If you have had a week like I have, you will be feeling the cold … a lot! So it is time to crack out the must-haves to help us get through the really cold nights… but stylishly of course. Here are some warm images to get you inspired.

1. The layers- lots and lots of layers and the best way to achieve this is blanks and throws. Add layers to your bed as well. it will help keep warm as the temp drops during the night while staying chic.
2. The warmer cushions, large, woolie, full and knit cushions are the way to go. Thicker materials create density and hold warmth… and let’s face it they are also just overall a lot more comfy. Comfy is what we want when it comes to bracing the cold and again they look great. Cushions aren’t just for homes, cosy up the office too with some coloured, textured cushions.
3. Lots and lots of candles to create mood lighting and that really warm and cosy feel… and again it’s not just for the home , these would cosy up any office.
4. Change those light globes to warmer light to add to the cosy mood, it makes the room feel less bright and harsh, especially with the days shorter, coming home to a comfortable space is what we all want and need.
5. Rugs and woolie socks! I know it is not like socks are an interior thing but it does help you keep the interior of your body warm, especially if you have bare and cold surfaces in your home. Changing those rugs to much thicker textures and plush piles really assist in creating warmth in the home during the colder months… but you can never go past those big fat awesome socks.

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Your bed is super important as you pretty much spend almost half your life sleeping which it allows your body to restore itself. So having the right support and comfort is essential. To me it is not something that you skimp on. I need to take my own advice because my mattress is completely outdated and not supportive anymore! It’s on my “To Do List”.

Good quality linen, duvet covers, throws and pillowcases can be hard to come by, which is why I wanted to share with you a great bedding resource called Parachute.  They have a great range available at affordable prices. Currently, a lot of my friends are after things that have a really natural look to them, so there does not have to be too much fuss about the sheets, they always look clean, they are simple, feel good and neutral.

Here are some of my favourite tricks to making your bed look pretty amazing and just overall effortless.

*  Think about it as a composition – Layer the bed with different coloured linen. For example you may have a white flat sheet and loose sheet but then two different combination of colours for the pillowcases and a different colour for the duvet cover.

*  Add character to a bed by adding up to 3 cushions. Yes, see how I did not say 10 cushions? It is very unnecessary to have excessive amounts of small cushions, 3 is enough and it allows you to have two different colour combinations.

*  Have different sized pillows, 2 x large square size and 2 x normal sleeping size.

*  Add texture to the bed by complimenting it with a casual throw to make it feel that extra comfortable and inviting. Your bed is also a great place for journaling, reading, meditating so having a great throw to lie on top of with your normal clothes is a great idea.

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So here are four of my top creative tips to get you inspired.

 I go on about this a lot in my posts and on my blog but the sun is a very important part of warming your home during winter. Sun, Sun, Sun!! Open the windows and blinds, just because it is cold does not mean that you cannot have the windows open. Pick the appropriate time of the day and of course the appropriate day. Of course if it is raining non stop outside and very cold then you will not be opening your windows, BUT, if it is a beautiful sunny winter day, from the mid morning to just after lunch is a great time to absorb the sun into the home so that it feels warm.

A good way to figure this out for your home too is by looking at your orientation. Maybe open the blinds and windows a little in the part of the home that gets the most sun and then rotate to a different room at a different time of day when the sun has moved.

Layer your spaces! Blankets, throws and covers. If you have a really warm cover for your mattress for the colder months, now is the time to throw it on the bed. Thicker and woolier sheets are also a great way to go. Having decorative and warm blankets for the living room is also a great way to add warmth and keep warm. By adding cushions and layering rugs can also mean making the floors and furniture feel more cosy and warm. If you have very high ceilings or large tiled floors, this is very important to do, as you need to concentrate the warmth as much as possible.

Switch to lamps and turn off bigger lights during the evening. This makes for a cosier space and also saves lots of energy that you don’t really need to be using during the colder months. It psychologically makes spaces feel more enclosed and warmer.

Switch your light bulbs from bright light to warm light. This is a big one but also changing them to LED light bulbs will help you save so much money on your electricity bill. By changing the globes and the colour of the globes you are instantly creating a more intimate and warmer feeling within your home. If you cannot do this to major light fittings do this to the ones you can and all your lamps!

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Do you ever notice how you feel in specific spaces or places? Are you mindful and aware of where you like to be, what makes you feel good and what does not? All these sensations that you feel when interacting in your daily life are part of the fourth wall in design, as I like to call it. There is the breaking of the fourth wall in acting, where the actors interact with the audience past the camera or the stage. However, to me that fourth wall in design is human sensation. This is something that I find, very intriguing and am extremely passionate about understanding and pursuing more.

