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Is Your Bedroom Dressed Up for Winter?

Saturday, January 26th, 2019

Can you picture yourself curling under the sheets in this Fine Furniture Design Bedroom Bedford Pineapple Post Queen Bed? The vision’s just perfect.

 

The chill in the air just confirms that winter is still around. It is quite appealing to just crawl under the sheets and just hibernate. But this hibernation will only be made possible by comfortable and soft mattress and pillows.

 

The great news is, if your bed still isn’t on par with the standards of comfort, then you still have time to transform it. And as soon as you’re done changing a few things, you can already curl up in your comfy bed and sleep through the cold weather.

 

So, what should you do to achieve this level of comfort?

 

Change the Sheets

 

Altering the sheets will make a big difference. Don’t worry, it’s not too late. Sure, you could use the cotton sheets still but you might miss out on the warmth and comfort that different options could offer.

 

Take, for instance, some new flannel sheets. These are soft and warm but they are also durable. Do you wanna have a more luxurious sheet? Then opt for silk. This is also a naturally hypoallergenic material. It is even better than cotton when it comes to insulation, meaning, you’ll feel warmer under silk sheets.

 

If you’re not thinking of buying new sets of sheets for now, then you can just pile the blankets and add to the thickness of the current layer. This is definitely not the best option especially when you easily sweat under thick sheets.

 

Use an Electric Blanket or Heating Pad

 

You might have observed that even when you have already added more blankets that the temperature is still too cold; if this is the case, then you can warm up the bed by using an electric blanket. Use this before you slip under the sheets.

 

Use a bit of caution when using a heating pad or an electric blanket, though. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions as well as other safety tips from the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

 

Add More Pillows and Throws

 

You don’t just add warmth when you put more throws and pillows inside the bedroom, you also create texture.

 

Scour your closets for the pillows and throws that have rich and luxurious materials. The bedroom design can be infused with materials such as fur, leather, velvet, and cable knit. You can stick to just one texture or experiment with several others. You can always layer should you consider having more than one.

 

A faux fur throw that’s carefully placed in an accent chair or on the foot of a bed is the best scene-stealer. It is also awesome for those chilly nights.

 

Flannel can also be a rich, luxurious alternative for a fluffy surface. It is also known to be an effective material that retains heat.

 

Ample Lighting

 

Since you’ll have longer nights, you need to plan how to light the bedroom. Since there’s an apparent lack of sunshine, you can scatter the lights all around the bedroom so that you’ll achieve a glow that will make it appear that you’re illuminating from within.

 

You may use incandescent lamps so you can have a warmer glow inside this room. Such bulbs mimic the sun’s glow. To optimize the impact, you can have multiple bulbs or sconces flanking your bed. If not, then the go-to lighting fixture is a chandelier.

 

Enough candles in the room (just be careful that you don’t start a fire) could help you achieve hygge.

 

Use Lighter Colors

 

The Scandi design often incorporates light colors even inside the bedroom. Where else can you better get some design tips than the Scandinavians themselves? They have the longest winter seasons so they know how to design their homes during such times.

 

Infuse shades of white, gray, and pale blues in the bedroom.

 

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6 Coping Tips for Cabin Fever

Thursday, December 13th, 2018

Cooped indoors? No problem. Read a book (or two) while seated in the ultra comfy Thomasville Living Room Solitaire Ottoman 1057 16.

‘Snowed in? Then you’re probably already feeling a bit of cabin fever. Also known as the winter blues or winter depression, this is as real as it gets when it comes to crankiness, irritability, sleep loss, and altogether feeling down.

 

So how do you battle the winter blues?

 

According to Web MD, current events and grieving…have led many Americans to retreat to the perceived safety of their homes. Although you tend to be around your family and friends when at home, there are some individuals who still feel grumpy that they believe they are better off without any companions.

 

More than roof raking or looking for ice dams, it is better to prep and make sure that no one in the family gets cabin fever. ‘Remember The Shining? Not a good thing, right?

 

Here are some tips on how you can battle winter depression –

 

Organize Photos

 

You may have waited a long time to organize your old photos, well, now’s the perfect time. This is an overwhelming project, no doubt, but it is one that can help you effectively while away the time while you’re indoors.

 

Roll up those sleeves and get to work especially when you have thousands of printed photographs to put in albums or frames. Check also those moving boxes because a few more photographs may turn up there.

 

Sit Down for Some Board Games

 

Who’s bored? Battle boredom away with board games. Take the time to read the instructions in each one, especially the ones that you have never played in the past. You can play any of the following –

 

Chess

Chinese checkers

Dominoes

Operation

Monopoly

Snakes and Ladders

Catan

Cluedo

Trivial Pursuit

Jenga

And never, ever forget the best board game of them all – Scrabble.

