How to make your home cosy this winter
Our friends from the London Property News have some handy hints on how to make your home warm this winter.
Wrap up your windows
Swap those soft voiles and cool lightweight summer cottons for rich textured fabrics and cosy throws.
Be lavish with window dressings - think multi-layers, and stick to plain blinds against the window, then frame them with thick curtains in rich, ornate patterns. Let them trail elegantly on the floor and you'll cut out drafts.
Sumptuous velvets, corduroy and chenilles are warming winter fabrics for curtains, upholstery or bedding; think welcoming boudoirs, beds piled high with cushions and covers.
Toast your toes
You'll save money on heating bills (and slippers) by installing underfloor heating this winter. Radiators work by sending (expensive) warm air to the ceiling, whereas with underfloor heating, you heat only the lower part of the room.
It's low maintenace, installation is easy, and it works over most flooring from tiles, to laminates or carpats. It can even be laid over an existing floor and covered with tiles.
Warm up the walls
You can raise the temperature in a room a few notches by re-thinking colour schemes. Earthy and spicy tones, or bold, bright shades can thaw out a cool room. Think chocolate browns, mink, rich cherry, deep plums or raspberry, and burnt orange, but beware of red unless you have a large room as it has the effect of making the walls soom closer.
If you haven't the bottle to go totally wild with colour, instead gather splashes of tropical colour, instead gather splashes of tropical hot pinks, oranges or reds together - vases on a mantelpiece, cusions on a sofa, a cluster of photo frames on a shelf.
Comments
I recommend getting the loft insulated, we did that and you can feel the difference for sure.
Posted by: Chris Smith | February 28, 2007 07:29 PM