5 Easy Ways to Revamp Your Room for Winter

Winter is coming around the corner and you don’t want to be stuck in a gloomy, cold room for the next few months—especially if you work from home. There are some easy ways you can make your space bright and cheery while stuck inside. No need to change your flooring or paint your walls! Make small, simple changes to enhance your room and brighten your space quickly and easily!

Upgrade Your Lighting

Your lighting can have a huge effect on the mood and ambiance of your space. Make sure that your light bulbs and fixtures are up to the task of keeping you happy during winter weather.

Swap Light Bulbs

The coloring of the light bulbs in your room can make a major difference. The temperature of the bulbs you choose interact with the colors and textures in your room to create a unique feel that can be cold or warm. If you’re looking to create a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, you should opt for yellow bulbs between 1500 and 3000 kelvins. Choosing warm lighting can counterbalance any space that has stark white walls without much texture. You may also want to swap out any fluorescent bulbs you have for LED bulbs. Not only are you getting more energy efficiency, but nobody feels good under fluorescent lighting!

Add Accent or Task Lighting

When designing a space, most people only consider general ambient lighting and end up placing a single overhead light or a few recessed lights in the ceiling. It’s easy to forget about accent and task lighting.

Task lighting is the type of fixture that usually concentrates on a specific area—like your desk lamp or the pendant light over your reading nook. If you don’t have task lighting, you’ll be stuck with your bright lights even if you want to spend the day snuggled up in your armchair or focused on work at your desk. Upgrade your room with adjustable, focused lighting and discover how it changes the look and feel of your space!

Accent lighting is used to draw attention to a particular item in your space. If you have any wall art, ceramic pieces, or unique furniture, you might want to add some accent lighting to highlight it. Accent lighting is a very subtle way to brighten up your space, but it accomplishes two tasks at once: literally adds more light to your room and showcases some of the special decor items you own.

Remove Window Screens

This is probably the easiest way to completely change the lighting and feel of your space. You don’t need mesh screens if you aren’t opening your windows that much (though for some air flow and ventilation, consider keeping any kitchen or bathroom window screens intact).

When you remove screens, you might be surprised by how much extra light you get into your room to quite literally make it brighter—even during the cloudiest days. Be sure to store the screens somewhere safe and dry so that you can re-install them when needed.

Lighter Fabrics

From the comforter to your drapes, changing the colors of your linens can brighten up your room and make it much more cheerful.

Covers & Comforters

If you have an armchair in your room, it’s time to swap out any darker-hued fabrics for an ivory, white, or otherwise bright and bold slipcover. Even without a sofa or sectional in your space, you can still take these steps and apply them to your comforter. You might even want to choose a comforter with cheerful designs and springtime themes, like minimalist flowers or animals. Lighter colors will reflect more light and make your room feel much brighter.

Shaping Your Drapery

In addition to applying lighter fabrics to your windows, you should also make sure that your drapes are adjustable enough to expose your window fully so that you’re not blocking any natural light from coming in. While sometimes, it’s nice to draw your curtains closed, you don’t want them constantly blocking the windows because you don’t have the right hooks or ties to keep them open.

Treating Your Floors

If you already have hardwood flooring, you can make it shine and warm up any room. Consider removing any accent rugs from on top of them, so that natural light can reflect off the wood and onto your walls. You should also make sure that you’re cleaning and treating your floors correctly, so that they last longer and shine brighter.

Add a Little Green

Indoor plants have a number of unique benefits for your space. They improve your concentration and productivity, reduce stress, and even boost your mood. It’s the perfect change for your room during winter weather! While everything outside is dull and brown, your room can be full of life with hardy indoor plants like peace lilies, spider plants, and ponytail palms. If you want a plant with a little more color, opt for the bright pink of schlumbergera or the yellowy leaves of croton plants.

You don’t need to be stuck in a dreary room all winter. Apply some of these tips and completely revamp your space!