The winter months can be hard to get through. The days get shorter the weather turns cold… life suddenly feels gloomier. But we Scandis are used to all that and know ways to deal with it. Hence our winter blues top tips: a penchant for white walls… Letting in the light is our first thought as we start decorating our homes. Curtains – how they let in or block the light – are key items to consider before even the tables and chairs. What kind of window dressing: curtains, blinds, shutters…? Whatever we go for, the light or lack of it affects not just the room but also our mood.
Shutters give the room a tidy formal look, while curtains add cosiness, or glamour. Generous helpings of material teamed with richly coloured tiebacks and large holdbacks are powerful promoters of the Scandi Boho Luxe look.
Letting the light bounce around the room is the second trick to lift the mood and the look of the bedroom. Although we spend most of the time in the bedroom sleeping blissfully unaware of our surroundings, it’s the last place we see before we close our eyes and the dreams (or nightmares) begin. Let’s make our bedroom a gorgeous place which makes us look forward to going to bed every night.
Window Dressing – How to glam up plain Curtains
Those familiar with Nordic style and design will know we do prefer white and plain to anything too overpowering – so you’ll see lots of white curtains in Scandi homes. But white curtains does not mean dull – there are many ways to make white curtains work to your advantage.
White curtains and white walls let in and filter light more efficiently than dark or patterned ones. They are also more peaceful to look at and allow the rest of the decor in the room to stand out. But there is a way to add splash to understated curtains – by using fantastic tiebacks.
Tiebacks come in many shapes and sizes but but the best ones are not easily accessible from the stores. Some research into specialists is often required to find good tiebacks – many are made to order – but there are some available by good design companies which add true wow factor to the window space. Long, thick, richly coloured tiebacks with single or double tassels.
Some people do like a dark bedroom – curtains which block out daytime completely – others like to wake up with the sun. Either way, curtains are mood changing – at DU we’re firmly in the latter camp.
White Bedlinen and Covers give us a Feeling of Cleanliness
There are trends for dark bedlinen – such as black silk (yes apparently) and branded logoed designer sheets – but, winter blues top tips – nothing is as reassuring, peaceful and luxurious as crisp, clean, ironed bright white sheets and covers. It’s a good feeling as we wind down and switch off the light before going to sleep – hoping it will a be a good sleep that will have us fully rested and revitalised when we wake up the next day. For added comfort it is worth investing in cotton sheets, tightly woven Egyptian cotton.
Winter Blues Top Tips – Rugs & Flowers throw create Hygge before Bed
The easiest thing would be to flick a switch and there is the light. But that isn’t how we lift the mood or ambiance of a room. Lighting up a room is done with the things that the sun or an electric light falls on, ie accessories. What things do you want to highlight in your bedroom? The flowers? The rug? The bed cover? The chest of drawers? The painting on the wall or the photo on the bedside table?
A mirror is the most effective thrower of light and also an accessory that creates extra space – or the illusion of added space. It expands the room and amplifies what light the sun shines through the window. Placement of a mirror is key – clever arrangement can see the mirror cast light round corner and spaces which the sun can’t reach.
Flowers – particularly pale flowers – don’t just add light to a room but by their scent and happy or peaceful thoughts usually associated with them they help lift the mood. And that leads to the other thing that brightens up a bedroom and any room – Hygge.
Cosy is that snug feeling when we’re at peace and just enjoying the moment. If there are two things that illustrate Hygge then it’s doubtless candles and cushions. Cushions prop us up, make us feel comfortable and can look super chic – things key to Nordic living.
Large high-quality cushions are a good investment to help make our bedroom both chic and a place where we really feel comfortable and at peace – which will help us get that important good night’s sleep.
