When it’s cold outside, you want a welcoming environment for you and your guests. Design is more than just about esthetics: It’s also about creating an atmosphere. To create a welcoming ambience when the weather outside isn’t so accommodating, focus on dedicating certain areas to enhance all the right feels.
Encourage gathering
Present the space as somewhere anyone would covet to relax or dine in. Keep clutter in a sort of organized chaos, make sure to have seats available, and use a few design tricks to lure the eye.
Lines: Give the eye a purposeful direction. Utilize the angle of flooring or walls, and where corners meet. This acts as a physical cue for your gaze to follow.
Contrast: With a pop of colour or an interesting pattern, you can bring attention to a location with ease. Contrast is a great way to establish a focal point.
Symmetry: Creating a frame is another way to encompass a space and draw the right kind of attention to it. For example, a couch perfectly framed under a window or art piece, or with accents on either side can bring it to the front of one’s attention.
Encourage lounging
Relaxing is one of life’s luxuries — a place to put your feet up, to unwind after a hard day, or to cosy up with your favourite activity.
Blankets: There’s nothing cosier than a few blankets. To amp it up, layer them up! Heavy knits, wool, fleece, faux fur, there’s no such thing as too many. Store the overflow in a wicker or fabric basket. This makes them accessible to guests; they can just reach out and grab one.
Plant therapy: Plants aren’t just good for adding texture or colour to a room, they also improve the air quality and bring a sense of life into a space. Colder weather means closing doors and windows to maximize the heat and adding indoor plants brings about a more figurative sense of warmth and closeness with nature.
Ecourage reminiscing
Whether you’re yearning for those halcyon days of summer, or want to relive simple pleasures, decking your space out in memorabilia can help combat those winter woes. Live in the moment with guests but don’t neglect the things that make you sentimental. Dedicate a space to creating and celebrating memories. This extends beyond the holiday season. Find and keep the love by personalizing the space.
Repurpose old keepsakes: Consider the treasures you’ve accumulated in your lifetime. Tasteful clutter doesn’t have to be bare bones or even store-bought. Old letters and encyclopedias can find new purpose. Along with personalizing your home, old treasures can bring more dimension with colour and texture. A few conversation pieces here and there can spark discussion and bring about more memories for the future.
Aromatherapy: Our sense of smell is an often-overlooked part of crafting an atmosphere. But it’s easy to set one up. Choose a scent (holiday inspired or otherwise) that fits the mood you want to convey and let aromatics (such as essential oils) do the rest. A subtle scent adds another layer to the space: Your olfactory system is closely connected to memory.
There’s more to staying snug in the winter than cuddling up with a cup of tea and nesting in blankets (though that does help). Giving your spaces a purpose can help renew your desire to entertain. It’s good for the soul and a great excuse to have guests over.