As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, homeowners everywhere are starting to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. Fortunately, there are a few simple updates you can make to your home to combat the SAD-ness! Making small adjustments to your home’s interior can instantly transform your mood, no matter what the weather looks like outside.
Let in the sunshine. Seasonal affective disorder’s primary cause is a lack of natural light. When we don’t get enough daylight, our brains release melatonin, which is what makes us sleepy and more sluggish during the winter. To combat this, add more lighting to your home decor. Use a mix of general, task, and accent lighting to increase the brightness in any space. If you don’t want to add new fixtures, you can always up the wattage of your lightbulbs to increase the light in a room.
Incorporate warm colors into your decor. The expert Salem, OR house painters recommend dressing up any space with the warm, cozy color tones that speak to you and your existing decor. Shades of pink, red, and orange can instantly make a space feel warmer and brighter. If those colors aren’t your favorite, use light, creamy shades of gray, blue, and white to warm up your house. There are plenty of neutral-like shades you can choose from in these color families.
Play with mirrors. Install mirrors so that they will reflect the natural light that pours into your windows during the day and the light from your light fixtures at night. When used correctly, mirrors can also help make a space feel bigger than it actually is, helping to prevent you from feeling like you’re cooped up in a cramped house all winter long.
Soften up furniture. Make your home feel extra cozy with plush cushions, throw rugs, blankets, and pillows. Consider using fabrics like velvet, wool, and faux fur. These additions to your furniture look great, but they also elevate your home’s overall comfort level, too. With enough cozy elements, you won’t mind staying inside!
Bring nature indoors. In the winter, we tend to miss the breath of fresh air we’re so used to receiving in the warmer months. So, bring the outdoors inside by incorporating natural elements into your decor. Find furnishings or decorative items that feature cotton, reclaimed wood, or winter foliage to capture the beauty of a natural winter landscape.
Light the hearth. Instantly increase your home’s cozy factor by lighting a fire in your fireplace. Doing so creates a beautiful, glowing ambiance that’s relaxing and comforting. If your home doesn’t have a fireplace, consider investing in a free-standing space heater that mimics a fireplace. There are also wall-mounted space heaters available in various designs that you can easily match to your home decor. If none of these options work, you can see if your TV has a fireplace screen saver option and light a crackling candle to set the mood.
Don’t succumb to the winter blues. Keep your home cheerful and bright this winter with these decorating tips. For more home decor inspiration, contact Kimberly Paulus, a Sienna Plantation, TX interior decorator.
