Ah, winter — the season of knitted sweaters, a steaming mug of hot cocoa, and relaxing by a crackling fire with a good book. Sounds nice, right? But the reality of winter in Ohio is often more bleak: long, cold months, wearing layers upon layers of clothing in a vain attempt to lock out the cold, and a sad lack of snow (especially around the holiday season, when it would be most welcome). But, your Ohio winter doesn’t have to be so dreary. Take your winter experience into your own hands with these tips for achieving the ideally cozy home, and you may even eventually find yourself relaxing by a crackling fire while wearing a knitted sweater, sipping a steaming mug of hot cocoa, and enjoying a good book.

Add Soft Lighting

That Warm, Cheerful Glow

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You no longer have to buy incandescent bulbs to get that warm, buttery lighting you’ve always dreamed about — with yellow-toned LEDs now readily available, you can achieve cozy lighting while still looking out for the environment. Although these lights will be on longer during the dark days of winter, they won’t interfere with your sleeping patterns as much as harsh white lights.

Update Your Bedding

Make Yourself Cozy Along With Your Decor

During the summer, even light cotton sheets can feel like too much, but during the winter, you won’t be able to get enough of your warm and cozy bedding. It’s worth the money to invest in a down comforter or velvet flannel to keep you snug, and the newly-popular weighted blanket may be worth a try. Weighted blankets are said to be particularly helpful to those with anxiety and depression (drawing doubt from some experts), but even if you don’t struggle with mental illness, you may also enjoy the deep-pressure touch that these weighted blankets provide.

Lay Down A Few Rugs

Add Texture To Any Space

Rugs, especially in warm colors like red, yellow, or orange, are an easy and relatively cheap way to add a touch of homey energy to the rooms in your house that are generally colder in appearance, like your dining room or kitchen. Many rugs can also serve as the talking piece of the room, standing out with bright colors and ostentatious patterns. Plus, a nice plush rug will keep your little toes from getting too cold!

Just Add Plants

Drab Outside, Green Inside

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During the drab Ohio winter, it can be difficult to find even a little patch of green outside — so why not bring that patch of green into your home? You don’t need to have many plants to cozy up your space. Just a few succulents placed on the windowsill will do the trick, and they’re super easy to care for. If you don’t want the weighty responsibility of a plant life placed upon your shoulders, you can also go for faux greenery.

Many, Many Slippers

Avoid Cold Feet

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If you’re anything like me, you have chronically cold feet, and the only proper cure for cold feet is cozy, fuzzy slippers to wear around the house. Multiple pairs are useful so that you can have one pair by your bed, one by the door, and one by the door to your bathroom to avoid those cold tiles. As long as you arm yourself properly in the fight against cold feet, you can win.

Bake Up A Storm

Delicious Scents And Yummy Food

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Just think about it — warm cookies, straight out of the oven. A loaf of fragrant banana bread. Buttery, sugary cinnamon rolls. Baked goods are fun to make, fun to eat, and fun to share with friends and family, plus your house will smell like holiday joy for at least a day or so.

Become A Patron Of The Arts

Cover Your Wall With Warm-Toned Paintings

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Even if it’s not exactly neat, and the paintings are not necessarily framed, a jumble of art on the wall can make any space feel more personable and comfortable. That white-walled minimalist aesthetic might be nice for the summer, when light is constantly streaming in through your windows, but when the days get shorter, and the weather gets colder, having bright paintings can really liven up your home and lift your spirits.

Add A Couch Throw

Keep Your Couch Cozy

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Throws are a very casual, low-effort way to add warmth to your couch. You literally just throw it on there, and bam! — instantly cozy. Later, you can grab your book and cuddle up under the throw for some snug reading time, making it both a decorative piece and a functional blanket. If you want your couch to look even more inviting, you can also add some fluffy decorative pillows — also multi-functional.

Add Natural Touches

Reminiscent Of A Log Cabin

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Though wooden furniture is naturally beautiful, you don’t necessarily have to purchase a whole new set of furniture just to warm up a space. You can use other, smaller natural items made out of wood, minerals, stones, fabrics, and even just twigs as simple but effective accent pieces in any room. Combine them with plants, and you’ll have a little ecosystem that’s all your own.

Diffuse Essential Oils

Lavender And Other Scents Can Be Super Relaxing

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If you’d like your house to smell like the outdoors as well as looking like it, you should try essential oils. You can diffuse calming scents like lavender, sweet orange, tea tree, sandalwood, and many more, into the air of your home to chase away the winter blues. For more holiday-themed scents, you could also try cinnamon, cloves, or vanilla — even if you don’t feel like baking, your home can still smell like beautiful baked goods.

Dress Up Your Windows With Heavy Curtains

Shut Out The Cold

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Don’t forget to include the windows in your mini-makeover! Though it gets dark so early in winter that you’ll never have to use your curtains to block off light (unless you live in a brightly-lit city, of course), curtains have other uses in the winter. Any textile wall hanging will instantly make a room feel warmer, and heavy curtains do double-duty by actually making the room warmer, blocking off any pesky leaks around your windows. There are plenty of thermal curtains on the market that will keep your room perfectly snug.

Add A Comfy Seat To Your Bedroom

Make Your Bedroom Into A Cozy Sanctuary

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Your bedroom is just a naturally relaxing place, so you should be able to spend more time in there, especially time that you won’t be spending asleep. A great way to encourage yourself to relax in your bedroom is to add a cozy chair, ideally draped with a soft throw, where you can curl up with a book. This chair doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive or fancy — often the most comfy chairs are from the thrift store, already worn-in and well-loved.

Try Temporary Wallpaper

Pretty, Easy-To-Use, And Affordable

If you can’t afford to buy expensive art pieces or don’t want to go to the effort of dressing up your wall with hangings, then removable wallpaper may be the solution for you. You can get any pattern you like, from the cute to the ornate to the simple, so that the space will be uniquely yours. If you want bare walls for the warmer seasons, just remove it, but if you love it, you could keep it on for as long as you like.

Ohio winters can get a little harsh, and it’s easy to get a case of the winter blues when it feels like the season will never end. But, whenever you feel the cold creeping in, try to warm up your surroundings, and who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to enjoy winter instead of dreading it.