Try these wintertime touches for your home
Cathy Hobbs
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Wintertime is officially here, and for many of us that means frosty mornings and colder days.
While you may not want to bring winter indoors (frosty mornings are much better left outside!), you can re-create the beauty of the season indoors and deck your home out in subtle details that pay homage to winter in a number of ways.
Draw inspiration from the season and re-imagine your home with these beautiful and elegant wintertime touches.
Candles
Cozy fires and flickering candles are the essence of winter. Few things can add a sense of warmth to a home like candles. Best of all they’re fun, versatile and affordable. Stock up on candles in a range of varying heights, and consider investing in some beautiful candlesticks – a wonderful way to warm your home this winter.
Soft lights
Bright, harsh lights tend to result in a severe and unwelcoming atmosphere. Table and floor lamps are a welcome change for winter and will produce a soft, inviting light.
Bulbs matter, too. Make sure you steer clear of bulbs marked “daylight.” Opt for “soft white” during the winter months. For even softer, subtler lighting, replace standard white shades with earthy colors, or look for bamboo or wicker shades.
Sumptuous rugs
Winter is the time to break out the shag rugs. Comfortable and luxurious, high pile rugs help make a room look welcoming and inviting (and will keep your feet cozy as well). Modern shag rugs in classic colors like ivory and beige are always an excellent choice.
Creature comforts
‘Tis the season for comfort and warmth. Add coordinated throw pillows and throws to add warmth to a room during the winter. Pillows are also a great way to introduce a pop of color without going overboard. Keep things coordinated by using pillows from the same collection.
Woodland scenes
What better way to re-create a woodland feel than with simple tributes to the outdoors? A pair of rustic skis placed in the foyer or a mantel decked out in snow-crested trees, white pine cones and boughs are excellent ways to add a sense of the season to your home. Add a few wintertime visitors like deer or snowy owls to create your own winter wonderland.
Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design and home staging expert with offices in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C. Contact her at info@ cathyhobbs.com or visit her website at cathyhobbs.com.
An oversized shag rug adds both warmth and texture to this living space. CATHY HOBBS