Create a warm and calming winter sanctuary with feel-good vibes and lashings of style
Words Carrol Baker
With Jack Frost nipping at our toes, it’s time to batten down the hatches and head indoors. Create a warm and calming sanctuary at home with plenty of feel-good vibes. Stoke up the fire, add splashes of comfort with soft plush throws and pillows. Break out the candles and moody hues to winterise your home. Fill your interior spaces with seasonal charm for the ultimate winter escape — without having to leave home.
Kids rule
Design warming winter spaces the whole family can enjoy. Perhaps start with your children. After all, winter can be a tough gig when you’re a kid. The days are shorter, you can’t play outside for as long, and grown-ups can get a little grumpy when it’s so cold the car won’t start!
Put a smile on your kids’ faces by creating cosy winter spaces they’ll love. Edel O’Neill from Og Design Studio says a comfortable sanctuary-like bedroom for your teen in winter can be achieved through colour lighting and soft furnishings. “Dark moody painted walls add depth and character to a bedroom, creating a cosy and cocooning space while promoting a better sleep environment,” she notes.
With lighting, Edel says the focus is on ambient illumination. “Incorporate bedside lamps, wall sconces or fairy lights — this will enhance cosiness but still be functional for study. Edel says combining luxury throws, plush beanbags and cushions is a stylish way to soften a space. “You create warmth and comfort while elevating the design,” she shares.
As the days start to grow shorter, kids will be spending more time indoors. Edel says creating warm winter spaces in the rumpus room that kids will gravitate to begins with making subtle changes. “Warm colours breathe energy, positivity and sunshine into any room,” she says. “Use soft muted tones of warm colours (red, orange, yellow) or cooler colours (green, blue) with warm undertones on floor cushions, throws and walls to create a snug space.”
Edel adds that texture and natural fibres are key to warming up any space. “Adding rugs, woven storage baskets, knitted throws, cushions and timber accents in furniture creates a cosy, inviting playroom,” she notes.
To curate a play space for your younger kids, Megan Butler from Lilly & Lolly suggests creating a range of “stations” where kids can focus on one activity at a time. “Break up the space into areas where kids can pick and choose the activity they most love,” she says. “The dress-up corner or the playdough table or exercise corner, for example. Use the four corners of the room and place the last station in the centre.”
Another tip from Megan is to not put all toys out at once, but rotate them so there is only one activity per station. “The key is to offer frequent changes during the winter months so that the kids don’t get bored,” she advises.
Stoke the fire
The warmth and comfort of sitting by a fireplace is the perfect antidote to chase those winter blues away. Perhaps you’ve always thought about a fireplace but just weren’t sure where to begin?
Natalie Tarabay from Chazelles Fireplaces says adding a fireplace is the best way to create a warm and welcoming feel to your home. “It needs to be the right size, style, and be able to adequately heat the area,” she says. “There are also many fireplace surround options that will suit the room.”
From gas to electric, bioethanol and woodburning, there are many types available. Once you have done your initial homework, it pays to speak to the experts. Kerry White from Castworks says real wood-burning fireplaces are a definite winner.
“They offer an authentic atmosphere that cannot be replicated,” notes Kerry. “There’s an array of wood-fired fireplaces to suit everyone’s needs, from small pot-belly stoves such as the charming cast-iron Morsø 1410, perfect for that smaller living space or shed, to the new ADF Clare range that already exceeds the new emission requirements coming later this year, making it a real game changer.”
There are plenty of new innovations in fireplaces. Natalie says we now have zero clearance installation gas fires, which makes them easier to install. “Gas fires now also have plentiful size and shape options — they can be single-sided, double-sided or three-sided,” she says. “The aesthetics are so much more modern and slimline, with less chunky frames.”
Ethanol fireplaces have also evolved; they’re safer, have automatic lighting, and come with a pump. “We are fortunate enough to have a modern option of the ethanol fireplace which are so easy to install, they heat well with a beautiful real flame,” she says.
Natalie adds that electric has also come a long way. “We now have the option of holographic and vapour electric fireplaces, which look a lot better than older electric LED flames,” she points out.
Kerry from Castworks adds that electric fires are a great option for areas where you cannot install a wood-burning fire, for example, if you are renting or in an apartment: “They don’t require ventilation but include features such as Bluetooth, remote controls and adjustable flame speeds. They’re available in an array of sizes and can be installed into an existing fire or wall hung. And when you move you can even take it with you.”
Underfloor heating
Start your morning with toasty warm toes with underfloor heating. If you have never experienced the sheer bliss of underfloor heating on a cool morning, it’s worth considering. The future of home heating includes electric and also hydronic heating systems. Hydronic underfloor heating is cost-effective and efficient. It relies on pipes laid in the concrete slab or screed to carry heated water from a boiler, which is then distributed around the house through piping within the floor or walls, where the heat radiates into the room.
Electric underfloor heating incorporates the use of heating cables that are fitted underneath the flooring. Electric heating can be used in small or larger areas.
Underfloor heating offers energy savings, comfort, and a touch of luxury.
Huggie hosting
Short on ideas to get you through the chilly days of winter? Gather your friends together and entertain in style. Host a block party or start your own book club. Have a long lazy Sunday brunch at home with friends, a pizza night with home-made offerings, or an afternoon cocktail party with fresh canapes.
You can entertain at home in winter in sublime style, with just a few simple touches. Set your dining table so it’s warm and welcoming. Frances Cosway from White Pebble Interiors says the use of foliage can work well. “Olive branches or greenery looks fabulous,” she says, “as does beautiful table linen. Incorporate rich tones and hues rather than bright summer florals to create a warm cosy environment.”
As a centrepiece, Frances suggests a tray of candles. “Use candles that are different heights, a candelabra, or a runner with a selection of candles to give your entertaining space a snug winter feeling. Soft subdued lighting can also help to create the right ambience. “I’d suggest mood lighting, lights turned down on dimmers, and subtle floor and table lamps,” she adds.
Winterising your home is about setting the scene for comfort. Stock up your bar cart with warming winter beverages and ensure it’s cosy underfoot. Frances says in warmer climates, rugs aren’t usually used under dining tables, but in winter it’s a different story. “Bring out a rug — it’s a wonderful way to add another layer of soft furnishings and warmth underfoot,” she advises.
Add some flair to your powder room with a little winter comfort that will also wow your guests. Frances says the essentials are luxe towels, a scented candle, and accent or decorative lighting to set the tone.
Winterise your garden
Winter is a season of rest and renewal. Many plants enter a state of dormancy as they conserve energy for the upcoming spring. Beautiful sunny winter days spent in the garden at home can be richly rewarding. If you’ve always wanted a vegetable patch, get planting. Before you know it, you’ll have a bountiful winter harvest of crops.
Winter is a time to catch up on chores that are not appealing outdoors during the steamy days of summer. Clean and refresh your outdoor furniture, pressure wash pathways, add mulch to garden beds, and give your fence a lick of paint. Your lawn will slow down its growth and a slow-release fertiliser will protect it during winter.
Break out the firepit and spend time with family and friends. Update or add outdoor lighting; portable rechargeable lights allow you to move them wherever you please. Then string up some festoon lights to add a little cheer to your outdoor spaces.
This article was originally published in Home Design. Subscribe now to start creating your perfect home.
