Winter is a season full of holiday cheer, freshly fallen snow, and the crisp scent of pine, but it is also a season that comes with the sun setting at 4:00pm, exorbitant heating bills, and long, gray days. With those winter downsides, we spend a lot more time inside our homes, avoiding the dark, cold, and wet gloominess that lurks outside for most of the season. Since we will inevitably be spending more time inside, we may as well make it a comfortable experience. Here are 9 Ways To Keep Your Home Cozy This Winter:

1. Use Warm Colors

Utilizing an interior palette that is rooted in warm and natural colors gives the feel of bringing the outdoors indoors. And we mean the “outdoors” that consists of warmth, blooming flowers, leafy trees, and sunshine lasting well beyond 4:00pm. This can be easily achieved with textiles, accessories, and art that feature hues such as mustard yellow, burnt orange, rusty red, or olive green.

2. Add a Throw Blanket, And Then Add Another

Not only does the look of having a multitude of throw blankets around exude coziness, but they are also totally practical. Winter equals cold and blankets equal warmth; it is simple math really! Throw blankets are also one of those things you can never really have too many of. Whether you want to share them with company, or pile them all on yourself, it is a guarantee they will be used all winter.

3. Hang Heavier Drapes

While summertime calls for sheer and airy drapes, wintertime calls for heavier and thicker ones. Not only do these drapes add a touch of elegance and comfort to a room, they also help keep out heavy drafts on extra chilly days.

4. Area Rugs Everywhere

Nothing is worse than stepping onto a cold floor after getting out of bed on a winter morning. While fuzzy socks and slippers are good options to keep your toes from freezing, nothing beats the feeling of stepping straight onto a fuzzy, warm rug. Place rugs all throughout your home, especially in rooms with hardwood floors, to provide a warm escape for you feet. Not only do rugs acts as a cozy visual, but they will actually help insulate your home, keeping it noticeably warmer.

5. Create A Reading Nook

Spending so much time inside means we actually need things to do while we’re there. A popular hobby to pick up during the cold, winter months is reading! Create a reading nook to offer a cozy and relaxing space to escape to physically, while you escape mentally into a great book.

6. Add Seasonal Patterns

If your home is littered with florals, vibrant colors, or tropical prints, it may have you feeling down that the outside appearance isn’t really matching your inside vibe. Opt instead for seasonal patterns such as buffalo plaids, tweed, or herringbone. Utilizing cozy patterns in your home will make it a more inviting place to relax in the winter months.

7. Start A Fire

No, not like that. We mean start a fire that provides you with warmth or soft light. You may think you need a fireplace to achieve this tip for coziness, but candles will do just fine. Fire emulates warmth and light, and nothing is cozier than warmth and light on a cold, gloomy day.

8. Soft Lighting

You may be thinking there is no way you’re going to switch out your light fixtures each season, and luckily, you don’t have to. A simple way to achieve soft light is by switching out your lightbulbs. While there are standard soft white light bulbs, you can also purchases ones that dim and can be adjusted with every turn of the lamp or glide of the light switch. The soft light creates a warm and relaxing home that you won’t mind being in all winter.

9. Bake Something

Who said baking is just for the holidays? Baking is a great activity to pass time while indoors all winter; it also fills your home with inviting and delicious aromas that will have everyone wanting to spend time at your house. What’s cozier than company and cookies?

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