Are you looking for ways to make your home a bit cozier this winter? Perhaps you need a better way to heat your space, or you just need some ideas to make your space look more inviting to your guests. Either way, the following tips have you covered.
- Get a fireplace insert
One of the best ways to make your home a bit cozier is to get a fireplace insert. Whether your existing fireplace needs an upgrade in the looks department, or you need some additional functionality, an insert will go a long way to make your space cozier.
For example, you can get a fireplace insert that will allow you to burn split firewood for fuel. Granted, it won’t heat your home as well as a true wood stove, but burning real wood will definitely make your home feel cozy.
You can also get a gas fireplace insert that will make it easier to use your fireplace. For instance, it will eliminate all the work involved in splitting firewood, making kindling, and building up your fires.
Interior of a large modern bedroom with a fireplace and ceiling fan. Horizontal format.
- Put warm, fuzzy throws around the house
Warm fuzzy throws are an excellent way to liven up your space, and make it look and feel cozy. They don’t have to be printed with holiday designs, although that certainly helps during the winter. Just get some fleece Sherpa throws and drape them over the backs of chairs, couches, and your bed.
When your guests come over and sit down on the couch, they’ll feel great being able to grab a warm throw to wrap up in for a movie. Even just sitting down to chat with people can be a little chilly, and people can wrap their feet up in one of your throws.
- Insulate your home
Does your home need a little bit more insulation? Maybe you have a common area that lets in a draft from the outside and it just needs a little bit of work? Regardless of where your drafts are coming from, your home will be much cozier if you fix them.
There are several ways you can get rid of drafts. The first way is to seal up the source, whether it’s a drafty window, door, or a baseboard. If it’s not easily sealed, you can buy draft stoppers and even complete panels to cover the entire door. This only works well when it’s not a door you use to get in and out of the house daily.
If it’s not quite a discernible draft and it’s more like a wash of cold air, you might just need to put down some dense area rugs if the cold air is coming from below your floor. It’s possible that your floor isn’t well insulated.
Run the heat as needed
By now, you’ve probably heard about how important it is to preserve energy thousands of times, but that doesn’t help when you’re cold. If your home is cold in the winter, run your heat when you need it most. Don’t just set your thermostat to some cold temperature – like 64 degrees Fahrenheit – and let people fend for themselves. The temperature recommended for your heater is nowhere near a comfortable temperature in reality.
Instead, be willing to pay a higher energy bill in exchange for using heat you need to keep your family and your guests warm. The idea of being as energy-efficient as possible is a nice concept in theory, but it doesn’t always work that way. Especially if you or your guests suffer from conditions that make cold weather more painful. If you don’t do it for yourself, at least do it for your guests to make them feel more at home when they visit.
- Cook some good food
There’s one more thing you can do that you may not have thought about: cook some good food. Food is really at the heart of what makes people feel good in a home, so cooking will provide some great benefits for your family and guests.
Cooking will not only warm up the house literally, but it will also make people feel like your home is a warmer place. People feel good when smelling a home cooked meal, and you can quickly transform your home into a cozy space just by cooking meals that smell amazing.
Make your space cozy and warm
Now you have several different options (not to mention antique fire surrounds) for making your space feel cozier this winter. Your guests will appreciate every effort you make to keep your space warm while they visit.
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