With autumn in the air, I find myself spending more time in my
house, wandering from room to room and making mental notes of how I
might raise my home’s
”
comfort index
”
as the winter months approach.
With autumn in the air, I find myself spending more time in my house, wandering from room to room and making mental notes of how I might raise my home’s “comfort index” as the winter months approach.
Nesting – or fluffing the nest for the onslaught of colder temperatures, shorter days and my anticipated desire of spending more time indoors – is a ritual I go through every autumn, as important and necessary to me (and our home) as spring cleaning is in March.
My final to-do list usually includes some quick, inexpensive fixes but also targets some major improvements that I’ve had in the back of my mind for some time.
Here then are some of the chores I have on my agenda for the next couple of weeks in order to prepare for another cozy, comfortable winter in one of my favorite places on this planet – our home.
• Add some color: Make your rooms appear warmer and more welcoming by adding some strong color, especially those wonderful autumn hues of terra cotta and orange, deep reds and sage greens. These colors can be added in the form of soft, plush throws, decorative pillows, tablecloths or by skirting an end table, adding a colorful, textured valance to more summery curtains, hanging a quilt or bringing in decorative objects to include in your tablescapes; stoneware jars, porcelain plates or maybe richly colored glassware.
• Create cozy nooks: Look around your home and find a new setting for a comfortable chair, reading lamp and side table. In our house we have a large landing going up to our bedroom and as I was walking upstairs on one of those final brilliant sunny days last week I thought how I wanted to curl up in that space and read a book.
So I borrowed an upholstered chair from another conversational grouping, placed it next to a large basket end table and added a lamp. Not only did it create an inviting spot to read or contemplate, but the extra light also adds a glowing ambience in our stairway.
• Redo the foyer: The biggest job on my to-do list is to repaint the entrance foyer to make it more welcoming for guests who tend to use that entry more in winter weather. Because it’s a small, intimate space that leads directly into our living room, I want the foyer room to feel a bit more exotic, with darker, earthier colors that will match the tumbled marble on the floor and the antique Persian rug that I like to put down in the colder months.
• Throw some pillows: To add comfort in the dining room, place a pillow (kidney shapes are great) on each chair for extra back support or seat cushioning. In the entranceway, put pillows along the bench in the mudroom to ward off chill and make taking off boots a pleasure. And don’t forget car comfort; a couple of throw pillows here can make long or short trips cushier for driver and passengers.
• Turn on the music: I like to make sure that I am never far from a source of music in my home, be it a radio, CD player or a set of speakers hooked up to the entertainment center that pipes music throughout the house. I turn on music the instant I get home at night, especially when these days mean you’re arriving home in the dark.
• Build the first fire of the season: I always anticipate this autumn ritual – enjoying a glass of wine in front of the fire, curling up with the Sunday newspaper – initiating the hearth for the season ahead. I like to throw in some pinecones onto the fire for an added sensory touch.
• Bake a homemade treat: Ginger cookies, a loaf of banana bread, an apple crisp: these are some of the taste treats that we anticipate each fall. Not only do I love the smell and the taste, I love the warmth of the oven on those first days of frost.
This year it seems as though the change of season meshed perfectly with the flip of the calendar page. And while it is difficult to say goodbye to the out-of-door joys of summer, I know we can look forward to the delights and comforts of home.
