the whole space is more livable.
Where you can, try to improve your ability to lounge in your living room. Add soft furnishings everywhere. And don’t be afraid to go bold. The bigger the throws, and the thicker the rug, the cosier the entire space will feel.
If you have a leather sofa, look for ways to contrast it with the surrounding fabrics and colours. Choose tones from complementary parts of the colour wheel.
Put Up Frames On The Walls
Putting up picture frames on the walls can make a tremendous difference in how your home feels. Even with the best interior design schemes, rooms can still feel a little generic until you add a personal element. Photos make the space feel cosy by reminding you of pleasant memories from the past.
Add Rugs To Your Hard Floors
Hard floors work well in the summer when temperatures are high, but they make it difficult to feel cosy in the winter.
Fortunately, there’s an easy solution as we already discussed: put down a living room rug.
Don’t be afraid to make the rug a statement piece. After all, if you don’t like it, you can always roll it up and put it in the loft once the season ends.
Place the rug under your existing furniture, particularly your sofas and coffee table if you have one. If you’re looking for a winter rug, opt for faux fur. It will give the room the same feel as a log cabin.
Add A Seasonal Fragrance
How your rooms smell has a tremendous impact on how they make you feel, particularly around winter time.
Remember, smells naturally change as you go through the seasons. In the spring, the air is thick with blossom. In the autumn, you get scents of decomposing leaves and chestnuts.
During the winter, add gentle bergamot and frankincense fragrances to your rooms. Place scents close to your log fire if you have one, allowing the heat to circulate them throughout the room.
Let Your Fire Glow
Artists’ depictions of winter scenes typically feature an orange glow from a fire. For thousands of years, humans warmed themselves around burning logs. It is a scene so deeply ingrained in our psyches that it is essential for creating that cosy feeling.
Let your fire glow by adding a mirrored surround. If you don’t have an open fire, invest in LEDs designed to mimic firelight. They will instantly transform the feel of your room, making your lighting feel considerably less harsh. Keep your existing light soft so that they do not dominate or overwhelm.
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