3 Ways to Warm Up Your Home

Written by AMANDA SHIELDS | Design by AMANDA SHIELDS INTERIORS | Photography by STEPHANI BUCHMAN

“Home” has always been associated with a sense of warmth and welcome. Cozy-chic, cocooning, hygge—whatever you call it—the trend is not new by any means, but it is materializing in exciting ways in the modern home. Here are three style tips to bring comfort and enjoyment back into your home this year.

SEEING RED

Color has been shown to elicit emotions that can manifest in behavioral and even physical ways. Colors on the warm side of the spectrum, such as those with red undertones, can promote feelings of strength, power, passion, love, excitement, and energy. Now that we’re on the other side of the pandemic and getting back out there, we’re increasingly seeking warmth and familiarity in our lives and homes. Echoing that desire, it’s no surprise that the world’s color experts chose Viva Magenta, a bold shade of red, as the 2023 trending color of the year. Adding red to your rooms, whether as a predominant palette or as an accent, will instantly spark warmth in your home.

LIGHT IT UP!

Lighting is more than just a way to illuminate dark corners. The right lighting can create a warm and cozy atmosphere that will instantly put you at ease. But not just any lighting will do! Create ambiance by layering your light sources. Every room has its primary light source—typically a ceiling fixture. Although this single light fixture will do the job, it’s not enough to set a mood. Add a combination of table and floor lamps, sconces, and accent lighting to bring your rooms to life. Pay attention to the distribution of your lighting to ensure it is balanced throughout your home. Beyond the light sources themselves, consider the temperature of your lighting. To create visual warmth, use warm bulbs with yellow undertones.

ADD DETAIL

Have you ever noticed that minimal spaces tend to look and feel cold? Conversely, rooms that are brimming with detail are often more visually interesting, inviting, and engaging, with an enhanced sense of home. Our emotional connections to people, places, and experiences inspire this collected aesthetic. This look tells a story through all the senses. Work in layers and aim for balance. Incorporate varieties of textures, patterns, and materials throughout the space, from the backdrop of the home (like walls, floors, and built-in elements) to furnishings, accents, and artwork.

Although getting the details right may seem daunting, approach this as part of the renovating or decorating process rather than as an attempt to add superficial details after the fact. Choose a key theme for your home: it could be a cultural, environmental, or historic influence. Then let that theme guide every choice that follows, from selecting your floors (the canvas) to choosing decor, for a thoughtful and harmonious style.

Deep down, we all want the place we call home to bring out our best, to invoke a sense of safety, warmth, and welcome. We long for a space that reflects our past and offers a glimpse into our soul. If you put your heart into the space you create, you’ll always feel at home.