Colour and texture is a huge part of creating this connection between the space and the mind, so
in today’s post I want to share with you the sensations associated with colour and challenge you to take notice of how you feel when you interact with the colour.

Colour mood association is a great way to allow you to explore and make decisions when picking colours and is especially useful for public spaces, large corporate offices, restaurants, and clubs and health care practices.

The spectrum and associated moods are very interesting to understand and note, as they all focus on different things. It is also interesting to note that when making colour selections that these colours can also induce the opposite effect if not used or applied in the correct way. I will delve more into this next week so that when you are picking your colours you can make an informed decision from all dimensions.

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Firstly, it starts with being organized, which means having as much storage and desk space as possible. If you are a creative person like me you need all the room you can get because spreading out images, colours, textures, patterns is so much more enriching to your imagination than being cramped in a pile of butter paper and samples.

These are the best things to think about when planning your home office.

Displays

If you have images that you love, quotes, or even if it is boring paper work and invoices that need to be paid, having a vision board or upholstered backdrop that acts as a pin board behind your desk or along a wall is a great way to display things. Have those ‘To Do Lists’ in your face so you do not forget what you need to get done. This is allows for it to become an artwork and feature in your space.

Colour

Sometimes as much as we would like to be able to achieve our perfect space through structural changes, we cant because we may be renting a studio space or it is just not feasible at the time. So think about using a particular colour that you love, which can act as a way of grounding your work zone or creating a bit of a theme so that it is not just a series of computers, printers and paper work. You can also bring in colour through your task chairs and lighting.

Chalkboards

Paint a wall or a section of your space with chalk paint, allows for you to brainstorm, write those ‘To Do Lists’ and random ideas etc. Combine a vision board with a chalkboard wall and you are minimising use of paper and all the post it notes you write your quotes on.

Zoning your space

Giving your office specific task areas is really important, even if it‘s a Desk one end and client meeting & work table area at the other. This also gives you an opportunity to move away from the computer at times, because it can be a real drag sitting in the one spot all day.

Storage, storage, and more storage

Think about storage in a fun way, which brings me back to my first point displays. Displaying things that are aesthetically appealing in a unique way can solve storage issues, but sometimes this cannot be achieved if it is a whole box full of invoices. Maximise under desk space with portable drawers and or open cube shelves that can be arranged in multiple different ways. Think about what you actually really need at your desk and in your office versus what you really do not need. You will be so surprised what you end up getting rid of, especially if your space is zoned in different task areas.

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It is funny to note, that even if a colour has a particular positive effect on you, applied in the wrong way and it can have the opposite effect. I’d love to share with you a story of one of my projects. Currently I am working on a renovation and the wall colour is a really nice pale blue, however in situ it just does not work. This is where my client has not made the right choice with their original colour.

Firstly, the colour does not match anything else in the home and the home does not get a lot of natural light, making it very dark as it is. This causes the space to not feel calm and light but really dull, drag and rather depressing. The colour clashes rather than contrasts with a cream based beige for the doors and skirtings. All the light globes in the home are a bright white and makes the colour feel harsh rather than calming. It also makes the walls look dirty, which is definitely not the desired effect for any home.

This is why my top tip for selecting your major paint colours is to keep it very basic and neutral. Feature walls and feature colours are a fantastic way to add accents and this is where I believe you can be a little bolder. If you home gets a lot of natural light then this also can be a great way to introduce a deeper shade or brighter accent colour on your walls. That way the colour will always have a positive effect on you rather than having the opposite.

My other top tip is to use colours in your accessories, that way if you get bored of something then it is easily changed. It also means you can change and adopt colours/patterns to suit your mood and the seasons.

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Naturally it means darker colours and tones in the home to account for the ability to make it feel more insulated and warm. Dark colours do not necessarily mean that a space feels smaller but it allows for a richer experience of the senses and can give the illusion of feeling warmer… yes, it is true.

I wanted to share with you my love for navy and deep rich blue tones for the cooler months. It is such a rich colour and has a range of different applications as well as hues. This means that you can layer it and contrast the colour in clever ways. Blue is also a very calming and relaxing colour, which goes very well for the mood that we want to create in our homes during the colder months. If you are anything like me, you spend way more time in your home during winter, so having that relaxed environment is vital.

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