Home Design Trends That Help Combat The Winter Blues
Cold weather, shorter days and longer nights that accompany winter can evoke bad moods and a sad disposition. Even if you don’t suffer from seasonal depression, there’s a good chance you feel lethargic and unhappy when you are trapped inside a dark home. Luckily, several popular interior design tricks can help fight the winter blues.
Some design trends to help combat the darkness and depression that winter brings include using soft, luxurious textures, colorful throw blankets and pillows, and plush rugs. Incorporate as much natural light as possible, and find creative ways to add additional soft light as needed. Add warm, soft colors, houseplants, and Earth tones to breathe life into your dark spaces.
If your home makes you sad and restless when it’s cold and dark outside, then it’s time to switch things up. While you can’t change the weather, there are all sorts of easy and effective ways to make your home feel warm and optimistic throughout the dreariest of seasons. Below is a list of trending home design ideas that will brighten up your home and uplift your mood this winter.
13 Interior Design Trends That Will Cheer You Up This Winter
1. Maximize Natural Light In The Home
Natural light is one of the most precious and scarce resources in the home during the winter. Because of this, try to do all you can to bring as much natural light into your home as possible.
Open up those curtains, clean the windows so they shine, and add mirrors to help reflect the limited daylight that comes into your home. Maximizing natural light is a great way to fool yourself into thinking it's warmer and brighter outside than it actually is.
2. Infuse Warm Colors And Earth Tones In Common Areas
Once you’ve maximized natural light, start thinking about your home’s winter color scheme. If you have dark and moody colors like brown, black, and burgundy, consider replacing them with warm, creamy Earth tones.
By using light colors inspired by nature, you can bring light and inspire nature at a time when you probably aren’t spending much time outdoors. By trading out dark colors for lighter ones, you will also help make your space looks cleaner and larger.
3. Add Soft And Luxurious Textures To Rooms
In addition to visuals, winter is a season of textures. Whether it's blankets, pillow covers, curtains, or rugs, winter is the perfect time to get creative and bold with texture. Awaken your senses with knit fabrics, soft alpaca wool, and velvet pillows.
Different textures help your room look more dynamic, and they can also stimulate the senses during this otherwise muted period.
4. Add Vibrant Houseplants
Adding a beautiful houseplant is always a wise interior decorating decision. Bringing life into your home in the winter is a great way to make your space feel more alive at a time when so much outside is dead and dormant.
Opt for plants that can survive indoors in winter and still add plenty of greenery to the room. Consider a plant that effectively purifies the air in your home, since winter air is often recirculated.
5. Swap Out Mundane Curtains For Festive Ones
Changing old curtains for new ones can have a profound effect on a room's look. These large pieces of fabric help filter the amount of light that enters your home, and they also control privacy.
If you have dark curtains, swap them out or cover them with a more cheerful, natural-colored material. Changing the type of curtains you have in your home can have an impact almost as strong as an accent wall without the paint, and it’s something you can change back in a matter of minutes.
6. Incorporate A Light Installation
One fun way to make a room more cheerful is to incorporate artwork that emits light. You can buy a stunning light fixture like a chandelier, or opt for an art installation that lights up. This can add light, color, and fun to a previously dull space.
7. Use New Throw Pillows And Blankets To Transform Furniture
If you want to redesign your home this winter to make it more cheerful but are on a tight budget, try making inexpensive, effective changes. Throw pillows and blankets are functional items you can add to existing furniture, such as chairs, couches and your bed.
By choosing warm colors and bold textures, you can completely transform your existing furnishings using pillows and throw blankets. Best of all, winter is the perfect time of year to feature more pillows and blankets around the home.
8. Create New, Cozy Places To Lounge Indoors
The endless cold of winter days can make you so restless that you feel like a prisoner in your home. While you can’t change the reality that you have to spend more time inside, you can create some new spots in the home to spend your idle time.
Consider building a reading nook in one of your common rooms or by a bedroom window. Add pillows, a soft seating area, blankets, and reading materials. A lamp will make this a great place to linger in the evening. Adding new spaces in your home is a fun way to rediscover your living space and make the time you spend indoors less repetitive.
9. Rearrange Furniture To Make Use Of Outdoor Views
Just because you can’t spend as much time outdoors in the winter, it doesn’t mean you can't spend time looking outside. This winter, try using any window that offers an enjoyable view of the outdoors.
Winters afternoons spent sipping on hot cocoa and watching the world pass by through a window can be enjoyable and cathartic. Move your furniture in the winter so you can easily gaze outside whenever you feel like it.
10. Awaken Sterile Spaces With Refreshing Aromas
Aromas are a fantastic way to rid yourself of the winter blues. Smells are one of the best ways to trigger fond memories and put you in a better mood. If you have an essential oil diffuser or scented candles, then make use of them in your home this winter.
You can create a livelier atmosphere with citrus and minty scents, or a relaxing sanctuary with lavender and eucalyptus. Have fun with fragrances, as it’s a great way to keep things fresh in your home all winter.
11. Add More Comfortable Furniture Made Of Natural Materials
When you decide on what furniture to bring into your home, you must consider aesthetics. Natural materials are not only excellent at achieving a minimalistic look in the home, but they can also make a room feel more welcoming.
Opt for furniture with wood, bamboo, and natural fabrics to bring a bit of the outdoors into your home. Additionally, ensure the furniture is functional and comfortable. No one wants to sit on a hard and uncomfortable couch for hours in the winter, no matter how stylish it is.
12. Keep A Fruit Bowl On Display
A fruit bowl is a beautiful and delicious way to add a bit of color and life to your home during winter’s darkest months. Not only is a bowl of fruit nice to look at, but it also encourages you to make healthier snacking decisions in a time when it’s all too easy to eat poorly.
Functional decorations, such as a fruit display, are a great way to infuse color and design into the home while also adding practicality.
13. Buy A Fluffy And Fashionable Rug
A throw rug is a great way to quickly and dramatically change the look of a room. Rugs are also a practical addition in the colder months to a room with tile or wood floors. A thick rug provides a soft and warm place for your feet to land when the floors are otherwise frigid.
Opt for light-colored throw rugs that you can wash and store in the summer months when they aren’t in use. One or two area rugs can help an impersonal and dim space become more welcoming and cozy.
Final Notes On Winter Design Trends That Make A Home Happier
Seasonal depression and the winter blues can debilitate even the most determined optimist, especially if your home is as depressing as the weather. To help combat the winter blues, opt for interior aesthetics that make your home happy and lively. Invite in as much natural light as possible, and swap out dark colors with warm Earth tones.
Use luxurious textures and add light-colored throw pillows, blankets, and curtains to make your rooms feel warmer. Create a cozy reading nook and reposition furniture so you can enjoy outdoor views and make your living space feel new and unexplored.
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Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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