Life certainly took a chilly turn last week!
We went from summer straight into a weird rainy pre-winter. I’m hoping we still get a warm sunny fall but with the snow already happening in parts of Alberta it is prudent to get into winter mode for your home and your person.
Scrambling to find boots and warm shoes and digging socks out of the drawers for the first time in months has been the scenario in almost every home.
The only time I wore socks this summer was to take my dog to the park so the little guy got pretty excited the other day – try explaining to him that my feet are just cold and that were weren’t going for a walk!
There are many good things about the chilly weather that I think we all do instinctively.
Soups and stews become common fair which make supper preparation easy as you can let something delicious simmer away on the stove while you keep searching for those mitts you know were around in the spring.
I personally find I sleep better in this weather, it’s so nice to get into bed in a cool room under the weight of your favorite duvet instead of always throwing the blankets around trying to get cool.
This might be your last opportunity to air out your linens and hang them on the line (if you are lucky enough to have one) or across patio furniture.
There is nothing like the fresh aroma of blankets brought in from outside!
Winter warm ups can also be applied to your home through insulating blinds or draperies, heating under almost any product for your floor and fuzzy textiles and rugs for your home.
You might even consider painting a cool room a hot colour to give it the impression of warmth as visual stimulation triggers thoughts and feelings in our brains – you may be able to trick the mind a little.
Space heaters and heated blankets can also create temporary warm zones in your house eliminating the temptation to constantly inch up the temperature in your entire house.
Warmth can be achieved through sight, sound and smell and it imparts a glow into your home. When coffee is brewing or bread is baking your house envelops you in a sense of warmth and comfort.
Lighting can be brightened using different choices in bulbs or even a throwback to the 70s heat lamp using coloured bulbs in certain areas for decorative effect.
You may chuckle but those of us old enough to know have all sat in a bathroom under a heat lamp and have enjoyed the warmth.
Fill your home with the sound of a crackling fireplace – even if you don’t have one!
Play the music of the Caribbean and maybe grill indoors to give you that one last hit of summer.
Like it or not, winter is on its way; what fun tricks will you employ to keep the mood cuddly and warm in your home this fall?
We all have our rituals and seasonal traditions that help us to accept the cold that is to come, now if you will excuse me I’m off for my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year!
Stay cozy everyone.
Kim Wyse is a freelance interior designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Ask a Designer’
