Spending more time indoors this winter? Here’s how to brighten your décor during the dark and dreary winter months.
It’s midday on Sunday. The windows are shut and the rain is tapping violently against the glass just begging to be let in. In an attempt to escape the weather, you have not left your home since 5pm on Friday, and the walls are slowly but surely starting to close in around you. “Spending copious hours indoors during winter has been known to cause homeowners to start loathing their homes. Seasonal decorating might seem like a wasteful expense, but it can also prevent a rushed sale on a home for those who are just looking for a change of scenery,” explains Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, Adrian Goslett.
These home updates can also give homeowners something to do with the many indoor hours the cold and wet season brings along with it. You might need to brave the cold from the parking lot to the mall, but once all the items are purchased, you can return to the warmth and safety of your cocoon and enjoy the rest of the day rearranging furniture and putting a whole new look together.
Below are some of the décor tips Goslett suggests for creating less gloomy winter spaces:
Create a Rainbow in the Rain
“The sky tends to be dark and ominous during this season, so you might want to add some bright pops of colour to make your rooms feel less cave-like. Introduce colourful scatter cushions, vases, mats and other small decorative items to lighten up the space. If your walls are painted in darker shades, you might also want to consider giving them a fresh lick of paint in lighter, more neutral shades to help make the walls appear to recede rather than close in around you.”
Bring Spring Indoors
“In an effort to keep the cold air out, we tend to keep all our windows closed this season. This often leads to a home developing a poorly ventilated scent. A fresh vase of flowers can add a pleasant aroma to a space, and will also create life and colour in an otherwise dull and lifeless space. Automatic, timer-set air fresheners are also a great way to uplift the atmosphere of a room.”
Create a Winter Glow
“Poor lighting is a well-known and established depressant. A 2008 study by the University of Pennsylvania revealed that the absence of light caused norepi¬nephrine, dopamine and serotonin (common neurotransmitters involved in emotion, pleasure and cognition) cells to die. This is why so many of us experience the ‘Winter Blues’. In order to combat this, make sure your rooms have sufficient artificial lighting this season by adding additional floor and table lamps. Get creative and add candles or fairy lights to create an even cosier atmosphere.”
Sit back and relax…or sell
“In certain cases, however, it will not matter how many decorative touches you add to your home if it simply isn’t suited to your needs. Spending more time indoors can often help homeowners realise the shortcomings of their property. If you are still feeling edgy in your home even after updating its look and feel, then it might be time to consider selling,” Goslett concludes.