Bringing More Warmth into Your Home This Winter

Tragically for me (and everyone else whose living in the northern United states right now) we have already been hit hard by winter. This morning I saw the temperature was -2 when I got up and I literally yelled, “FOR REAL!?” This is early, even for us, we didn’t see much of a fall and our first snow was in September this year. We’re all pretty darned crabby actually lol.

Minnesotan’s have been adding (and holding in) as much warmth in our homes as possible. A typical conversation for all of us is about how cold it is outside and what we’re doing to get through it.

I know several folks who use “fake sunlight” lamps to help beat the blues. Right now it is literally pitch black outside by the time 5pm comes around.

Lots of folks here are also snow birds and simply don’t put up with it. They head south for at least a month or two of the worst of our winter and come back in the spring.

This year I am looking forward to a wonderfully easier and warmer winter than my last one in this home.

With my new pellet stove, new location and shed I made for my horses and about a hundred other things I tackled this summer, I guaranteed this winter will be easier for me.

Regardless though, I am a summer person and am already looking forward to spring!

(The following is a contributed article.)

As we approach the holidays we know that winter is right around the corner, it’s time to batten down the hatches and go into hibernation mode. It’s at this time of year that we really value the comfort our homes bring to us. We snuggle up to movies and enjoy warming soups.

There’s no greater time to feel “at home” than in winter.

That said, many people find winter to be their least favorite season, as it’s the time of year when the dark days and long cold nights mean they are less able to go out and about – indeed, some often feel confined to the warm sanctuary of their home, which isn’t always a good feeling.

Particularly if your home is not a warm sanctuary.

Indeed, there are many people that struggle to afford to heat their home whilst others pay a high premium but let it escape through drafty doors and windows. Fighting an uphill battle when it comes to heating their home as most of the heat just goes straight out their house.

In this article, we’re going to look at ways to bring more warmth into your home using practical tips to make the most of the heat you generate and aesthetic tips to help you feel cozy within your home.

Floors

We all know that the vast majority of heat will escape through your roof on the basis that hot air rises. Yet, often the place we feel the cold the most tends to be through our feet.

In floor heating (like that provided by Thompson Plumbing, Heating, & Air Conditioning) is a great way to combat the awful feeling of waking up and being alarmed at how cold the tiles are underfoot.

Of course, a cheaper alternative would be to simply buy a pair of slippers, but you shouldn’t underestimate how much cozier your home will feel as a result of making use of underfloor heating.

In addition, the next time you get new flooring you want to consider putting plenty of insulation underneath the carpet, tiles, or laminate – as this will help keep the heat that’s generated.

In fact, if you’re wanting a more cozy feeling carpet is almost always recommended as it makes for a much softer and warmer experience than tiles, wooden floors, or laminate – though, admittedly, it’s not practical to have carpet in all rooms (such as the bathroom).

This is where rugs come in, as they provide the soft comfort and warmth underfoot you crave on a cold winter’s morning, yet can be washed, and placed in appropriate areas.

Windows and Doors

In addition to the roof, we lose a lot of heat through our windows and the doors. The popularity of double glazing, and today, triple glazing, offers a good illustration to how effective these insulated types of glass are on keeping the cold out and the heat locked in.

Installing double glazing tends to mean much smaller energy bills. The reason for this is that a double-glazed window consist of two panes of glass that are separated by a layer of air. It sounds simple enough, but air can be a very insulating property, just think about how a duvet works – it’s the air trapped within the fabric that helps actually provide warmth.

The great thing about double glazing is that it not only keeps your home better insulated, but it also keeps noise down too! Today, double glazing doesn’t have to be modern in style, either, there are a number of options for more traditional homes that are in keeping with the style of older properties.

It’s estimated that if you were to replace all single-glazed windows with double-glazed windows, in a three bedroom home, you are likely to save in the region of $150 per year on your energy bills.

That said, with or without double glazing, there are still things you can do to keep the heat in and the cold out, for instance, putting a curtain over a door is a very useful way to keep the cold out. Having a sausage like fabric device to put against the base of your door as a draught excluder is a great way to stop heating seeping out your home and doesn’t cost very much either.

Limit the Number of Rooms you Heat

Whilst we all want a nice warm home, heat comes at a cost, both in environmental terms and financial terms.

One of the best tips to keeping your costs down is to make sure you only heat the rooms you actually live in. For instance the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, office, dining room and den.

There’s no point heating up spare bedrooms or spaces that you don’t use very often; instead, keep the doors closed.

Keeping Warm at Night

The majority of people turn their heating off or down at night.

In this sense, you could consider taking a hot water bottle to bed, as this offers a cheap and environmentally friendly way to keep warm throughout the night (and warm up your bed too!) which often brings with it a childlike sense of comfort.

The downside of a hot water bottle, of course, is that it gradually loses heat throughout the night. This is where an electric blanket might be a better option.

The good thing with an electric blanket is that it doesn’t consume very much energy either!

Insulate

On a final practical note, before we get into the aesthetics of making your home feel more warm this winter, you want to make sure that your home is well insulated. This is particularly the case when it comes to your roof, as this is where most of the heat will escapes our homes.

Lighting

Whilst candles emit some heat, the benefit of candles is found more in their aesthetic quality of bringing a feeling of warmth and soft light into your home that adds much more warmth than standard lighting.

Lighting is one of the most well known aspects of creating warmth in an aesthetic sense.

There are some great ways to achieve a cozy and warm atmosphere that are pretty cheap. Such as fairy lights and lamps that provide soft light. Morrocan lamps or Salt Crystal lamps create warm glows and make great gifts!

One of the best ways to make a space feel more warm is to add fabrics. Layering a few blankets or cushions on an otherwise “cold” piece of furniture can add a lot to the sense of warmth.

Not to mention having the blankets on hand to wrap up in certainly helps too!

We often overlook the importance of the colors we select for our rooms, and many people opt for a shade of white, beige or cream in order to keep their property looking light and spacious.

But adding in warm earth tones, using accessories or even painting an accent wall, can give a sense of warmth too!

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)