Decorating Ideas to Warm up a Cold Home

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Insulating your home’s walls, floors, and ceilings as a means of combating the cold isn’t always possible. If you’re a tenant, you probably won’t be able to make such changes. And if you’re a homeowner, you may not have the financial means or the time to do an insulation project. However, with the right decor, you can help to warm up your rooms without turning up the heat.

Rugs for the floor.

Does your flooring have a cold, harsh surface? During the winter, ceramic tile, laminate, and other types of hard flooring can seem extremely cold. As a result, adding a rug will help to insulate the space and keep it warm. Even better, stacking many rugs creates a warm and elegant barrier that keeps toes warm, and it’s a perfect match for a comfy three-seater sofa.

Look for carpets with a high knot count that is handcrafted. Remember that the higher the number, the denser the material, providing superior insulation than a lower knot count rug. Machine-made rugs are also an excellent way to warm up cold floors.

Here are some tips when looking for a rug:

• Make a variety. You can use rugs to provide variation to a room. When using two rugs in a room, keep in mind that carpets of the same size can visually divide the space. To give a sense of variety, use rugs of various sizes.
• Have harmony. When using more than one rug, it’s preferable if the rugs have similar styles. If you don’t, you can get a startling or unpleasant impact. Also, there will be no sense of harmony in a room if there are too many “warring” patterns.
• Have a color scheme. Use a favorite rug as the foundation for a room’s color design. If you add it once your furniture is in place, on the other hand, you can utilize it to accent or tie in your current hues.
• Manage the volume. Turn up the volume or use a rug to quieten a room visually. Choose a rug with a more subtle design if your furniture or wallpaper has an intricate pattern. When the walls and upholstery are relatively neutral, you might use a busier pattern or stronger colors to attract the space.
• Establish a focal point. Rugs can make a big difference in a room, so use one as the main point. To do so, paint your walls a color that echoes one of your rug’s accent hues to generate contrast.
• Try different shapes. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a rug has to be rectangular. Instead, allow the shape of your rug to be dictated by how you arrange your furniture. If a square, round, or oval shape seems to fit your furniture arrangement better than a rectangle one, try working out which shape would look best.
• Check the size of the rug. Decrease 3 feet from the length and width of the room when purchasing a rug. The room appears to be larger when the margins of the floor are left naked. Runners should be 4 inches narrower and 18 to 24 inches shorter than your hallway, with enough width to accommodate both feet on the rug when walking. When laying it under your dining table, leave at least 24″ of the rug out on all sides to allow the back legs of the chairs to stay on the rug even when pulled out to let someone sit.
• Update your space. Replace rugs to freshen a room for the seasons or to incorporate new color trends.

Tapestries for the wall.

When it’s chilly outside, your walls may feel cold to the touch, indicating that conductive heat loss is causing you to lose up to a third of the heat you pay for. Older buildings, in particular, frequently lack adequate insulation, which has likely deteriorated. Plus, some might not be built to today’s standards in the first place, as builders didn’t place as much emphasis on insulation when home heating prices were low.

Wall tapestries are a simple design fix that will help to warm up your rooms if you have insufficient wall insulation. The greater the weight of the material, the better. You can also use a quilt. You may even make a fabric feature wall by using liquid starch to adhere fabric to one or more walls in your space. The starched cloth, unlike traditional wallpaper, is easy to remove, making it an ideal project for renters.

Have window treatments.

If your windows are drafty, an energy-saving window treatment is a great solution, such as thermal window shades. It is a simple decor fix that may help you save money on your heating bills. Thermal shades are similar to window blankets. They can keep chilly drafts out and retain heat within rooms. They’re also simple to install on most types of windows and fold up and out of the way when you want to look out the window.

Thick curtains can also be used. Wool is an excellent insulator, making it an ideal choice for curtains. However, there are many additional options besides wool for store-bought insulating curtains at varying price points. Look for packages with the words “thermal” or something like on them.

Have cozy accents.

Cozy furnishings in a room may do wonders for creating a welcoming atmosphere. For example, designing a warm and inviting sofa for the winter is necessary. Make sure there are plenty of soft pillows and plush throws for everyone in the family to snuggle into and remain warm. Do the same thing with your bedding. Consider switching to flannel sheets during the winter months and adding extra blankets to help you keep warm all night.

When it comes to warmth, one room accessory, in particular, can be an unexpected helper: the ceiling fan. In a space, warm air rises. So, if you have a ceiling fan, turn it in the opposite direction from how you usually cool the room. The warm air will be pushed back down toward you, making the entire area feel cozier.