The dark, damp and dreary days of winter can give your surroundings a gloomy feeling. Your environment often has an influence on your mood, so here are some of our tips for brightening up your home and lifting your spirits during the colder months.
1. Lighting
The right lighting can have an amazing impact on the way your home “feels”. Light bulbs come in a variety of tones to complement any decor or mood. Cool or daylight tones can help you brighten your home during the day, mimicking the presence of sunlight. Warm tones like warm or soft white used in lamps in the evening can give a cosy feel when it starts to get dark outside. You can also consider using candles or task lighting. The liberal use of fairy lights is not only for Christmas!
2. Colour
There are a million ways to bring colour into your home. Lighter colours will make your home seem more spacious, while pops of colour create interest and a brighter feel. Colour can be introduced through décor pieces and art. A hanging crystal in a window can create rainbows of colour across the walls and floor. These lightening ideas are a great way to brighten homes.
3. Comfort
In winter we crave comfort – comfort food, warming drinks, snuggly jumpers and blankets (lots and lots of blankets)! The introduction of cushions, throws, and yes, blankets, in floral, gold or pink colourings will give your home that comfortable oomph.
4. Clean
Spring cleaning is not just for spring. In fact, your home will thank you for a good, deep clean before the winter really sets in. Windows that are free from grime will help to let in the light whilst wiping down all your work surfaces, kitchen cabinets and furniture will give your home a refresh. Don’t forget to cleanse the air too – an air purifier can help remove pollutants and allergens to create a more pleasant living environment.
5. Declutter
Nothing gives a home a more oppressive and “got to get out of here” feel than clutter! Make a conscious decision to clear the clutter, then donate, sell or dump the frump!
6. Music
Bringing light into your home is not just a visual thing. Music above anything else has the power to uplift your mood and fill your home with happy, laidback or sweet tunes. Just remember to cull out those melancholy ballads!
7. Let the sunlight in
Open and pull back the curtains early every morning to make the most of the sunlight – nature’s free mood enhancer. Don’t block windows with large items of furniture – a switch around with your furniture may even make the most of those treasured sunlight hours in living spaces.
8. Bring nature in
Indoor plants and cut flowers give a lift to even the plainest decor. Bring plants inside your home with variegated or highly structural leaves that create contrast, like cyclamen, orchids, anthurium, begonia or the awesome Swiss cheese plant.
9. Mirrors
Mirrors are perfect to bounce natural light around your room, making it seem larger and lighter. Glass and metallic decor items will also reflect light.
10. Warmth
As well as visual, auditory and other sensory factors, having a warm home when it’s cold and wet outside can brighten anyone’s mood. Choose the most energy-efficient heating system that you can afford and keep the cold out with insulation, thermal curtains and weatherproofing.
