As winter approaches, the feel and functionality of your home become more integral to scaring off the winter blues. Here are some easy ways to cozy up your space for the holidays as you prepare to entertain, relax, and hibernate.
Keep It Light
Playing with illumination can imbue any space with a festive, cozy aura. As the days darken, artificial light plays a larger role in your home. Adjust the ambiance of any space by adding dimmers on existing lamps and light fixtures to create different levels of light. This provides versatility to the room, allowing for festive parties at full brightness and cozy movies at a lower setting.
Mixing and matching your light sources creates warm, comforting layers. A reading lamp or a well-placed accent fixture provide pools of focused light, while the dimmer controls the aesthetic of the rest of the room. But don’t simply run out for new lamps this winter: three-way bulbs provide multiple illumination options and adding the warm glow of tea lights, you can turn a 3-story into a storybook.
Festive Fabrics
Winter is the perfect time to showcase custom needlework and hand-made quilts. Throw one over the back of your couch to give it a festive, yet functional, flair. As the snow piles up to the windows outside, ditch the airy cotton drapes for heavy velvet or flannels. This gives depth and tone while providing inherent warmth and a snugger feeling.
Rugs, throw pillows and bedding are other areas that enhance your aesthetic in the winter. Fiber arts are especially stylish, and thick, shaggy carpet in your bathroom warms the space, physically and aesthetically. Rich velvets and thick comforters transform your guest bedrooms from summer home to private chalet in minutes.
Holiday Hearth
Using your wood-burning fireplace warms your home while inviting those in it to draw near. The roaring flames in the hearth and the faint smell of woodsmoke add a north-woods note to any gathering space. If you don’t have a functioning fireplace, decorating with clean split logs or pine boughs creates a centered, hearty feeling.
Arranging your furniture so your guests can gather together, giving a more centralized focus on the fireplace, creates an idyllic winter-lodge tone. A cozy atmosphere for guests and family to spend time interacting, or to observe the falling snow, is the most important decoration this holiday season.
Happy Holidays From GJ
From the obvious decorations that surround the holidays to the subtlety of changing your color scheme, Gordon James is here to help. Our luxury home building team knows a thing or two about how to design the inside and outside of a house. For any questions you have about making your home cozy for the holidays, contact us at 763.479.3117. Gordon James wishes you and your family a very happy holiday season!