Tips for Designing a Warm Space

Whether you live in a climate where it’s warm all year long, or if the cold, winter weather is causing you to reach for blankets and thick wool socks, you can benefit from these warm design tips.

A space, regardless of the temperature outside, can have warm and cool design elements that give the space a certain feeling. Wherever you live, this is the perfect time of year to consider adding in certain elements that will warm up any space in your home.

At Roughing It In Style, we love adding rustic home furniture into a space to give it a warm and welcoming feeling. Consider these tips and have fun exploring ways to warm up your home.

Layers

The moment the temperature outside starts dropping, you may start adding layers to your outfit. With an outfit, you may start with a blouse or t-shirt and add a sweater, then you might add a chunky scarf to warm it up a bit more, and a knit hat can complete the look.

You can take that same process and use it in your home. Start with an area rug or two beneath the coffee table that you can layer, toss a few throw pillows and blankets on the couch, and even lay a blanket on the back of a chair or two.

Knits

Everyone loves curling up with a knit blanket, but it doesn’t have to stop there. You can find textured pillows, a comfy knit ottoman, and if you don’t already have a thick fluffy rug, you can place an area rug on top of what is there. When you’re creating a warm space, don’t be afraid of using a variety of items to help.

Warm Colors

At Roughing It In Style, our interior designers love color and the color wheel is where we find a lot of our inspiration when decorating a space, warm or otherwise.

When using color to warm up a space, you want to stick with reds, oranges, and even yellows. The wood tones in many of our rustic home furniture pieces can warm up a space in an instant. Woods are full of reds and oranges and it doesn’t have to be the couch or coffee table, think books, wall hangings, or even wooden lamps.

Brass, with its golden orange/red color, is also a material that will warm up a space.

Finding exactly what works for you can be challenging, but exploring other designs often helps spark ideas. Our Harmony Hearth Interior Design Portfolio offers a beautiful look at how warm colors and thoughtful lighting can transform a space.

Warm Lighting

Lighting is essential when decorating a room and the right type of light can determine the mood of the space. There are several ways you can play with light to create a warm mood, including different light shades, the type of light bulb, and hanging sheer drapes over the windows.

An easy and fast way to switch up the mood in a room is to change out the lamp shade for one that will dim the light. When purchasing light bulbs, look for a variety that says “warm, soft light.”

A perfect example of warm lighting can be found within the Point 

Leather

A challenge in creating a warm space is trying to not go overboard with too many layers which can end up looking like clutter instead of a cohesive, designed space. When you want a simple, even minimal, look in your home, adding a touch of leather can do wonders.

Many of our rustic home furniture pieces are made with leather and have a warm, soft look. Leather furniture is also durable and comfortable so you can enjoy the space year round.

Texture

Another thing to keep in mind when using layers is to change up the texture around the space so that not every surface is covered with knit. Texture is the feel, appearance, and consistency of an object or surface, so have fun with different items around the space.

The art on your walls can be canvas or metal, baskets or decorative bowls can be lined with fur, and curtains don’t have to be a traditional fabric. Playing with texture will give your eyes, fingers, and toes a range of surfaces to enjoy.

Wherever you live across the country, if you want to create a warm and inviting space, you can incorporate a variety of design techniques. Using color and light, texture and layers, any room in your home will feel cozy and welcoming, whatever the temperature is outside. 

If you need some assistance designing a space in your home, the interior designers at Roughing It In Style can’t wait to help you out. We have a large selection of rustic home furniture that will work to create a space that you love. See all we have to offer on our Design Services Page.