I hope everyone is warm and comfortable and has weathered the cold snap. Now is the time to gather up coats and extra blankets you may own and take them to the various shelters around town, they are desperately needed.

I can imagine most of you had a week like mine last week — hurry home to something warm to eat and some quality time beneath a blanket watching a movie. Your home on days as cold as these are your sanctuary, your safe place to be as you avoid the harsh elements outside. There are simple tricks to warm up your home as you patiently wait for winter to be over.

While you are at home, consider closing off unused rooms and redirecting heat into the room you are using. Make a family habit of congregating in the TV area or kitchen and using the warmth of numbers to help heat the room. The together time with your family and the cost savings of less space to heat will be very beneficial. Blankets and warm socks are a must on days like this as you watch your favourite TV shows; it may not be a bad idea to snuggle up to the ones you love for extra warmth.

If you are one who prefers sleeping in a cooler room, consider the tactile benefits of flannel or brushed cotton sheets to climb into at night. They feel considerably warmer than smooth cotton or satin sheets and will help keep you warm at night. Go into your bedroom before retiring and light a few warmly scented candles. Choosing warm spicy scents over cooler citrus ones will help the room feel cozier and the candle flame will actually warm the room slightly as you snuggle under the covers. Just make sure to extinguish the candles before you fall asleep.

Decorative items that help infuse a room with coziness are area carpets, electric fireplaces or base heaters, heavy drapery panels and of course wall colour. A room painted in a rich, satisfying shade will feel warmer than a room with stark white walls. The more texture you can bring into a room the warmer it will feel; carpet will be warmer than wood and a plush chenille or corduroy will be warmer than leather. Draping beautiful, soft throw blankets also add a glamorous touch to any room while giving you something convenient to draw around yourself.

Windows and doors are the biggest culprits in the battle against the cold. Using insulating window treatments such as cellular shades and lined drapery will keep the draft from your windows but make sure to open them daily to release condensation and moisture from the window frame otherwise you could have a nasty buildup of ice on your windows. Drapery panels can be lined and interlined to add an additional layer of room darkening and insulating properties.

Keep warm Red Deer! This wicked cold should be over soon and before long we will be opening our windows and doors to let the light of spring into our homes.

Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Contact her at 403-343-7711 ext 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.