During the “ber” months, your needs change – both in terms of your home and your happiness. In fact, it’s all about how light (and the lack of it in the autumn and winter) affects your wellbeing.
Darker days can lead to low mood and can make you feel more lethargic and unmotivated. I’ve previously shared some advice from the professionals on how to maintain your winter wellbeing so be sure to have a read of that article after this.
That said, there are plenty of ways we can boost your happiness on grey days using light. I’m not talking about light exposure as a medical treatment, I mean creating a cosy ambience in your home that helps you feel safe, supported and calm.
Here are three easy, budget-friendly ideas to get that calm and cosy vibe in your home, ready for the seasons ahead…
Image by Signs For You
Wonderful whimsical windows
Imagine a chilly October morning, with grey skies and the need for an umbrella. It makes you want to stay tucked up in bed, doesn’t it? So, let’s boost the ambience of your home from the very front of the house – starting with the entry way and windows.
While it may be tempting to shut the blinds and hang heavy curtains to keep the warmth in and create a cocooned feeling in your home, that’s not always helpful for light. And we need daylight to reset our circadian rhythm, so that we sleep better at night.
So, let’s make the natural daylight that streams in though your windows feel extra warm and cosy by filtering it through a colourful patterned window film. This casts a glow into each room – a bit like having a lamp on in the room without using up any energy.
You can add a design in autumnal colours to the top panes of your windows or the fanlight above your front door. I love the idea of a traditional design that incorporates seasonal trees and birds, or even a sunrise image that brings optimism to every morning.
You can even coat an entire front window with a budget-friendly made-to-measure stained glass window film, bringing a touch of privacy by screening the glass without blocking light. This is ideal for houses that face onto a busy road or that have a path running past the front of the property.
Adding a low-cost, colourful film over the window means that you can keep your curtains open for longer at night and benefit from the last rays of sunset streaming into your home, without passers-by being able to see into your illuminated interior.
Window films are so easy to install; because they’re made to fit your window, there’s no cutting required. You use water to float the film into place, then smooth it out with a cloth and a credit card. It’s repositionable until you’re happy with it – the low-lack adhesive means you can just peel it back and apply it again.
This is a thrifty option for double-glazed windows or shaped fanlights, where adding a real stained glass panel would mean replacing the whole unit, which would be a rather more costly option if you’re only hoping to add a touch of extra cosiness for the autumn and winter.
Lovely low lighting
The ambience of your home can be completely changed with lighting. So when the sun sets and the dark evenings draw in, it’s time to light up your interior.
But let’s not put on the ‘big light’ – this can actually feel overstimulating and instantly eliminates any cosy vibes you’ve created. Instead, we’re looking to create warm pools of light for an inviting effect.
While it’s easy to add floor lamps and task lights around the room, consider adding some other options such as a neon sign in a warming colour, a lava lamp with its flowing forms or even some pre-Christmas fairy lights strung over shelves.
When you’re looking at lamps, consider the colour of the shades. Again, we want to incorporate warm, autumnal colours to diffuse any white light and turn it into a soft glow. Plus, you might want to choose light bulbs that do the work for you.
I’ve got smart bulbs around my home that can be adjusted. It’s possible to dim the brightness and control the colour of the light using the app that comes with them, allowing you to programme the bulbs in your lamps and overhead lights.
Your autumn lighting routine might include setting up the lamps to automatically come on when the sun sets. You might also be able to programme the brightness of the lighting ‘scene’ to gradually dim or get warmer in tone throughout the evening.
Much like the theory of not looking at blue light from tech devices in the evening, having dimmer, warmer light in the room not only creates a cosy ambience, but will also send signals to your brain that sleep is approaching, making it easier to drift off at night.
Cosy colour combinations
Another way to bring that warm glow to your interior is by changing the colours in your room for more autumnal tones. A truly budget way to do this is to buy a small tin of paint (around £15) and add a single feature wall in terracotta, mustard or pumpkin tones.
The colour will bring warmth to the room even before you’ve opened the curtains or turned on the lamps. I read Jules Standish’s book on colour theory applied to personal style and interiors, and this colour consultant confirms how earthy colours and textures can suit the autumn season.
If you decided to colour-drench the interior, this will create an even more cocooning feel – especially if you paint the ceiling too. It’s a lovely feeling to be in a space that surrounds you in your favourite colour, but do consider how the room will look when spring and summer arrives again!
I’ve added a couple of walls of mustard yellow in my living room and I’ve found that it’s the ideal colour for me – it looks harvest-like in the autumn, brings warmth when the days are grey in the winter, and it’s bright and sunny for the rest of the year.
Of course, if you don’t want to completely redecorate for the seasons, you can simply switch up your interior accessories. Add some cosy throw cushions to your armchair, drape a knitted blanket over your sofa and change your bedding to a botanical pattern in an autumnal colourway. Check supermarket homewares aisles for low-cost options.
I hope these ideas have given you some inspiration for slightly different ways to create a cosy ambience in your interior for the coming seasons. Let me know your favourite autumn décor hacks in the comments below and please have a read of my other autumn-themed articles for more interior ideas, cosy clothing and activities you can enjoy at this time of year.
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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
