With the arrival of January, my focus these days is on creating my winter home. Warm and cozy are the words and the atmosphere I’m working towards. Another important adjective to bring to life is welcoming. That needs to start right outside my door.
A Winter Welcome
The front porch sets the tone for visitors coming to your home. Signs, candles, and winter elements can go a long way in creating a welcoming vibe. (You can get a closer look in my post Winter Front Porch.)
Winter in the Entry
Once inside, the warm and cozy feel takes over. Since my ceramic Christmas village is quite the undertaking, I save these simple metal houses for my winter home. I added greenery and candles for warmth. Of course a welcome sign too!
A smaller table just past the entry holds a favorite lantern, trees and a printable. Another sconce lantern with a snowflake hangs nearby. You can never have enough candlelight during this season. I hung a eucalyptus and evergreen swag above the table and added a winter wishes sign as well.
Likewise, one can never have too much greenery in your winter home! I gathered a few of my evergreen picks, tied a pretty bow around them, and fastened them to a nearby mirror.
Bringing Winter to the Living Room
The living room is not used very often but it is the first place that draws the eye. With that in mind, I added a few winter elements to the tables there.
I am still obsessed with owls these days! I found several at the after Christmas sales last year and I added this little one at the start of the season. The pretty bear and some greenery make the perfect vignette for this table. I added a lantern to bring a bit of candle light to this room as well.
Another table in the room holds a wooden deer and a pine cone tree along with one of my favorite home quotes.
Winter Dining Room Update
The dining room will sit idle until Easter rolls around, but I added a bit of winter here too. After removing the ornaments, I kept one of the larger trees here for ambiance. I added trees, snow, and a few more owls in a dough bowl for a centerpiece. Birch candle holders add to the woodsy feel.
Warm and Cozy Family Room
The family room is where we will spend the bulk of our time this winter. The focal point for this room is the large open space above the fireplace. I started here with my favorite winter canvas. Although I love a traditional. framed painting, I also love the convenience of a canvas. So lightweight and easy to move around. The older I get the more important that becomes! I change this space often through the year. This scene reminds me just how beautiful the Colorado mountains are in the wintertime.
To build out the space, I’ve added several trees that I kept out when packing away Christmas. The small white birds were my favorite find last year at the end of the season.
To add some warmth to this space, I’ve added candles and lanterns. A few owls and a pair of skates denotes the season perfectly.
Bringing in Winter Textures
Winter fabrics are a big part of bringing warmth to any room. I bought the fur rug for esthetics but it quickly became a favorite of the pups!
And that’s alright with me because:
Colors and textures are so important to winter decor. Basically, I am bringing the colors that I see outside my door into my winter home. The soft white of snow, the grays of a winter sky, and the earthy green of the fir trees. Matched with warm fabrics like wool, faux fur, and flannels, you can create a winter sanctuary in no time! Rugs, throws, and pillows are a great place to start.
Fabric Trees and ornaments will add to the cozy feel when displayed in baskets, bowls, or trays around the room.
A favorite decorating tool for any season is my ladder. During the winter months it holds a pine cone wreath, a chunky white blanket, and a basket of pine cones. I’ve added a small lantern to the wreath to bring a bit of candlelight to this corner. In a few more months I am sure the bunnies will take over here!
A Wintery Look for the Staircase
The heavy garland, lights, and bows that graced the stairs during Christmas is packed away now. However, I wasn’t yet ready for a bare staircase. I found some light icy garland that I used on the mantel a few years ago which made a perfect base. Not having enough to do the staircase, I added a mesh garland I made quite awhile ago as well.
Pine cone stars and large sweater cones add the final touch. You can find a short tutorial on mesh garlands in my autumn post Styling a Fall Staircase.
Finally, the sofa table is always a focal point for any season as it serves to separate the kitchen and family rooms. Because the kitchen has a buffalo checked theme, I try to carry that over here as well.
