20 Simple Ways to Create a Winter Home

This post was most recently updated on January 1st, 2020

The title of this blog post makes me chuckle a bit.

I can hear anybody who does not enjoy decorating, saying, what the ^$$^% is she talking about, haha. I would think that the very idea that one would decorate their house for winter is probably a little foreign.

But creating a winter home is a fun exercise for anybody with the decorating bug like me. Once Christmas is over and the decorations are packed away, there are only a few other ‘decorating holidays’ in winter -namely, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day (if you live in an Irish-influenced place like me). But those ones are short-lived. So adding some winter touches throughout your home that will last until spring is a great way to keep those decorating juices flowing.

Winter decorating is often seen as an additive exercise (i.e., adding in texture and a feeling of coziness), while summer decorating is seen as an editing one (removing rugs to reveal bare floors, and swapping out heavy drapes for light, airy curtains). However, sometimes a pretty winter home can also be achieved by removing clutter and simplifying.

I’ve been doing some winter decorating of my own over the past few days, and I’ve brainstormed and come across all kinds of great ideas on how to edit my home from Christmas to Winter. I thought I’d share this collection of ideas here with you.

1. Add fuzzy texture on beds, sofas and chairs – like faux fur or velvet throws and pillows.

2. The same effect can be added to floors by swapping out your sisal or broadloom rugs with shaggy ones.

3. Keep colours soft – whites, greys and icy blues are great winter cues that make you want to curl up with a warm throw. (They are also less likely to feel Christmasy than reds and plaids).

4. If you like the coziness of warmer colours, use them for contrast rather than filling a space with them. For example, create a pop of warmth through a tartan or red checkered throw.

5. Use the reflective properties of mirrors and light to create the feeling of icicles and snow.

6. Create vignettes of candles – the drippier looking, the better.

7. Swap out florals and grasses in vases for twigs and pine cones.

8. Replace summery-looking topiary trees for evergreen ones.

9. Create simple luminaries with mason jars, faux snow and tea lights.

10. Decorate the mantel with a winter vignette – things like twigs, pine cones, birch logs, mason jars filled with faux fur, winter photos of loved ones.
 11. Lay a stack of firewood next to your fireplace (even if it’s electric or propane/gas!).

12. Pull out a pair of old skates from the basement, and spray paint them in a colour that complements your decor. Use them anywhere as a winter accessory!

13. Have an old toboggan or baby sled laying around? Dust it off and spray paint it (if required) and lay it against your fireplace or put it on your front porch or entry way.

14. Frame a whimsical print with a wintery quote and place it prominently.

15. Swap out your framed photos with your favorite winter ones of family and friends.

16. Use scented candles with winter cues like evergreen, cinnamon, or freshly baked cookies; rather than those scented like summer botanicals or fresh linens.  Yankee has some awesome winter scents; my personal fave is Frosty Air.

17. If space allows, create a hot chocolate station in your kitchen, complete with cups, marsmallows and other toppings.

18. Create a functional and pretty mitten drying station in your porch or mudroom by hanging a piece of twine with wooden clothespins.

19. Have old stray mittens lying around (we all do!). Rather than throwing them out, create a wintery garland with mittens, clothes pins and twine, and hang it on your mantel or a book shelf.

20. Hang an evergreen wreath on your door. Adorn it with the monogram of your surname, or a pair of figure skates (or hockey ones of you are hockey fans!)

 21.  I know, I said 20, but just thought of something else!  In your guest bath, swap out your regular hand towels for ones with snowflakes or snowmen, and instead of regular old soap, why not use a winter-scented one like those from Bath and Body Works.

 Until next time, happy {winter} decorating!