How to Switch the Living Room to Winter Decor

A cozy living room invites you to curl up with a good book or video on a chilly day. Here are some ways to warm up the room.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Area Rugs
• Candles
• Chair Cushions
• Floral Arrangements
• Poinsettias
• Potpourri
• Throw Pillows
• Throws
• Valance Curtains
• Candles

1. Switch throw pillows to those made of a fuzzy or nubby fabric such as chenille or velvet. Put away cooler summer- and spring-type pillows - those in pastel silk, cotton and linen, for example.

2. Put cushions on wooden or metal seating that would otherwise seem cold.

3. Add a large throw to the sofa or a big easy chair. Fold the throw diagonally and angle it across the back of the seating.

4. Put away floral arrangements of spring and summer silk or other permanent flowers. Replace these with seasonal arrangements in deep colors - perhaps dried plant material or even a bowl of pine cones, acorns or mixed nuts in the their shells.

5. Add a poinsettia or other seasonal potted plant.

6. Remove pastel-tone tapers in favor of deeper colors like olive green or cranberry red or chocolate brown.

7. Change scented votive or pillar candles from floral to spicy or citrus or other seasonal scents.

8. Burn candles often because they generate warmth literally and figuratively.

9. Discard floral-scented potpourri and refill the container with a spicy or citrus blend.

10. Change the window treatment. If you have a permanent blind or shade, for example, put up a color-drenched valance in place of wispy voile or thin, unlined curtains.

11. Add an area rug in winter hues. You might want to place this rug - perhaps in an Oriental or braided style - under the coffee table over existing flooring, including wall-to-wall carpet or a larger sisal area rug.

Tips & Warnings

• Scrutinize the room for objects that look cold or summerlike. For instance, a pair of brass candlesticks will give a warmer feel than blue-and-white ceramic ones. A glass-top table can be warmed up with a tapestry runner or place mat. The possibilities are endless!

on 12/9/2005 What I usually do is put out a sled with Christmas items. I put things near, not too close, to the fireplace so it looks warm and welcoming. I decorate shelves and empty spaces with cute but small items. I also use a cute square dish and put inside 3 pillar candles (different sizes) and little decorative balls with beads attached.

on 11/22/2005 Buy extra runners to match one used on a coffee table, for instance, and tie them loosely around wooden posts of rocker or chairs so they hang from each side of the rocker or chair. I use ones with fringe or tassels in cranberry olive tones.