 

Set Up a Gallery Wall

 

Make sure that you are able to define your style when setting up your first gallery wall for the first time. You have to know the aesthetic style to go for. Are you a romanticist? Are you quirky?

 

If you’re still not certain about your style, then go for the classic look. The rule of thumb here is to set up frames five closed fingers away from each other. Set a good space for each of the pieces so that they do not look too crowded or clumped.

 

If you can, pace out the sculptures from the framed pieces throughout the wall. Is there are color scheme for your photos? Even if the photos have different hues, no worries, let the wall color become their anchoring element should this be the case.

 

Bake Some Goodies

 

So what is the latest craze when it comes to winter desserts?

 

Have you heard of the toasted coconut cupcakes? How about the Jaffa cake?

 

If you want the classics then go ahead and bake chocolate cake, oatmeal raisin cookies, or fudge brownies.

 

Teach yourself some new recipes this winter.

 

Turn Into a Bibliophile

 

Winter is also the perfect time to become a bookworm. Peruse your shelves for your reading gems. Bring out the ones that you have been meaning to read but have been too busy to get around to.

 

Have the kids pick some of their favorite books and, together, you can start reading hour (or hours).

 

Make sure that you have a cozy reading corner and you’d end up being uncomfortable. Choose an area in your home (if you haven’t already) that has ample space for a desk, chair, and shelves of books. If you’re going to share this corner, then make sure that there are floor cushions and a lot of reading options.

 

Create Crafts

 

Have you shared so many DIY videos that your email is jammed with them? Then it’s time to look through them and see what you can do this winter. Buy enough supplies for your winter hobby.

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Wintry Nap: Tips in Making Your Home Extra Restful This Winter

Wednesday, December 12th, 2018

Marge Carson Bedroom Palo Alto Bedding Package PAL95

A lot of animals are known to hibernate during winter. It is Mother Nature’s way of keeping them from harm and also for preserving her eventual beauty in spring. The pace of life does tend to slow down during the winter season and, yes, you could feel a little under the weather, too.

 

Instead of fighting off these feelings, why not just indulge your urge to rest and start designing your home in a cozier way?

 

Step on Those Brakes

 

You could be the type of person who is always on the go and to begin your winter coziness, begin by pressing the stop button. Even a cat nap won’t hurt at all.

 

You’re not being asked to ignore or totally forget about your duties but you also need to make time for rest. Have a blissful moment in your reading corner or while dipping in your backyard pool.

 

List the Benefits of Napping

 

Knowing the value of resting will make you realize just how much you should prioritize it. Most people have a few minutes of time and, at this time, you should make it a priority to doze off.

 

One of the benefits of a nap is that you’re able to reduce your stress levels. You’re also able to keep your strength up especially since this is the flu and cold season. You will also likely notice that you are emotionally nourished right after taking a good nap.

 

What Are the Napping Essentials?

 

You will need some extra pillows or even some soft throws. These can help cover your legs during those extra chilly nights. If the light bothers you during your nap, then it’s time to have an eye mask close at hand.

 

Other cold weather bedding essentials include the mattress pad (preferably heated), flannel sheets, thicker blankets, and comforters (oh, yeah).

 

Turn Off Your Gadgets

 

What’s a cat nap if your smart phone keeps bothering you? Your gadgets should be avoided like the plague when you’re going to take napping a little bit more seriously. Health issues such as weight gain, decrease in sleep, and lack of physical exercise tend to occur with people who are dependent on their gadgets.

 

Also, the glow of the electronic devices can also significantly affect your shuteye. While the amount of light that comes from these devices may not seem to be relevant, still this passes through the retina into the hypothalamus, causing a delay in your sleep.

 

Forget your social media accounts and emails for a few minutes, light up some scented candles (just make sure they are placed on a secure area where light materials won’t catch fire), maybe play a little soft music, and now go nap.

 

If you still can’t sleep despite these wind-down activities, then you can go ahead and read a few pages from a complex novel (not your favorite one or a page-turner or you’d end up not sleeping at all). Find the most boring reading material that you can set your hands on.

 

Set That Timer

 

If you just have ample time for a nap, then make sure that you set an alarm to wake you up at the right time. You wouldn’t want to miss that appointment all because you’ve slept the afternoon away.

 

Wake Your Senses After

 

After sipping a warm cup of tea prior to your nap, after you hear the alarm, it’s time for a different kind of beverage. Whip up some fresh water with lemon then do some stretches.

 

Take a few deep breaths of the cold wintry air then go inside, grab a pen and write down everything that sprang to your mind during your rest.

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Transitioning to Winter from Fall Design

Friday, November 17th, 2017

American Leather Living Room Astoria-Sectional: The lighter walls provide the perfect transition to the upcoming winter season. The neutral shades all around it point to the change that is about to take place.

