Ideas to Refresh Your Cozy Winter Home 

For Sunday favorites with Mary Ann and Cindy this week, I’m sharing Ideas to refresh your cozy winter home.

 With the devastating wildfires in California, I want to get extra cozy and enjoy and appreciate our home. I feel very fortunate and just so sad for those who lost everything. I want to use what I already have and resist buying new. 

Winter always makes me want to nest, but knowing how many people have lost their homes is unimaginable! Our homes are more than just a place to go home at the end of the day; they are our sanctuaries. 

It’s not always about buying something new. Don’t get me wrong, I love to shop and find new items for my home, but for now, I will focus on using what I have to create the coziest home for winter. 

I’m sharing a few ideas that are very flexible in how you interpret them. We all have items we may need to give a second look. And maybe, as we organize our homes after the holidays, we will discover some things we can use in a new way.

Surround yourself with things you love, which will look and feel wonderful. Perfection is never the goal. If you love it, and it makes you happy… that’s the end goal. 

Here are a few ideas you can do over time or in a day. It will make the colder months feel a little bit more cozy. 

Lighting is everything

Whenever my husband and I walk through the city, especially streets with brownstones where you can see the apartments, we look for the coziest, well-lit homes. And for those with harsh lighting, we can’t help but think how much happier and more relaxed they would be if they used warm light bulbs on dimmers and maybe added a few strands of twinkle lights during the winter months.

The Christmas tree always provides cozy lighting. So don’t put away those twinkle lights just yet. Winter is the perfect time to have a few strands to cozy up dark corners. Twinkle lights or fairy lights are magical, all during the winter season.

Add a small table lamp in the kitchen for a warm glow. I like raffia shades or white linen, but never black shades on table lamps. A dark shade doesn’t fill the space with warmth, and that’s what we are going for with small lamps. An easy way to make any lamp more cozy is to use an Edison-style lightbulb with a low wattage or a dimmer (or both)! I use them in all lamps and light fixtures. 

Rearrange art or create a new gallery wall

Start with a clean slate (or a blank wall) and a few pieces of art that you can move from one room or wall to another. Then, look for other unexpected pieces to complement the art. 

Think about different shapes and unexpected items that could become art—a page from a book, a plate, a menu…I painted a bow using watercolors to fill a spot on the gallery wall below, until I find the perfect small piece.

I like to make kraft paper templates that I can move around on the wall until I like the arrangement. I cut pieces of paper and drew a frame and something that resembles the art to visualize each piece better and how it looks in the arrangement. It’s much easier to move paper around on the wall than art. However, having said this, I must confess that for every piece of art I hang, there are at least two or three nail holes behind each one! 

Textiles add layers to soften your entire home

Add a quilt or cozy throw to the back of the sofa. You can use a throw or twin-size quilt folded to fit the back. It adds an extra layer of cozy. You can use a complementary color or pattern or a contrasting color or pattern.

Make sure your throw pillows are extra cozy. I use these from Pottery Barn in our banquette. The creamy ivory color is perfect for winter decor in a cozy corner. 

One of the things I look for at thrift stores is vintage fabric. I’ve found some wonderful pieces that have never been used. Sometimes, a pattern and a few spools of thread are in the bag. 

I like to use them as table coverings and to cover an upholstered headboard like below. I secure them with T-pins without cutting the fabric, so I can use the fabric again and again! The floral painting is from my shop, and the lumbar grainsack pillow is from Parachute.

We are painting the sky pink wall below in Pantone’s color of the year, mocha mousse.

Bring nature indoors

I love to forage and bring in some bare branches in the winter. Look for branches on the ground that have a nice shape to use in a large vase.

Add foraged twigs to a bouquet of fresh flowers or spring bulb plants. 

Seed pods in bowls or vases are textural, and the warm colors are so interesting. I added dried hydrangeas clipped from the backyard to our flower wall. They are a bit distressed-looking, but that’s what I love about foraged finds. 

I always have pretty rocks I’ve found on my favorite beaches—stacks and bowls of rocks, shells, and other things from nature. I move them around and add them to a different bowl to make a vignette on a table. 

Mix & Match your dishes and table linens

Mix up your dishes, flatware, and table linens, creating new and interesting combinations for a cozy winter look with a touch of elegance. 

I’m using warm brown, gold, and neutral tones, which resemble the colors of nature right now. 

Coffee tables and side tables

I like to switch out books on tables, leaving a book open to an interesting page. I always look for pages that have something seasonal. 

Books, trivets, and acrylic blocks are easy ways to add height. You can also mix vintage items like a match striker with a favorite candle.

Use outdoor planters indoors. This is a little reminder that spring will come, but for now, we will use outdoor planters with some spring plants on the kitchen counter with a bowl of citrus and in the entryway. (photo above).

Switch out small tables. A simple swap from one room to another can do wonders for a room’s feel by giving your eye a new place to land when you look at it. 

Rearrange your shelves

This can seem daunting, but it will feel worth it once you’re done. 

Our big armoire in the dining room stores dishes, glassware, flatware, linens, and serving pieces. It gets pretty messy during the holidays with use and extra holiday decor.

The only way I can organize it is to take everything out and start fresh. Once it’s done, and stray items that end up where they don’t belong get put away, I find myself walking by to admire it. I even put a little lamp inside!

Plain Goods in New Preston, Connecticut

Plain Goods is one of my favorite shops anywhere, and their displays always inspire me. You can read our post here.

What are some of your favorite things to do in the winter months to make your home cozy, and refreshed after the holidays? I would love to know!

Let’s see what Mary Ann and Cindy found this week.

Classic Casual Home

Cindy Hattersley Design

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