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Natalie Weinstein is President of Natalie Weinstein Design Associates, The Natalie Weinstein Home Decorating Club and Uniquely Natalie, a quality consignment |
| I don’t know about you but the minute we turned the clocks back, I started to get the winter doldrums. When our fall weather felt more like winter and the holidays crept up on us (again) – home and hearth was the place I was heading. Bringing warmth into our homes help keep the winter doldrums at bay, cheers us and provides a sense of well-being when many of us feel let down or exhausted during and after the holidays. Once again, our homes can nourish and comfort us. All we have to do is help it along a little. So, what can we do to cozy up for the long winter ahead? • Family and friends love a fireplace and it is the focal point of a room – so why not dress it or change it up? • Create a new look on or over your mantel with family photos, candles, or a winter scene that let’s us feel our fire’s warmth and the great outdoors at the same time. • Paint the wall behind or around it with a warm color that’s cheery or add some furniture on either side to “beef” it up. • Make sure there’s a comfortable seating arrangement around it, if not, then create one. • Add some fun, warm inviting fabrics to your décor. • Velvets are “in” and add a bit of luxury as well as warmth to any room, especially a bedroom. • What about a faux fur comforter, or throw, or even some additional throw pillows that are fun and furry? • We lose the natural light early, so why not bring in more with additional lamp lighting and reflective objects like mirrors? • We add layers when it’s cold, so how about doing the same for your windows? Can they do with an extra layer of side panels next to your sheers which later can be taken off in the spring or summer? • Inexpensive slip covers over chairs can add a seasonal color change without great expense and is a temporary solution as well as a quick transformation to a room’s look. • If you have wood or tile floors, add some rugs for winter warmth as well as a great design statement all year round. With little free time in our busy lives, perhaps a special place to curl up with a good book, a refuge that’s warm and inviting, just for you, would be a great winter project. It could be anywhere and doesn’t need to be big or expensive. I remember giving our kids a “time out” to think about their huge transgressions. Let’s consider this indulgence our grown up “time out” or “veg out,” if you will. Our escape hatch where the cold world outside is banned, just for a little while. Add a throw, some candles with a scent you love, a little music that relaxes you, and pray for a huge snow storm where you can stay in flannel pajamas and an old bathrobe (Mom’s and Dad’s – find a great movie for the kids to watch on TV or send them out to build a snow man, a really big one). Whatever age and stage of life you are in – time is precious – make it meaningful and let your home put its arms around you this winter to help you get away from it all, for a little while. Happy holidays and beyond this winter. |
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