Hi everyone, I have a guest blogger this week and I will get to that shortly. As an interior designer I drive a lot. Many days I’m in my car for over 2 hours just getting from house to house, to showroom to showroom. I know, such a glamorous job – don’t be so jealous. Due to all of this quality alone time I am a podcast listener. My favorites are Marc Maron’s WTF and The Mike O’Meara Show. I just started listening to Talk to Jess and it is riveting. The women entrepreneurs she interviews are inspiring and it’s given me a little push to think more about the business side of design. What are you listening to? Any podcasts to share? Or, are you just zoning out to Christmas music right now? A little of that goes a very long way for me. I was recently at a job site and the gutter guy was blasting Kozi 101‘s all Christmas station – to each his own.
Here’s a timely piece for shorter (and colder) days:
How to Make Your Bedroom Warm and Cozy for the Winter
Winter is here, and with it comes the urge to pull in and make a nest for yourself. One of the best places to do this is in your bedroom, since it’s your very own safe space. Even if decorating isn’t your thing, some small changes could go far towards upping the cozy factor of your room. Here are some places to start.
Soften Your Lighting
Get rid of harsh overhead lights (or just don’t turn them on) and use smaller softer lights instead. Bedside lamps can provide ample, gentle lighting that won’t feel harsh or overstimulating. You can also use stringed lights. Put these behind chiffon or another translucent fabric for an even softer, almost hazy effect. Give your bedroom a warm glow, and you’ll feel even more comfortable there.
Add Some Extra Pillows
There’s just something about a stack of pillows that screams, “Rest on me!” If you’re not sure you have enough pillows, you probably need more. Use different shapes and sizes for even more coziness. If you’re on a small budget, it’s pretty easy to make pillow cases yourself, too. Be creative and make cases out of textured rugs, towels, and more, to add to your room’s charm.
Find a Giant Knitted Blanket
Those giant cabled blankets are all the rage right now, and for good reason. They instantly make a room feel safer and more secure, and they’re warm, too. No matter the type of bed you have, piling one of these blankets on top of it will make it feel like a haven of rest.
Create a Small Nook
Unless your room is tiny, there should be space for a small nook. Find one or two cute, comfortable chairs and place them diagonally towards each other. Add an adorable tiny table, a fuzzy blanket, and a vase or a stack of books, and you have the reading nook of your dreams. Throw a warm blanket over one of the chairs, so the nook is as cozy as it looks.
Use Warm Neutral Colors
Warm neutral colors make for a peaceful room that feels spacious. Think earthy browns and beiges, plus greys and light or slate blues. These colors also make it easy to change the look and feel of your room over the seasons or through the years.
Hide Your Electronics
Rest assured that your winter pastime of binging Netflix doesn’t have to migrate out of your bedroom. Just keep your electronics out of view. Hide them in an armoire or slide them out of sight when you aren’t using them. Your room will feel homier and more inviting when they aren’t the first thing you see.
The best advice is to figure out what you like and what works for you and your room. Try a few things, play around with it, and you’ll discover what makes your bedroom feel like a place where could sleep, rest, and play all winter long.
Myra Campbell is a researcher for the sleep science and health organization Tuck.com. Her passion for art and design brought her into the field. She began by researching how to create a relaxing bedroom and learned that great design can help improve our health and well-being. Myra lives in southern California and shares her queen-sized bed with two rescue dogs.
The Colorado Nest 