Five Interior Design Ideas on How to Warm Up Winter

Now that winter has really settled in, you may be looking for some interior design ideas to warm up your home. We tend to spend more time at home during the winter months, in semi-hibernation. Here are five ideas to improve the look and feel of your home during winter:

1. Laundry Drying Cupboard.

One of the aspects of winter that I usually find the most challenging is drying the huge quantity of laundry that a family with three active teenage boys generates!  In Auckland we have quite a bit of rain during the winter and my house was full of racks of clothes drying that I don’t put in the dryer. Last winter we bought an electric drying cupboard, which has been fantastic and significantly altered the look and feel of our home, particularly during the winter months.

Electric drying cupboards, like the one made by ASKO, are a very tidy and energy efficient way of drying clothes and shoes that you can’t or don’t wan to put in the dryer.

These drying cupboards remove the need for having drying racks up inside which make your house feel messy and like you are constantly surrounded by laundry during the raining months. When you aren’t using the drying cupboard you can use it for storing clothes to be ironed.

These drying cupboards are also wonderful for golfers, hunters, skiers, trampers/hikers etc. with shoes/boots and outdoor clothing to dry.

2. New drapes with bumph and good lining.

Several clients have recently approached me for advice on how to make their bedrooms warmer for winter. The first area we look at are the drapes or curtains. Are they providing enough warmth and insulation?

About 25% of the heat in your rooms is lost through the windows, so you can make significant improvement to your comfort and warmth through improving your window coverings.

Look at the lining of your drapes and roman blinds. Are the linings a standard thin sateen lining? If so they won’t be providing you with much warmth and insulation. The ultimate solution is to replace the linings with Bumph interlining and either thermal or blackout lining. Interlining your drapes also provides a beautiful fullness and plushness. Bumph interlining is an additional layer of fabric sewn in between the main fabric and the actual lining.

3. Change out your cushions for the winter season.

Having a seasonal change in your cushions is a great way to change the look of your home to suit the current season. You can add warmer toned cushions and plusher warmer fabrics in winter to enhance the feeling of warmth and cosiness.

You can use the same cushion inners and replace the cushions covers seasonally. The off-season cushion covers are then easy to store in your linen cupboard, as they are small and flat.

4. Look at the colour tone of your light bulbs.

Many of the light bulbs available in the market now have colour/temperature options, including LEDs. A choice of warm white or cool white is important in how that room will look and feel. In the winter you may choose a warmer white bulb to warm up your room.

5. Add throws to sofas and beds.

Adding beautiful throws or blankets to your bed, chairs or sofas is a wonderful idea in the winter. They provide colour, texture and warmth, both visually and physically. Layering with texture in the winter can really enhance the look and feel of your bedroom or living room. Again you may want to put them away in a cupboard during the warmer months of the year.

Question: What have you done to make your home warm for winter? You can leave a comment by clicking here.