Four interiors tips to help you beat the winter blues

Hate the long, dark winter nights? Here are four interiors tips to help you beat the winter blues and make your home a cosy haven.

With short days and less sunlight, it’s easy to let the cold and dark of winter impact your mood negatively. In fact, recent research has shown that limited daylight is one of the most influential factors in triggering the winter blues.

So, to brighten up those winter days from the inside, there’s no time like the present to introduce some seasonal updates to inject warmth and energy into your home.

Offering tips on choosing the perfect seasonal flower to soft furnishings and simple ways to bring more natural light into rooms, this piece will give you plenty of seasonal interior design inspiration to help combat the winter blues until spring.

1) Inject warmth and energy

When it comes to bringing positivity and warmth into the home, you don’t have to completely overhaul your existing interior design or color scheme. Instead, add small pops of color in key areas that will make a noticeable difference, but still complement what’s already there – creating a cosy sanctuary to see out the winter. 

One idea, is to focus on one or two of your favourite colors to brighten your mood. If you’re looking for inspiration, according to studies, energizing coral is proven to be uplifting and invigorating, making it the perfect ingredient when it comes to beating the winter blues.

You can of course, go all out with a vibrant feature wall, but for those seeking a more subtle touch, simply updating accessories or rugs in your favourite color could be all that’s needed. In order to make your colors truly stand out, we’d suggest offsetting them with a neutral background color.

Think playful patterned rugs in sunshiney shades against sleek, simplistic large format tiles in living rooms or hot pink scatter cushions on your bed with a pale grey duvet set. Whatever colors you decide on, surrounding yourself with hues that you love is sure to improve your mood – creating a haven of happiness.

2) Let your living space bloom

There’s no better gift to put a smile on your face than a bunch of flowers on a cold winter’s day, so why not give this gift to yourself? Flowers are a simple way to brighten your interior and winter is a glorious season for indoor plants. 

From Christmas cactuses which bring in the festive cheer to old-style classics such as primroses, flowers are a perfect way to freshen up your home during the winter. If you prefer low maintenance options – perfect if you work long hours – opt for a cactus which requires limited light exposure and water without compromising on its festive beauty.

Alternatively, if you’re an avid gardener looking for an indoor plant to nurture throughout the winter months, choose a Christmas rose or white chrysanthemums which bring light to those long, dark days. 

3) Introduce indulgent soft furnishings

During the winter months, getting cosy in front of the fire while it’s snowing outside is one of the best pastimes to indulge in. Bring some extra warmth into your space by adopting some winter-friendly furnishings which will allow you to curl up in style this season. 

Layer up your sofa with a throw that’s soft and warm to the touch, while also injecting some luxury and comfort that’s sure to make your house feel more homely.

From cushions and chunky-knit blankets to rugs in summer hues, layering different fabrics and textures is the ultimate way to make your home feel snug during wintertime, whether you’re hunkered down for a movie marathon or simply getting your all-important eight-hours sleep!

Don’t leave out your floor space. As mentioned earlier, rugs create a warm, comfy atmosphere. Consider rug options that come in cozy textures and are thick enough to protect your feet from the cold winter floor. You can even add a couple of pillows to create a relaxing floor space where you can unwind or read. You can find the right rug for your home on online platforms like Rugstore NE.   

4) Let the light in

The short winter days are one of the biggest causes of the winter blues – however, by making some simple changes to your interiors you could significantly increase the amount of natural light in your home.

One idea is to consider replacing solid exterior doors with some bifold doors that will make the area feel lighter, brighter and bigger. Of course, there are other ways to allow more light in, too. Simply leaving some interior doors open during the day will let the light flood into these spaces and create a better flow between different rooms in the house too. 

If you’re on a budget, lightening the hues on your walls will help the existing light reflect around the room more. Finished with some well-positioned mirrors in different shapes and sizes, the light will naturally bounce around making the whole space feel less gloomy, even on those really dark, dreary days. 

Photo by Paolo Nicolello