Ideas to Warm Up Your Home

Tips for effortlessly adding warmth to your home

Now that November has arrived, the name of the game (when it comes to your home’s interiors) is cozy comfort. Whether temperatures are staying mild or starting to drop down low, late fall and early winter bring to mind thoughts of warmth and celebration, enhanced by a welcoming ambience and plenty of good food to go around. We would all love to install new floors with the added benefit of radiant heating to cozy the house and our feet at the same time, but for this post we'll be discussing some design philosophy.

It’s likely that you’ve at least heard of the Scandinavian practice of hygge, even if you haven’t put it into practice for yourself. This Danish/Norwegian concept focuses on indoor comfort and conviviality, and uses them both to foster feelings of contentment through the colder, darker months. Achieving the feeling of hygge is all about channeling warmth: warm fireplaces, warm drinks, warm sweaters, warm socks…you get the picture.

With just a few décor tricks and small additions around the home, you too can embrace winter and make your living space a haven for hygge that you and your loved ones can enjoy until the spring thaw arrives. And, who knows—maybe you’ll even miss the coziness of winter once it’s gone (a stretch, we know, but hey…)! 

Friendly Fire

If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, count your blessings and use it for all its worth! Whether wood- or gas-powered, fireplaces are an instant source of literal (and figurative) warmth, providing welcome heat in the dead of winter while simultaneously producing an atmospheric glow that no light fixture can quite replicate.

But, if you don't have a fireplace, do not worry—with a collection of simple, scentless candles (ok, maybe one or two scented candles thrown in there, but don’t go overboard!) of differing sizes, you can get the same comforting effect of a fireplace. And, if you’re avoiding all flames, you can mimic candlelight by opting for “warm white” lightbulbs in your lamps and light fixtures, which read at around 2,700 Kelvin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soothing Colors

To offset the shorter days of late fall and wintertime, the rules of hygge say to center your color scheme around light, neutral shades that bring brightness and comfort even when there’s a lack of natural light. This can be done through actions big and small—from your walls to your furniture to a simple throw blanket—all which can make a big impact in the vibe of your home.

This doesn’t mean that you should go all-white everything, however. In fact, it’s key to work in some other warm neutrals and lighter colors to bring character to your space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think Soft

Hygge can apply to a lot of things, from food to design to social interaction, but at the core of the philosophy is personal, physical comfort. So, when planning your winter hygge hideaway, prioritize things that are soft, comfortable, and approachable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock up on thick blankets with soft textures that you can cuddle up with on your sofa or favorite armchair, and bring out your fluffiest, most comfortable throw pillows to decorate your furniture and create a space that’s welcoming and homey.