Colder conditions are right around the corner so this is the time to prepare your home for the sub-zero temperatures. There are so many things to do and check so here is a short checklist –

  • Clean the leaves out of the gutter.
  • Weatherstrip the windows and doors. Apply caulking as well.
  • Replace any missing, damaged or loose shingles which could lead to leaks during winter storms.
  • Repair any leaking parts of the roof and have tree branches removed as these could get weighed down with snow.
  • Turn off the faucets that are installed outdoors as these can burst when frozen.
  • Have your irrigation system drained.
  • Check if your roofing system is still capable of sustaining the weight of heavy snowfalls.
  • Make sure that your attic is well-ventilated so that ice dams do not form. Have a water repellent sheath installed under your roof.
  • Tune the heating system. You will need a lot more than the fireplaces in your home to stay warm this coming winter.

Once you’ve done all of the above, it’s time to set up the design for your home as you subtly transition from fall to winter.

Winter Colors

Here are five suggestions on how you can expertly do this transition. These colors will match the wall paint colors, home furnishings, wallpaper, and other design elements. You can be stylish both fall and winter as you choose these hues.

First, light blue colors such as turquoise and sky blue are favorite tones for winter decorators. Create a more spacious room as early as fall then just wait for the season to transition.

These light blue hues also blend well with greens. Vibrant turquoise and pale blue tones are trendy colors for fall and winter because they add freshness and they also look great with other paint colors. Green and sky blue are also amazing hues to choose from.

If you want to

Comfy Textiles

Find soft accessories complete with the most comfortable cashmere, flannel or wool sheets. Cotton quilts are the star of winter interiors. You can opt to have them draped at the back of the sofa if you intend to use them in the living room or just spread it all over the bed when you want it to keep you warm throughout the winter nights.

Knitted stuff are also default decorative elements during winter. Instead of the usual weaves used during fall, slowly transition to cable-knits.

There are many forms of textiles which would look great this upcoming winter. Faux fur is a form that’s amazing when used on seats. Sheepskin rugs also offer awesome warm underfoot.

Timeless Wood

During cold weather, it would be useful for your home to have wood elements. These offer the much-needed warming effects. Wood panels and flooring create a warmer impact more than any other design element, however, you can also swap the wooden elements with a mere tree stump if you’re feeling artistic. This is a simple rustic solution that’s easy to create.

Offer warm beverages to everyone as you also gather around the fireplace. Of course, it would be lovelier to watch the flickering wood.

Speak of fireplaces, this is one of the most amazing places to socialize at during fall to winter. A fireplace is a natural focal point so you won’t even have to try hard to create a statement. Now all you have to worry about is how to create your own style and patterns using this awesome piece de resistance.

Light Up with Candles

What could be warmer than the flickering light given off by candles? Candles are especially calming and their glow offers a romantic but at the same time, a festive element to your design.

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Warming Up On Winter

Tuesday, December 27th, 2016

Imagine snuggling under the Thomasville Bedroom Bainbridge Duvet Cover (Super Queen) TV-DV1-11…what a wonderful life. 

Do you live in a poorly insulated home? A lot of people do and most of them spend thousands of dollars on energy bills each year. Back in the day, though, people snuggled for very little to zero cost. Theirs were effective methods no matter how basic.

The key to comprehending how warmth is kept is by knowing how you lose more heat through radiation than by convection up in the air. A house feels cold as you get back from the winter break though you have turned the heating. Air warms up quickly, though, while the walls take a bit longer to do so.

Also, poorly insulated homes have external walls that are many degrees colder compared to the internal walls. This is why you feel chilly even when the heating’s been turned on. There are ways to overcome the cold weather and also to minimize your energy bills.

Close the Curtains Please

More radiant energy is let in during the day and your windows serve as their portal into your home. Sunlight enters through the glass but at night, single-glazed windows get very cold. Even double glazing does not guarantee great insulation. This spells energy losses amounting up to a hundred watts for every square meter. This is equivalent to using an old-fashioned light bulb.

You can prevent this kind of heat loss by simply drawing your curtains and lowering your blinds during dusk. These are extra barriers that can prevent radiant heat from escaping, thus, adding insulation.

Have the Walls Covered

Stone or solid brick walls are better at insulation than glass though they can still get pretty cold. External walls made of sandstone, for instance, could get as cold as 16 to 17°C which is about 3-4°C cooler than the room’s air.

Cover the walls with mirrors or framed photographs. Even those poster ads are additional layers that will serve as insulation, thus, raising internal temperatures. You could cut your energy bills by a quarter as you bring down the room temperature by 1°C.

If you want more than just framed photos and mirrors, then go Medieval by having tapestries and carpets on your walls. These prove to be even more effective in keeping warmth inside your home.

