Warming Up to September

From Margaret on September 3rd, 2010 in General Remodel

Even though warmer temperatures may linger, something seems to change the minute September comes. The devil-may-care casual vibe of summer is slowly replaced by impulses to look towards nesting and settling in. Especially for those who live in colder climates, a home that offers comfort throughout the year must adapt to the seasons. Goodbye sweating glasses of iced tea and sandy flip-flops, and hello fall. Here are some ways to warm up to the coming season without changing your entire home.

#1—Play with fire

If you have a spanning fireplace like this Olive Tree Lane Great Room that designer Mark English created, pile up the wood, get out the pokers, and arrange your furniture to face and capture warmth. Or if your capacity for fire is more along the lines of a spark, remember that the warming nature of fire can be both tactile and visual. Add candles throughout your dwelling in all sizes, ranging from pillar to votive.

#2—Create a nesting space

In all the hustle and bustle (and in a few months, cold winds and snow!), the home can be a refuge. Create a space that is dedicated to relaxing and warming up. Vital components include a comfortable place to lounge (wish it were the Eames chair and ottoman), a throw for drafts and chills, good lighting, and a space to set stacks of reading and a warm beverage.

#3—Add layers of texture

Add throws to the ends of the beds and reading chairs. Add a seasonal textured rug in the dining room, like the one shown above. Add pillows, extra lighting for darker days, and anything that will please and warm your insides as well as your outsides as the world blows and chills beyond your front door.

Photo Cred: Design Public & Desire to Inspire