Winter is not just the season that ends the year; it’s also the season that makes the transition into a new one! We all feel the winds of change from the moment the first leaves start falling and the urge to redecorate and bring new life into the house pokes its head out.
Since redecorating can be expensive and time-consuming, here are a few guidelines to help you get it right the first time:
The Best Materials for Winter. When you think about the cold weather, you need a warm atmosphere inside to balance things out. What’s warmer than natural wood combined with fluffy blankets and other elements? Natural wood is a favorite and has been making a powerful comeback this winter. This material is gorgeous and brings a sense of warmth no other materials can! You can use it for coffee tables, chairs, cabinetry, floors, and more. The beauty of this materials stands in the fact that you can use it for all sorts of things, from furniture to accessories.
To increase the level of warmth in your home, specialists recommend oversized, chunky knitted patterns. They look good in any setting and make the room seem a bit more comfortable. Of course, they’re also perfect to snuggle under and enjoy a good book and a cup of hot tea!
Copper, silver tones, glass and steel also work great with the materials mentioned above. They can be used to highlight the beauty of the wood or as accessories. Regardless, it’s recommended to use them in limited amounts, at least during the winter.
Shapes, Textures and Colors. Winter is often a time to stay inside more and provides an excuse to make the inside feel more comfortable and inviting. To do so, specialists recommend creating spaces that challenge the eye and keep the spirit entertained.
Let’s start with the kitchen! This is a place of creativity and innovation and the room that gathers the family together, so to avoid getting board and losing any interest in chasing new ideas, use a combination of textures and colors.
For Instance, a wood chopping board integrated into a quartz surface would do the trick. If you move your hand over the surface, it’s easy to feel the abrupt passage from slick to rugged as the quartz ends and the wood begins. When it comes to color, it’s best to keep the eye entertained with combinations of dark and light, with small transitions in between.
In the bedroom, utilize shapes and bright colors. Everything from lines to blocks to other geometric shapes goes, ad they all pop together when each comes in a different bright color.
The living room is a place of reflection and productive discussions, so why not try a huge floral print on one of the walls? If this seems too bold, use navy blue as the go-to color for this winter — it’s easy on the eyes and induces a state of calm and reflection.
Quick Note: Another color that’s been working extremely well this winter is gold. You can use it as an accessory, as a highlight in combination with other colors or as the dominant color. It may be a bit too much to make gold the main color in your living room, but it’s a bold statement and brings in a lot of warmth.
Comfy Furniture. You know those large couches with huge fluffy pillows that your grandmother used to own? Well, they’re back! Of course, the design is adapted to modern times, but the idea of comfort oozes from every stitch.
The materials used for furniture must be nice to touch and should suggest the idea of fluffiness. Also, utilize rounded shapes, cylinder legs and natural fibers (cotton, bamboo, wood, and so on).
Styles to Follow. If you don’t have the time or budget to make your own style, it may be easier to follow one of the styles making a comeback this winter.
Shabby Chic. For the romantics at heart, shabby chic can be a travel back in time, when things were simpler and life had more flavor. This is one of the best styles to work with during the winter because it reminds us of family and joy. It also warms the heart with soft colors (pink, turquoise, white, light green and maybe beige) and nice flowery decorations.
Scandinavian. Scandinavian design promotes a life of simplicity and openness. The combination of white colors and wood furniture sends the mind thinking about the heavy winters up north, where people get warm wearing woolly cardigans and sit around the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa and telling fun stories.
The style translates to spheres and straight lines while maintaining as much open space as possible. So, if you love the beauty in things without any ornate features, this is the style for you!
Quick Note: If you’re not comfortable with the openness of this style, you should try New Nordic. This is a derivative of the Scandinavian look and features darker colors with several layers, creating the idea of hibernation.
Industrial. With a more rugged approach and a focus on steel and iron, this may be a bit too cold for wintry months; however, if you add wooden furniture or highlights and include some boldly-colored rugs and upholstery, it might just work.
Industrial decor works better in rooms and exposed brick walls because the combination creates a professional and comfortable environment.
Luxe Revival. If the first thing that pops to mind is a gorgeous living room from a high-end interior design magazine, you got it wrong! This style is focused on texture and fabrics that combine in a perfectly luxurious manner. True, the materials used are luxurious (brass, velvet or marble), but the entire style takes more of an art deco approach.
To make this look, you’ll need dusty rose colors, elegant chairs and a properly stocked bar cart. Keep in mind, this is definitely not a style to promote simplicity, but it’s perfect for when you want to have your friends over for drinks.
Now that you have a few guidelines on how to make your winter less boring and cold, you should consider which of the styles mentioned above best suits your needs. Overall, each of them creates warmth in a unique and fashionable manner.
SOURCE: Nicole Andrews.