Cozy Winter Kitchen
My kitchen, as with most people, is the heart of my home. It is usually the room that gets the first refresh at the start of a new season. However, transitioning from Christmas to winter in the kitchen is very time consuming. Dishes and so many other breakables must all be wrapped which takes time. The hot chocolate bar takes an hour by itself! So this time of year, I save this room for last.
I utilize the space above the cabinets all year long. For winter, I add several trees and lanterns for a warm and cozy feel.
I try to keep the counter decor to a minimum but as usual I fail miserably!
While I loved my hot chocolate bar during the Christmas season, I am glad to have my coffee bar back for the remaining months of winter.
When dusk arrives and the temperatures dip for the night, the lanterns and candles make this room a warm and cozy place to be. My winter home is everything I’d hoped it would be!
Winter will never be my favorite season. I am too much of summer person. It is, however, a very beautiful one! I try to make the most of every minute of every day of every season. I know, more than ever, that each one is gift! Thank you so much for stopping by!
If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do! 2020 has taught us how important home really is. 2021 gives us a fresh start to make sure our homes are the sanctuary we want them to be. Let’s do it together! Be sure to check out the CREATE THE LOOK section of the blog and find links to create your own winter home. See you soon!
Denise,
I just adore how warm and cozy your home looks all decked out for Winter…Love your use of owls!1 I have several in the den which is the only room in the house that is solely decorated for Winter…. Everything is so pretty and i love that you show us how charming it looks with everything lit up !! Thanks again f or sharing and please stay safe and healthy!!
hugs,
Deb
Thanks Deb! I spent a good hour touring your den the other night…gorgeous! I saw some owls there that I’m sure I have their twins. I loved the big tree so much. Can’t wait to see what you do next!
I took down my Christmas stuff today (I got it up late so I left it up late!); after seeing your lovely home, I need to have some winter decor–I’m so tempted to just skip to spring. Maine winters are just TOO long–and it’s been very mild this year. Your dog placque was cute; it reminded me of a Mark Twain quote (he was a cat lover, too!). It is something like: A house without a cat may indeed be a happy home, but how can it prove title?
Thanks Kathy! It has been a mild winter here too and that is almost worse. I would much rather have snow outside then the awful brown everywhere! I’ve heard that quote too. Fur babies just make everything better I think…dogs or cats!
I have always gone straight from Christmas to spring in the past but for me it just made the winter seem longer. Everything inside was pretty pastels and florals and outside was just dark and gray. Depressing! But I say if you are feeling “Spring” just go with it! After this crazy year we have all just lived through, spring can not get here fast enough! Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Diane,
Me again!! Just wanted to stop by and thank you for your visit and kind words!! Hope you are having a great weekend!!
Hugs,
Debbie
I love the soft lighting and the table displays, especially the lighthouse.
Thank you Barbara! I am crazy about the lighthouse too. I don’t think I’ve taken a trip yet that hasn’t involved a visit to a real one. Have a great week ahead and thanks so much for stopping by.
I know what you mean about wanting to change things around. It is so much fun to decorate, photograph, and share with the world.
It sure is Kristie! Especially right now. I honestly do not know how I would have handled last year if I hadn’t had that to keep my busy. Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful week.
Denise, thank you for your visit to my Party of Two, Please and your sweet comments. I wanted to reply directly to you, but as you probably know, it’s a no-reply. That’s ok, so I came to your blog to try to get your email and when I click on it, it goes to “oops! that page can’t be found”. So I’ll start here. I wanted to start by visiting your CO winter home (what a perfect season to start, as winter season is a highlight for your state, even though it may not be yours particularly. 😉 I get it!). I was drawn in, and have subscribed so I’ll get regular updates. You & I have a lot of similarities – 60ish, grandma to dogs, and a 2nd marriage of nearly same length (2nd time’s definitely the charm, thankfully!). I hope to get better acquainted as the posts go by. Thanks for introducing yourself!
Thank you Rita! I just sent you an email so hopefully it went through. I loved your post and I’m excited to get to know you better through your blog! It seems we have quite a bit in common. Thanks again and please stay safe!