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Crisp, winter air dances on your skin. Out come the flannel shirts, flannelette sheets and Ugg boots to stave off the cold. More often than not, Aussie homeowners will double down during their winter hibernation period, seeking out ways to redesign their homes to match the seasonal tone.
A priority for many is to equip the house with furniture, appliances, and decor that sets a cosy and warm backdrop. And, for a start, that’s a good strategy. There’s nothing greater than stepping into a toasty haven after a walk in temperatures that make your teeth chatter and skin goosebumpy.
That said, you wouldn’t want to overstuff your entire living space with heaps of winter decor to the point of leaving no room to walk around and letting your senses rest.
Ideally, you should strike a delicate balance of keeping your living room, bedroom, and household at large lightweight yet functional. Sparse but intentional. Spacious but complete.
If you want to evoke that sense of minimalistic warmth at home during the wintertime, then you’re in the right place. This article will give you some minimalistic ideas to give your home a nice decorative winter touch without going overboard.
Let’s take a look at five of these home redesign tips in greater detail.
Remove Rubbish and Clutter
A hoarder’s worst nightmare, clutter. If you find yourself collecting and accumulating random trinkets, items and thingamabobs that you’ve now popped around the house, it might be time to consider repurposing or even rehoming them. Some of these items may serve a niche purpose from time to time, but let’s not lie to ourselves, most of them probably don’t serve a practical purpose.
If you want to adopt a minimalist lifestyle during the wintertime, then it’s important to initiate a complete house cleanup. Gather these items, categorise them into either a “To Keep” or a “To Dispose” box, then follow through with their respective labels.
If you have many items in your “To Keep” box, then make sure that they’re properly stored and taped shut to prevent them from accumulating dust. Store these items away from plain sight—your attic, basement, or garage would be an ideal place for them.
If you have many items in your “To Dispose” box, then segregate them based on their respective waste classification then throw them accordingly. You can consider hiring professional removalist services from Muval to help declutter, especially if you’re considering a deeper redesign or reno.
In any case, a proper redesign project always starts with removing things that may be ugly and aesthetically unappealing from the household. While they may have sentimental value, too many of these things will ruin any design attempt you may make. So, do factor that into the equation.
Swap Pillows and Blankets With Neutral-Toned Plush Material
The first thing you should prioritise when redecorating your home to match the winter vibe is refreshing your pillows and blankets.
You’ll be spending a lot of your free time at home, and you want to create a space that’s as cosy as possible. The tactile feel of your blankets and pillows plays a big role in creating that bubble of comfort.
If your pillows and blankets are too thin or firm to keep you warm, then consider switching them out during the wintertime for fluffier and heavier materials.
Consider wool, memory foam, or down materials for both pillows and blankets, as these materials are known for their warm, breathable and insulating properties. Another good option is fleece, which is one of the softest kinds of material out there.
Besides the material change, be mindful of the colour of the pillows and blanket as well. A good, warm colour that occurs naturally, like beige, cream, or clay, is especially nice.
However, it’s a good idea to play around with different colours and figure out the best colour based on the room’s dominant colour palette. But ideally, pick colours that are neutral and soft to the eyes.
By swapping your pillows and blankets for winter-ready versions, you’ll more easily get into the winter mood through both sight and feel. In turn, this can enhance the cosiness you can feel while using these products, whether it’s the living room sofa or on top of your bed.
Reorient the Living Room With The Fireplace as the Centrepiece
Every room that’s intentionally designed should have an anchor piece that our eyes naturally gravitate towards as we step inside. For bedrooms, that would be the bed; for the dining room, that would be the dining room.
In countries that get cold, the living room’s primary centrepiece is typically the fireplace. That said, during the non-winter months, it’s quite common for homeowners to forget about the fireplace and decorate their interior without paying mind to its position in the overall layout.
However, as winter arrives, the importance of the fireplace reemerges, and it may even be used to keep the home warm and cosy during the colder winter days.
If your living room has slowly reshifted its focus away from the fireplace during the past seasons—whether it’s due to the introduction of new furniture or new refurbishment projects—then mindfully shift that focus back to the fireplace.
Remove or reorient items that take the spotlight away from the fireplace, and bring it back into focus. For example, position your sofas, ottomans, and carpets directly across the fireplace, making a dedicated zone. Furthermore, hide or dispose of plastic or synthetic materials that take away from the beauty of the fireplace.
You should also remove any rubbish and clutter on the mantel if you want to match the winter season. Consider putting things like log baskets or rustic wooden decorations on top of the fireplace for some nice visual elements.
If you don’t have a fireplace, you can consider using an alternative light source like a chandelier as the room’s focal point and redesigning the living room around it. By doing this, you can create a zoned space that naturally feels cosy, warm, and intimate.
Add A Cosy Ambience with LED Lighting
With natural light being a fairly limited resource during the wintertime, it’s essential to equip your house with adequate lighting to ensure that your space is well illuminated.
The best type of light to get for the wintertime is LED lights. These lights are cost-effective, easy to install, and durable, making them excellent lighting choices in general.
What sets this light type apart from traditional lighting is its lower Kelvin reading. It sits at around 2700K, creating a warm yellow glow instead of the harsh blue and white light commonly found in other lighting types.
The warmth that this lighting type evokes subconsciously adds to the cosiness of the space. Not only is it easy on the eyes, but it can create a cosy and aesthetic mood in a room. It’s not uncommon, for instance, to find LED lights in table lamps, studio lights, accent ceilings, and floor lamps.
During the wintertime, instead of going out of your way to refurbish your furniture set or taking out your toolkit, consider changing the way light shines around your space.
Believe it or not, this simple fix can make a big difference in affecting the mood and calmness of your space. And if done right, you can find yourself feeling extra cosy during the wintertime with well-positioned LED lights.
Introduce New Life Through Plants and Paintings
Another way to redesign your room during the wintertime is by putting plants and paintings in key zones around the house.
The reduction of plants outside due to the cold can suck the joy out of many people, and having some plant life in home can be a great substitute in the meantime to connect with nature. Plus, plants can fill empty corners with nice, visual interest, making it a great way to make a house look complete while still following minimalistic principles.
Of course, you’d need to get hardy garden plants that can tolerate the dry and low-sun conditions of wintertime. Here are a few plant suggestions that can bring some new life to your house: snake plant, spider plant, Monstera, jade plant, Zanzibar, and the Chinese Evergreen plant.
Besides plants, you can also consider hanging up calming paintings on walls or empty hallways around the house. What you choose to hang up is ultimately up to you, but if you want to stick with the theme of winter, do consider opting for neutral and calming scenes of nature.
Just like plants, a hanging painting adds visual interest to your space, making your home more uniquely your own. But unlike plants, these paintings don’t need as much upkeep to keep them happy.
We hope these tips will serve you well in your upcoming home redecoration project. All the best in keeping your space nice and cosy during this chilly Aussie winter.
