Ready for Winter? Here's How to Warm Up Your Interiors
It doesn’t matter where you stand on the winter season—whether we like it or not, colder, darker days are just around the corner. But just because we’re losing daylight doesn’t mean our homes need to follow suit. In fact, this is an opportunity to take stock of your decor and lean into hygge—the Danish and Norwegian practice of hospitable comfort in the winter months, which includes everything from foods to home decor. That means stocking up on all things cozy like blankets, candles, pillows, and other textiles — while keeping the color palette light and airy to make the days and nights as cozy and atmospheric as possible.
Here, we’ve got some ways for you to find your home’s inner hygge (pronounced “hooga”), from natural light to decorative items that will keep you warm all winter long.
Let the light in
Even if your region doesn’t take the brunt of cold fronts, everyone is susceptible to the effects of shorter days during the winter. This is why it’s more important than any other season to take advantage of your home’s natural light, which can be better utilized with lighter, more transparent window treatments like semi-sheer, lightweight curtains or Roman blinds.
Embrace the elements
Winter may mean hibernation for many outdoor landscapes, but it’s a great opportunity to appreciate the natural elements inside your home in a new way. By now, it’s well known that adding wood into interior design elements adds natural warmth and comfort. Wood décor exudes timeless sophistication, and if history is any indication, it’s unlikely to go out of style any time soon. Warming wood additions like butcher block counters in the kitchen or natural grain floors can make your space feel welcoming and cozy, even in the most frigid outdoor conditions.
Your home should be the place you feel your most comfortable. With the addition of light colored butcher block countertops such as LL Flooring’s Williamsburg Maple Island Top, or flooring like Bellawood Maple Engineered Hardwood, your space can go from cold to welcoming in no time.
Warm up—literally!
The art of hygge is all in the details. Once your space has the big pieces in place, you can fill it in with soft, neutral textiles and atmospheric lighting to create a space that you won’t mind curling up in through the winter months. Look for lamps, candles, and smaller fixtures that cast a warm, soft light, and consider dimmers for your overhead lighting to avoid any harsh, bright artificial light that might cramp your hygge.
There’s a reason Scandinavian countries consistently rank as some of the world’s happiest. Once you embrace the cold and lean into the comfort of winter, you’ll find that there are myriad opportunities to enjoy your home in a whole new light.