*Winter Spruce: Making the House Cosy

Image from John Lewis 

When the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder, it’s more important than ever to make sure that the interior of your home is as warm and comfy as ever. Doing so needn’t require much effort or expense – depending on how much you like the way your home is now. I thought I’d take a look at some ways to ‘cosify’ an interior and make it look and feel fantastic, even when the sleet is pouring down outside.

Smells 

To create the perfect space to unwind in, you need the right aromatics. This might mean incense sticks and air-fresheners, but for most of us there’s no substitute for the right candle. Find something spicy and warming, and stick with it throughout winter. You don’t want anything that’s too overpowering, so just go for one candle at a time. Another great way to bring in some freshness is with the help of flowers. The winter kind will make your home look great, and provide a reminder that warm weather will come back soon!

Tidying Up 

Spring cleaning isn’t just something that happens once a year. If you do it twice, then you’ll find that the job isn’t quite so long and tedious as it might be if you left the mess to build up. You can take any clutter you identify as being surplus to requirements and take it to your local charity shop.

Decorating 

If you find that you’re getting tired of your existing living space, then this might indicate that it’s time for a refresh. Break out a pot of paint and give a wall a refresher. You might find that a summery, light colour – even if it’s just on one wall – is just the thing to perk things up. If you don’t feel like decorating a wall, then upcycling an existing item of furniture with a fresh coat of paint can have a dramatic effect on the space as a whole.

Lighting 

Without the right lighting, your home isn’t going to look cosy, no matter how much decorating you do. For the best cosy effect, it’s best to opt for warm-tinted lighting, as the sterile, pure-white kind will tend to make things look a little bit stark and surgical. Go for modern LED lighting and you’ll save yourself a packet in the long-run.

Mirrors 

Distributing that natural light will help the space to look spacious, and it’ll fend off Seasonal Affective Disorder, too. Go for some strategically-placed mirrors, and put your artificial floor-lamps nearby for maximum dispersal.

Do you have any tips to make your home cosy? 

*collaborative