How Your Home Design Can Keep You Warm This Fall & Winter

A home is a place to live in all year round, so while you may be thinking how great it would be to enjoy cocktails in your own pool during the scorching hot Summers, you should think about how other seasonal elements can be incorporated into your home design.

This includes the colder months during Fall and Winter, during which you can create an oasis in your home to keep you warm and cozy.

Here are some aspects to think about when designing your dream home.

Efficient heating

When you know the colder months are approaching, having extra warmth creates the perfect ambiance for a cozy night in. If you’re having a custom home designed, make sure you understand how to maintain your home’s main heat source, ensuring it runs as efficiently as possible.

• If choosing a furnace, pick an energy-efficient model that’ll save you both heat and money.
• Ensure your fireplace or furnace have some professional TLC before the cold weather comes. This will hopefully include giving them a good clean, especially any sediment which may have built up in your furnace.
• Traditional wood-burning fireplaces will keep you toasty, but it’s possible for the cold air to be sucked up and displaced elsewhere in the home. Consider buying a glass front for your fireplace with a heat-exchange system and close the flue when not in use.
• Check your furniture isn’t blocking any air vents, disrupting the flow of heat into your rooms.

Window dressings & coatings

When looking at how to stay warm in your home, consider how your windows can help keep the cold outside. Even the type of window can help, with storm windows a popular choice for creating that extra layer of thermal insulation.

• Don’t be put off by large windows – in the day, they’ll let natural light and sunshine into the room, even in colder months.
• Window treatments and dressings will help keep the cold out at night, so think about some long, thick, and layered drapes or blinds.
• It’s also possible to get coatings and films for your windows which reduce heat loss.

Proper insulation

Appropriate insulation should be planned for areas which let the cold air into homes such as your loft, garage, and basement. Explore the innovative, energy-saving options available which not only create good insulation for your home but are great for the environment too.

Enjoying the outside all year round

If you love the outdoors, designing your outside spaces don’t have to be based around Spring and Summer fun. This year’s survey by the American Society of Landscape Gardeners found that over 70% of people put outdoor firepits and fireplaces on their wish lists, catapulting these design features into the top 10. This shows how popular outdoor living has become, creating areas for entertaining and relaxation whatever the season.

Cozy design trends

Feeling warm as the nights start to draw in isn’t just about design elements you can’t change easily. Creating a feeling of coziness around the home can be easily done with some of the following trends for Fall 2017.

• Velvet covers create a warm and luxurious feel to your furnishings.
• Pack away your Summer quilt from some thicker Winter bedding.
• Dark & warm shades such as chocolatey browns and golden tinges can add some natural warmth to a room.
• Use plush throws to add texture to your furniture.
• If you have wooden flooring, throw down some rugs for insulation. Layering rugs to overlap each other is a trend we expect to see this Fall while adding further warmth to your home

Think about some of these ideas for your custom home design or high end renovation. Create your perfect home around every season to stay warm this Fall and Winter.