8 Tips to Make Your Home Feel Cozier this Winter

As the nights get colder, it can be a challenge to get warm and cozy. While you may be turning the heat up and up, there are ways you can make your home feel much cozier without having to spend a fortune on your utility bills. Just small changes make your home more hygge, and you don’t have to spend a lot to get started either.

1. Embrace soft furnishings

From pillows to blankets and rugs, there’s no such thing as having too many soft furnishings in your house. Rather than sitting on hard, uncomfortable chairs, sink into a comfy bean bag chair, a range of which you can find by clicking here. When you are sitting watching TV, you get colder because your body isn’t moving, which is why lots of throw pillows and blankets make a room cozier. Ever see those blankets with sleeves on the shopping channels? Now might be the time to invest in one. Don’t worry, nobody needs to see you.

2. Use warm colors

Color has a big impact on our senses, so when you paint a room in warmer colors, it really does feel cozier.  This is because colors such as reds and yellow can increase our adrenaline and make us breathe faster, which makes us feel warmer inside. Choosing a warm color scheme is ideal if you have large, angular rooms, as this softens the edges and can make a space feel like it’s hugging you. It’s great for living spaces, but you might want to avoid bright, vivid colors in bedrooms or anywhere where you need to completely relax.

3. Use warm lighting

There’s a reason why rooms with candles and fireplaces always feel cozy. The warm light is welcoming and makes you feel like you’re at home. While you may not be lucky enough to have an open fireplace, and you might want to keep candles away from the kids, you can use warm lightbulbs to give the same effects. Christmas lights also have a warm glow, and you can repurpose them outside of the holidays, whether it’s draping them over bookcases or around big windows.

4. Choose organic textures

Many rooms use natural, organic textures, and when you walk into them, you’ll often notice that they feel cozier. For example, rooms with exposed brick often feel rustic and have that farmhouse chic that makes you want to cuddle up on the couch. Worn wood paneling, rattan and natural tile can all add an instant cozy touch to a living or dining space.

Textures can also be brought into things like your soft furnishings. Chunky corduroy, thick knits and faux fur can all be excellent ways to turn your room into a cozy, relaxed space where you’ll just want to snuggle in front of the fire.

5. Get around to hanging those pictures and prints

 It’s common to move into a new house and to buy some great prints, plus print off some family photos and frame them, only to forget to hang them on the wall. There’s a middle ground between a room being overcluttered and being stark. While you don’t want too much to confuse the eye when people come into the room, clusters of photos and prints can look very stylish and make a room feel lived-in.

When it comes to choosing art prints, try not to go for anything too stark or modern in areas such as living rooms or bedrooms. Stick to artwork in warmer tones, or perhaps prints in black and white, to give you that homely effect.

6. Insulate

Many homes feel colder, despite turning on the heat, because they’re simply not well insulated. While you may have insulated in recent years, older types of insulation aren’t always as effective as newer types, so it may be worth adding another layer. Insulating your home ensures that heat isn’t escaping, so you save money. Another upside is that when the summer finally rolls around, it can also cool your home, so you won’t use as much air conditioning.

It’s not only roofs that can be insulated, walls, garages, basements and crawlspaces can all be fitted with extra insulation for a warmer feel.

7. Check windows for draughts

Draughty windows can soon make a house feel extremely cold, so if rooms are feeling chilly, then this should be one of the first places to look. Many older homes have single glazed windows in some parts of the home, which can be expensive to replace. However, you can install a film that helps trap some of the heat and gives the same sort of effect. Window coverings are important too. If you only have blinds, then they may not provide much coverage against cold chills. Consider some drapes that have a thermal lining, as this is an inexpensive way to use less heat during the winter months.

8. Bring everyone together

Nothing feels cozier than a house full of family and friends, so find some excuses to bring everyone together. Holiday gatherings are a lot of fun, but once this season is over, you can still invite everyone round. People are often bored in the New Year, so host a potluck or other simple party for people in the neighborhood and you can extend your social circle, as well as getting that warm, cozy feeling.

Coming home after a long day means getting cozy, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of taking off your work shoes and putting on your slippers. However, if your home is feeling a little cold, either because you’ve embraced minimalism, or because heat is escaping through cracks, then you don’t quite get that same cozy feeling. Luckily, it is easy to fix, especially if you enjoy interior design. You can choose color schemes that give you a cozy feeling, use textures in furniture and soft furnishings, and add lots of little touches that have that cozy appeal, so that when you step through the door at night you really feel at home.