Now what could be better than bookshelves or cabinets in covering your walls and keeping the cold air right where it belongs which is outside? If you’re an avid book collector, then those books could also serve as the best insulators. So start loving your printed books all over again.

The fireplace is an ever reliable part of your home when it comes to warming up during winter. Featured here is the Maitland-Smith Dining Room Scrolled Brass And Metallic Brown Iron Fireplace Screen 1351-397.

Install Screens

Even when you’re done reducing the heat loss coming from the outer walls, you can up the shield some more by drawing up wooden screens. This is how people of old huddled up as they formed a circle around a fire.

Screens are effective in keeping people’s backs warm during the olden days. You could mimic this by protecting your back and your face from the damaging effects of the fireplace as you use fire screens.

Position Furniture for Warmth

How warm you feel in your home depends hugely on where you are standing. The farther you are from the external walls, remember, the warmer you would feel. Since there’s science behind this, it is best to position your furniture sets right next to internal walls, this way, you would feel a lot warmer.

So say no to stiff neck brought about by your bed’s headboard placed against a cold external wall or cold legs brought about by a desk sitting against one of the external walls. Beds with solid headboard and a four-poster bed are the best solutions if you wish to have warmer nights.

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Tis The Season To Be Jolly: Conceptualizing Your Christmas Décor

Tuesday, November 29th, 2016

Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Saffron Crackle Chest is red and apt for this joyful season.

Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Saffron Crackle Chest is red and apt for this joyful season.

The Christmas season is  just around the corner so it’s no surprise that fairy lights and trees evoke warm, fuzzy feelings once again. As early as now, decide on the theme that you would like to have for your home. You can go traditional with the red and white decorative theme or you can go distinctive and allow your home to stand out.

Everyone loves to bring out the decorative items for Christmas so why not ask the help of your family in setting up your home? Get ready with your wreaths and garlands, prep the mantel and the front door, clean the mailbox, prepare the card holders, ribbons and Christmas balls. It’s surely that wonderful time of the year once more.

So, go ahead, grab a mug of hot chocolate and start being inspired by these decorating ideas for Christmas –

Lustrous Table Toppers

Decorating your home for the holidays needn’t be stressful, what it should be is beautiful. Why not give your holiday table a little glimmer by buying metallic toppers or table runners? The more colorful and shimmery, the better.

Christmas Card Spectacular

Create a Christmas display by using wintry branches. On their own, they are actually beautiful but when you arrange them in a vessel or large vase, they become even more charming and festive. Scour through the Christmas cards that your loved ones gave you and find the ones that you will use as display during this merry season.

Let the Garden Inspire

Display ornaments right under the garden cloche. Find a bell-shaped glass cover which will serve as the mini greenhouse for the outdoor plants. These can be bought in many garden supply shops. You can also fill these with sparkling trimmings which can add radiance atop the dining table.

To fill, have the cloche turned upside down then balance then balance in a teacup. Put in the ornaments, invert the plate right on the open end. Turn the cloche carefully with the plate, right side up, then display.

Christmas and Mistletoes

What is Christmas without the traditional mistletoe? This is referred to as the kissing ball and it should be one of your decorative items this season. These will encourage your visitors to show a bit of love.

You can also turn the walkway to your home into a winter wonderland by lining up embellished urns that overflow with greenery and Christmas ornaments.

Pinecone Still Life

Another simple arrangement that you can use is to fill your home with the aroma of having that walk in the woods. Find a branch with unique, sculptural lines, fresh needles then find some pinecones which you can use as frog to keep the branch from tipping over.

Woody plants look good as ornaments just make sure to cut the end parts which will be dipped with pruning shears. This should allow the water to seep through more easily. Find a wide-mouthed glass vase to show the pinecones inside, fill it up with water then put the branch right among the cones.

Hot mug of chocolate, wreaths, mistletoe, Christmas tree, and the Capel Incorporated Floor Coverings Botanical Rug 0609CS Poinsettia - what could be more Christmassy?

Hot mug of chocolate, wreaths, mistletoe, Christmas tree, and the Capel Incorporated Floor Coverings Botanical Rug 0609CS Poinsettia – what could be more Christmassy?

Some Wreath Ideas        

  • Create a chandelier with using two wreaths, add a few satin ribbons, and you can make your creation into a front door décor.
  • The more wreaths you use, the merrier. Create boxwood wreath duo and add some bold accessories. Tie them all together using a colorful ribbon (preferably gold, red, green or yellow) then embellish these loops with some leftover décor.
  • Tie a gossamer bow around the wreath. This should bring together all the frosted elements on the wreath. Be sure to choose colors that would tie the porch to your home. Your goal is to create a décor that will draw the eye right to the front door.
  • Use winter-friendly herbs to come up with a unique holiday wreath. Include thyme and rosemary to up the level of Christmas scent and fuzzy feeling.

 

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