Warmth At Home: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Claimed to be the most depressing day of the year, it comes as a surprise to no one that Blue Monday happens to be in January. January is a cold month in the Northern Hemisphere. Even though the days are beginning to grow longer, chances are it is still dark when you wake up in the morning or get back from work in the evening. Besides, the gray weather and freezing temperatures do nothing to help the general feeling of gloominess. 

Blue Monday is, in essence, a summary of what winter feels like. It’s not only morose, but it is also cold. You can do a lot at home to keep both these unpleasant experiences at bay. Creating a sensation of warmth in your household is a lot more complicated than it appears. In fact, you’d be surprised to know how many of us get it wrong. 

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The Good: Your home decor feels naturally cozy

While it’s fair to say that your home decor doesn’t act as an effective barrier against cold temperature, it doesn’t mean that it can’t help you to feel warm. Indeed, warm paint colors can influence how you perceive the indoor temperature. It isn’t enough to heat your house in winter, but it can considerably affect your energy bills. Using rich cream hues, soft golds or subtle pink palettes, for instance, can make a room feel subtly warmer, which means that you don’t need to turn up the heating. If you prefer more energetic colors, reds and oranges do a great job of injecting heat into your interior style. However, they can be too aggressive for small interiors.  

The Bad: Your old heating system that hasn’t been serviced in a while

Cranking up the heating is the most common response to the cold weather. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with it. More often than not, when the weather gets freezing cold, you need to turn up the heating. However, if you find yourself constantly adjusting temperatures and still struggling to feel any heat, it’s time to look for the best HVAC companies in your area. You need someone to service that HVAC unit before it burns a hole in your budget. Keeping your radiators and AC units regularly serviced and maintained is crucial if you don’t want to incur high energy costs. 

The Ugly: A glass of wine keeps you warm

Ah, you’re not cold, you still need a little vino, right? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a glass of wine. In fact, it can be a good thing for your diet. Not only can you indulge a little in moderation, but it also helps your body to stay warm and healthy. Depriving yourself of the foods you love in an effort to eat healthily can affect your mood and increase the sensation of cold. But don’t fall in the extreme of over-indulging. Too much alcohol will not keep you warm and jolly; it will damage your health irremediably. 

Making sure your home feels warm goes beyond turning up the heater. Indeed, creating an interior style that feels welcoming can play a significant role in your perception of the temperature. Allowing yourself to consume your favorite food and drink – in moderation – will affect your mood positively, which helps your body fight off the sensation of cold. And finally, there’s no point having a heater if you don’t maintain it!