Most of us want a warm, cozy home, especially during the colder winter months when the days are shorterand nights are longer. But aside from the obvious turning the thermostat up, are there any ways of making a home feel cozier?
Change the Décor
Something that many people do is change the décor in the winter and add a few finishing touches to make their home look and feel warmer. You do not need to do anything too drastic like paint all the walls every spring and fall, but you can simply swap out your soft furnishings to change the look of your home. Fall colors like olive green and burnt orange are warm and inviting and you are likely to find plenty of choice in terms of cushions, drapes, and rugs. You can also add some accessories such as dried flowers and potpourri in seasonal scents like orange, cranberry, cinnamon, and winter spice.
Add More Lighting
Bright lighting does not make for a cozy atmosphere, so think about warm yellow LED bulbs in ceiling lights and utilizedimmer switches if possible. You could also consider some floor or table lamps for a soft glow in various corners of a room. Colored bulbs are also available, with warm orange being particularly nice in the winter.
Light the Fire
If you have an open fire or a log burner, it can instantly make a room look cozier. If not, why not consider an electric fire. If you are worried about the cost of electricity, you could avoid using this to heat the room and just use it for the fire effect.
Hang Heavier Drapes
Heavy drapes can make a room look dark during the brighter summer months, but during the winterthey can help to keep a room feeling warm and snug.They are also a fantastic way to keep the heat in a room. For the coziest look, choose floor length drapes but make sure they do not touch the floor to avoid them gathering dust.
Keep the Heat Inside
No matter how many changes you make to the décor of your home, it will never feel cozy if the heat is escaping. The best way to keep your home warm and comfy is to make sure you close up any drafts. Check around the windows to see if you can feel cold air and if you do, use a draft excluderalong the bottom of the window or buy some self-adhesive weatherstrip seal. You can use this along the inside of the window to seal any gaps.
Light Some Candles
Candles can also help to create a cozy atmosphere and they can be strategically placed around a room in small clusters to spread light and create a feeling of warmth. If you are using candles though, make sure you take care to place them away from anything that could catch fire, and always blow them out when you leave the house or go to bed.
Buy Some Blankets or Throws
There is nothing better than snuggling under a blanket with a warm mug of hot cocoa in front of the TV on a cold winter’s night. Blankets are synonymous with cold winter’s evenings and will instantly make your home feel cozier. You can place them over the back of your sofa or fill a trunk with blankets so that everyone has their own.
Invest in Some Houseplants
Houseplants have many benefits. They not only look lovely when placed in a home, but they will also help to purify the air while inducing feelings of calm. It is best to buy plants that will thrive in low light over the winter, such as succulents or peace lilies. If you do not like the idea of looking after houseplants, you can buy some fresh flowers occasionally or consider some faux plants instead. They will not purify the air, but they will add a cozy feel to the home.
Eco Friendly Solutions for a Cozy Home
If you are passionate about the environment but still want a warm and comfortable home, there are ways to achieve this. For example, you could invest in some smart lighting. Special dimming LED bulbs work with smart devices such as Alexa and Google Home and can be turned on and off with voice control. Although they are more expensive than other LED bulbs, they do last for many years and are unbelievably cheap to run. Moreover, because they come in a variety of colors, they can be controlled to suit your mood.
Insulating the home can also make it feel snug and warm. As heat is often lost through gaps around doors and through the loft, adding extra insulation can help to keep heat inside. This means that you will use less energy and will be doing your bit for the environment at the same time. You can start by adding more blanket insulation in the loft but, if you really want to make your home more energy efficient, look into spray foam insulation, which will fill in any gaps, or blown-in insulation, which can be used on loft floors or in cavity walls.
Solar energy is another eco-friendly solution for homes. The experts at Vivint Solar explain that solar panels utilize sunlight to create energy, thus reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. Those with a solar battery system can store energy generated through the day, which could then be used to power an electric fire in the evening. This eliminates the need for a log fire, which is not so good for the environment.
Conclusion
There are many small changes that you can make to your home to make it feel cozier this winter, such as changing the colors of your home furnishings and adding ambient light with lamps or candles. However, if you are prepared to spend a little bit more on eco-friendly features such as insulation, smart lighting,or solar panels, you could have a cozy homewhile also doing your bit for the environment.