Monday, November 17, 2014

Creating a Cozy Retreat

           As the winter winds start to howl, we automatically turn inward to home and hearth.  It’s time to warm up the interior of your house and get cozy.  Here are some suggestions for making your home a welcoming retreat from the weather.
            Pile on the pillows everywhere, including the floor.  Accent chairs, couches, beds, and ottomans with comfy throws.  Pay attention to different textures and colors for visual variety, and use quilts, nubby wool, and soft knit fabrics.


            Introduce new color tones into your decorating.  Accent tans, oatmeals, and creams with warm reds and oranges.  If you are feeling especially daring, paint an entire wall a dark red.  


It will make the room feel welcoming and cheerful.  Even just adding red accents will warm the space.

            Dress your rooms in layers.  Place area rugs over carpet or in twos and threes for a splash of color and plushness on the floor.  


Take down your sheer summer curtains or valances and add lined drapes on your windows.  Allow them to flow all the way to the floor.
            Light your fireplace for ambiance and warmth.  If you don’t have a built-in fireplace, there are many lovely electric models that can just be plugged in.  You can find mantels in a variety of styles at an antique store for a built-in look.  


Add candles around the room, and use table lamps instead of the harsher overhead room light.  You could also install a dimmer switch for overhead lights if table lamps aren’t an option.


            Strategically group your furniture to foster conversation.  Move your couches and chairs out from the walls into the center of the room or in front of the fireplace.  Keep traffic flow in mind as you arrange; placing a throw rug on the floor in the middle of the furniture will help set a visual boundary for the new setting.


            Don’t forget to pay attention to the scent of your home.  Baking makes us all want to settle in and nest, but you could also place potpourri in bowls around the house, or simmer potpourri on your stove top.  Scented candles will have the same effect. 


            Leave a basket of slippers by the front door for guests.  If you have a variety of sizes on hand, they will be more apt to slip out of wet, messy shoes and sink into comfort as they enter your home.


            Create a nook to curl up in.  A chair placed by a window with a throw, or pillows on a window seat invite your family to stop and daydream.


            In the bedrooms, switch the bedding to winter colors and add down comforters to dream under.  Layer throws and pillows here as well, and keep plush robes handy for chilly mornings. 
            Lastly, for a space to feel cozy, it needs to feel lived in.  Stack books on tables and by chairs.  Display family photos, unique collections, and children’s art.  Keep a sweater or two handy for the coldest days.  A welcoming home doesn’t have to look “magazine perfect”; the idea is to create a space where family and guests will want to linger.  It will only take an hour or two and a few simple changes to convert your home into a cozy nest where you can retreat during the winter months.



            

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