5 ways to design a winter-ready living room
Before the chill arrives, start thinking about how you can create a living room that’s the perfect winter retreat.
Cosy, plush and warm are all features you want to see in the ideal winter living room.
If you’re craving the ultimate living space to suit your needs this winter, we have a few ideas to get you started.
- A fireplace
Nothing paints a more perfect picture of winter than cosying up beside a wood burning fire place. Fortunately, there are now heaters that provide all the romance of a traditional fire place without all the mess and fuss.
A winter-ready living room isn’t complete without a quality fireplace.
Cannon specialises in Australian-made and designed indoor fireplaces, providing top quality gas log heaters for your home. Their log heaters are as good as the real thing, with realistic eucalypt-look logs and a flame that ignites at the touch of a button.
Furthermore, they boast excellent energy efficiency with high heat output, meaning you can stay warm without burning a hole in your energy bill.
Their log heaters use Powerflue room sealed technology, which draws air from the outside as opposed to drawing air from inside the room for the combustion process. The combustion process within a Powerflue is sealed from the room eliminating the risk of products from the flue returning into the room.
This technology is great for newer homes and apartments, which are typically more ‘airtight’.
Cannon’s range of gas log heaters sit flush with your wall for a contemporary look.
The Latitude 1500 gas fireplace, for example, is a stunning inbuilt heater that is installed in line with your wall for a streamlined, space-saving effect. Best paired with roomy sleek lounges suites and plush accessories to amplify the luxe factor.
The Latitude 1500 gas fireplace is perfect for the sleek, modern home – and energy-efficient to boot.
The Elwood and Cremorne Powerflue gas fireplaces are a clean and classic design, neatly fitting into the cavity of an existing gas heater, making them the perfect choice for home renovators.
Not only do these gas heaters look great for a cosy, winter-ready living room, their high energy efficiency means they are suitable if you intend on having a five-star energy rated home.
Can’t go past the real thing?
If you covet a combustion wood fireplace (not uncommon in the cosiest holiday retreats), perhaps the Jarrah Wood Combustion Heater is more your speed. Perfect for curling up in-front-of, hot chocolate in hand, this fireplace is best suited to a medium-sized living area and boasts a large ceramic glass viewing window so you can watch the magic of the flames as you cosy up for the night.
Nothing beats a combustion wood fireplace, like this Cannon Jarrah one, for those ski holiday vibes.
- Heavy curtains
A key item for a winter living room is heavy curtains. Plush curtains will create a luxurious, wintery look, but they also provide insulation for your windows.
Around 40% of your indoor generated heat can leak out through your windows.
Hang curtains close to the ceiling for both insulation and to create the appearance of a higher ceiling. Picture: Pexels
Invest in curtains fitted above and beyond your window frame and touch the floor, leaving no gaps for air to escape through. Also consider tightly woven fabrics or thermal lining for better insulation. Warmth isn’t the only benefit either.
“Curtains not only help with insulation but with sound absorption,” interior stylist and renovator Emma Blomfield explains. “Also if you hang them in the right position, they also help draw the eye up and make your ceiling appear higher than it actually is. So, have the curtain rod up against the ceiling instead of hanging it just above the window and having a gap before the ceiling starts.”
- Winter foliage
While greenery looks lovely indoors all year round, plants like palms and succulents have more of a summer vibe. To really take winter decor to a new level, consider lush, emerald, evergreen plants that are hardy and happy in low light, like pothos or calathea varieties.
Really enhance a moody tone by buying some deep coloured flowers (fresh or dried) or long twigs for added drama.
- Play with texture
Texture can be even more powerful than colour. While we all want that dark and cosy hibernation station for winter, if you have a naturally light-hued and airy space, look towards the Hygge trend.
Light-coloured living rooms can still be wintery, just ask Scandinavia. Picture: Pexels
As this Scandinavian-led trend proves, light coloured interiors can still be made wintery through the introduction of different textures, like chunky knits, shag pile or wool.
Consider these plushier fabrics when decorating with rugs, cushions, throws and curtains.
For a cosy space too, consider warm-tones instead of cool tones, Emma suggests.
- Add some mood lighting
The sun will go down earlier and you’ll be wanting to keep those curtains drawn of an evening. Add to the atmosphere by ensuring your lights and lamps have warm-toned globes.
If your ceiling lights are too overbearing, invest in a nice reading lamp with a warm globe to complete your cosy reading nook.
Source: https://www.realestate.com.au/lifestyle/5-ways-to-design-a-winter-ready-living-room/?rsf=ps%3Afacebook%3Aspon%3Acannon%3Aart1&fbclid=IwAR2pNC9vd81Z0WBNfqMcNXdWNDTYOQO8olUDjKUOM0XWqF5Izx0iZP5eIuQ