It’s that time of year again: the leaves are nearly gone and the snow is beginning to cover the cityscape of Calgary…. Winter is just around the corner. Imminent cold times call for warm measures, and where’s the first place you seek out when you’re cold? Home. Sweet, always there for you when you need it, home. But with the cold enveloping the building, trying to creep into the window, sometimes you need to bring in the reinforcements and make your space feel even warmer for the winter. So, courtesy of our in-house interior designer Kayla Osborne, here are 3 simple ways to warm your space: plants, cushions and throws, and area rugs.
Plants
It’s not the most obvious solution, but adding plants is one of the best and most affordable ways to warm your space. Nature has inherent warmth to it. Because of this, whether subconsciously or consciously, we as humans are happier, healthier and more creative in spaces that contain plant life. In the winter, when we see very little greenery, having plants around is especially important.
Aside from these vibrational benefits, plants provide a space with the warmth of colour. As Kayla mentions in the interview, “a lot of us have base-neutral decorated homes,” so adding plants is a great way to add some bold green. As for which plants and how to use them—Kayla suggests showcasing them “as their own being.” In other words, choose a fitting pot and place them in a room that compliments them and really showcases their beauty. As a general rule, the bigger plant the larger the presence; same goes for multiple plants, together they will give more warmth to your space.
Cushions & Throws
Adding some cushy throw pillows and blankets provides your space with one of the most important types of warmth, the warmth of textile. The fact that as humans, we clothe ourselves and sleep in textiles everyday and night is a testament to their coziness. Suffice it to say, that having textile-based soft surfaces is crucial for the warmth of any space. For winter, the cushier and the thicker the better—think pillows and blankets with a lush and soft texture. Imagine cuddling up on the couch, what’s better than having a soft, thick throw nearby that you can easily wrap yourself in at any moment.
Aesthetically, throw blankets and cushions can be quite versatile, with many available patterns and textures. There are also many potential locations: the couch being the obvious place, and clearly the best considering how much quality time we put in there. But you can also put a throw on the foot of your bed, something thick with a chunky knit will make your bed all the cozier. Adding patterned cushions to a chair or doubling up on your couch cushions makes for a good opportunity to add more pattern to your space. As a nice final touch, you can put a small throw on a hard surface chair, like the artificial sheepskin depicted on this chair.
Area Rugs
Now Area Rugs aren’t the least expensive of our three, but they are definitely crucial. Homes with mostly hard surface floors can end up feeling a bit cold. But if you add an Area Rug it will contribute both real warmth as an insulator and aesthetic warmth as a textile. This is true especially in hallways and living rooms, where there tends to be a large amount of open hard-surface floor. Your feet will thank you when they transition from hardwood to soft carpet as they approach your chill spot.
In terms of look, Kayla loves pattern these days. Since most of our homes are decorated base-neutural, it’s nice to go with Area Rugs that have pattern and colour. Remember, visual interest is warmth. At Floorscapes, our selection of Area Rugs is contemporary and contains plenty of pattern and colour: reworked traditional tribal patterns, boldly coloured florals, cutely pixelated patterns to mention a few of the styles. Come to our showroom and Kayla will help you find the perfect Area Rug for your space.
Conclusion
If you have any more questions about how to choose an Area Rug for your home, send us an email or give us a call. Better yet, if you live in Calgary and you’re in the flooring market, stop by our showroom at 525 58th Aveue SE. The Floorscapes team has as much experience as we do passion: combined, we have over 150 years in the world of Calgary flooring. We offer our knowledge, our expertise and our aesthetic sensibility in order to help you create a space that you will love.
Written by guest author Eric Osborne.