Styling for Grey Days

It’s no secret that our winters are can be enduring. Even with the occasional Chinook, the days are still short and cool, and with the holidays behind us, the road to spring can feel a bit long. So, how can you warm up your interiors to get the best out of what’s left of winter? Once we reach the point in a project where we are styling our clients home, we consider the season in subtle ways and thought why not share the styling tips we fall back on at this time of year! While finishes and furniture can be costly fixtures to refresh, the ambiance, décor, and furniture layout are adjustable year-round and cost-effective aspects of any room that can be changed to both elevate the way you feel in your space while inspiring warmer days ahead!

When the view outside your window is grey skies and (sometimes) snow banks, infusing your space with notions of comfort helps to warm it up and make it a little easier to spend some time inside. Of course this can be achieved by layering throws and toss cushions on your living room seating or entry benches, but more discrete details can contribute to your efforts as well. The ambiance plays an integral role in setting the scene, whether that’s for rest and relaxation, or focus and productivity. Lighting candles in a scent you enjoy and turning on the fireplace is a true testament to at-home comfort, considering the warm glow and the soft sound of a crackling fire, there are few better (or more literal) ways to embrace our chilly environment and warm up on the inside.

Inspiring a Warm Welcome

Of course brighter lighting is necessary when you’re going about your day, but adjusting the light levels is an effective way to focus your energy and have a greater sense of enjoyment in your space when you can’t get out and about! Don’t be afraid to leave the lighting low in the more intimate corners of your home, especially after the sun goes down. In high-traffic areas, such as the kitchen, it is important to keep the lighting bright, but perhaps that reading chair in the corner, home office, or master bedroom would benefit from the soft light of lamps. This is a way to make areas of your home feel like an intentional space for retreat and relaxation, and what could be more cozy than curling up with a good book or sitting down with a cup of tea at the end of the day?

Close Conversation

We typically plan our furniture layouts well in advance of arriving on site for the client’s install and reveal, but that doesn’t mean we don’t evaluate it once everything is finally put together. Furniture layouts that both inspire and support how you like to use the space is critical to enjoying it. Unless our client specifies that they prefer a more formal arrangement, we aim for one that encourages conversations and allows for ease of access when coming in or out of the room. If the set-up in your space is feeling inefficient and you have the area to work with, consider moving a few pieces to inspire the way you’d really like to use it! Conversational space planning, such as moving living room seating away from the wall to be thoughtfully arranged around the coffee table, can promote closeness and comfort in your space without having to introduce anything new at all!  Grounding your space with one (or two) textured area rugs can also serve to warm up your space by offering a greater sense of dimension, focus, and tactility to your space – really bringing it to life when the outdoors are feeling a bit bleak. 

Lighting & Décor

We always place importance on making our client’s new space feel refreshed, yet recognizable as their home. That being said, while there are many timeless objects on the market for décor, from marble book ends to clay vases, we recommend leaving some room for keepsakes. Framed photos or one-of-a-kind objects from your travels, that bring a sense of welcomed familiarity and reflection to you, add a bit of comfort to your day whenever you walk by or sit down to gather your thoughts over coffee. Finding the balance that keeps your space current between new décor and your personal mementos can be challenging to ace. We often aim for interesting stand-alone pieces or small vignettes (2-5 objects) that work in elements from both of these categories, separated with space for breathing room or larger fixtures (like lighting, art, or furniture).

Florals & Greens

Sometimes you’re at the farmer’s market and those flowers, while not on the list, are just wayyy too beautiful to pass up. We get it and we’re all for it! Fresh florals and greens are time and again a no-fail addition to interiors. Embracing the chill is part of getting through it, and in-season blooms are certainly a silver lining to that. If we are revealing a client’s home in the winter time, we go for fresh greens, they’re super simple yet pretty against a backdrop of snow or in front of the added layers on surrounding seating.

Warm lighting, neutral décor, and small details that inspire a tidy yet lived-in look help in framing your home as a haven. Luckily our winters are temporary, but taking time to assure your space is welcoming and supportive of your well-being is a good investment at any point in the year!  

If you’re looking to refresh your home design with a renovation or new build project, we would love to hear from you!

Are you ready to build, renovate or update? Contact us.

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