Winter Décor Tips to Brighten Your Mood

Winter Décor Tips to Brighten Your Mood

By: Marge Hynes

When the world is cold, our homes should be warm, happy sanctuaries we can escape to. You might be one of many who struggle with seasonal depression every year—when winter hits, your mood plummets. If you’re confined in a dreary, dark, and drab home, you could be making matters worse for your mental health. 

We’ve got a suggestion for you—a brighter, warmer, and cheerier interior design. 

Wondering how to brighten things up with some simple decor tweaks? Keep reading. 

Why does the colder weather affect my mood? 

If you’re noticing a serious decline in your mood when it’s colder, you’re not alone. Roughly 1 in 3 Brits experience a low in their mood every winter season.[3] Why? Let’s take a look at a couple of the facts:

  • The Changing of The Seasons. As the colder seasons approach, they bring shorter days and less sunlight, so you might feel more tired, sluggish, and groggy. Waking up early can also become more difficult. Scientists have found that these shorter days and longer nights cause a big drop in serotonin and melatonin levels. Plus, our bodies crave vitamin D from sunshine. When we’re cooped up inside all winter, we’re missing out on all those precious rays that have been proven to boost our moods. Studies have even found that low vitamin D concentration is associated with depression. [1,2]
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a mood disorder that occurs at the same time every year typically in climates where there is less sunlight during the day. [2] Likewise, while you’re missing out on all that cheery sunlight, being cooped up alone can cause feelings of loneliness, which can be especially difficult for those already suffering from symptoms of SAD. [4] 

If you notice symptoms of or are suffering from SAD, please reach out to a licensed therapist, or talk to someone you trust. Consult your healthcare provider on what the next best steps are for you. 

Cultivate a Cheerful Home to Get Through Frosty Times

Here’s the deal: there’s a psychology to space. We’re talking about interior design, specifically. Science tells us that how you decorate your space impacts your mood. [5,6] 

There are four important factors to focus on when creating a mood-boosting environment: 

  1. Lighting Expression. Light sources in the home can be divided into natural light sources and artificial light sources, and their functions can be divided into basic lighting, accent lighting, and decorative lighting. 
  2. Colour Expression. Different colour combinations can bring different psychological feelings and can even change the atmosphere of an entire room. 
  3. Spatial Layouts. Spatial layouts can be complex or simple, depending on what is placed in the space such as furniture or decorum. 
  4. Material Expression. Coarser textures and materials like reclaimed wood or terracotta can create a rustic aesthetic. Smoother, shiny materials like chrome reflect more light and create a more contemporary finish in the home. 

We want to keep your spirits bright until springtime, so we made you a little something—a guide curated for all things cheery and bright, Cosy edition. Check it out: 

Green is Good For You

One of the easiest ways to capture feelings of joy, beauty, and “alive” energy is by incorporating fresh flowers and potted indoor plants into your living space. Research shows there is a mental restoration we can get from nature and natural imagery. If your walls, shelves, and corners are barren and lifeless, fill them with greenery to shift your mood this winter season.[7]

Let There Be Light

Poor lighting takes a toll—visual discomfort, drowsiness, fatigue, and mood swings. Fighting back against the ‘cold weather blues’ is all about brightening up your living space, so embrace the natural light where you can. Pull back the blinds, hang a mirror on a wall opposite a window (this will help light to bounce about the room), hang a piece of art with a glossy finish for even more reflective surfaces, or invest in a sun lamp designed to mimic natural outdoor lighting. [8]

Colour Cause & Effect

Colours have different associations with different emotions. For example, red is often associated with feelings of anger while green is often associated with growth and nature. When it comes to your humble abode, darker colours can make everything feel smaller and more cramped. We don’t want this. And, no, you don’t need to repaint your entire house to achieve a cheery atmosphere. 

Instead, fill your space with things like white bed sheets to reflect light, cream blankets for brightness, soft green throw pillows, or intentionally place lively gold or brass metal decor pieces about the house. 

Here are a few ‘happy’ colours you can also choose from:

  • Joyful Pink
  • Calming Lilac
  • Bright Yellow
  • Light, Airy blue

    Make Space for Joy

    Clutter = chaos. Much like the power of colours, an excess of clutter is often linked to negative emotions like tension, irritability, and confusion. Regain control of your environment by organising your books, folding your laundry, doing your dishes, or even rearranging the chaotic jumble of spices and herbs in the cabinet. 

    In terms of your living space, go for big, spacious, and open to remove that icky, cramped feeling. Are the walls covered from head to toe? Are you holding on to objects of sentimental value from years and years ago? Is your closet overflowing with old clothes you never wear anymore? Fixing these clutter issues can help decrease the feeling of chaos in your home. 

    Remember: Be present as you declutter. One study found that people who took the time to smell the soap and mindfully take in the experience of washing their dishes reported a 27% reduction in nervousness, along with a 25% improvement in "mental inspiration."[9]

    Get Cosier With Lux Bedding

    You can still indulge in the pleasures of winter while also conjuring up cosy, warm visual temperatures (and actual temperatures) in your home. Rather than grappling with those frigid temps, look for temperature-regulating luxury bedding solutions instead. You can easily add a pop of vibrancy to your bedroom or couch with a white, cream, turquoise, tan, or other brightly-hued Everyday Fleece Blanket, which is generously sized, plush, and seriously cuddly. Or get bundled up under a Luxury Bamboo Down Alternative Duvet, stuffed with a fluffy polyester fill that resembles the airy, cuddly-softness of traditional feather down.

    We highly recommend our very own Luxury Bamboo Weighted Blanket to both liven up your space and beat the winter blues. Studies have shown weighted blankets can relieve the perception of pain, reduce symptoms of anxiety, improve sleep quality, and even relieve symptoms of depression.[10] Along with a comforting feeling that’s unmatched, our weighted blanket is also aesthetically pleasing with bright white or calming grey colour options to choose from, and a uniquely crafted square quilted pattern. 

    Looking for more ways to liven up your space? Click here to discover our affordable luxury home essentials made with you in mind. 

    How do you brighten up your home in the winter? In what ways do you combat the winter blues? Let us know in the comments below. The Cosy community always loves hearing from you!

    We've gone ahead & enclosed a 10% off coupon below for you to use if you'd like to take the plunge and try out our sheets for yourself! To shop our collection & get 10% OFF Use the code 'BLOG10' at checkout.

    Resources: 

    1. Anglin RE, Samaan Z, Walter SD, McDonald SD. Vitamin D deficiency and depression in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry. 2013 Feb;202:100-7. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.106666. PMID: 23377209. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23377209/ 
    2. Melrose S. Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches. Depress Res Treat. 2015;2015:178564. doi: 10.1155/2015/178564. Epub 2015 Nov 25. PMID: 26688752; PMCID: PMC4673349. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4673349/ 
    3. Independent Digital News and Media. (2014, October 24). Seasonal affective disorder: 1 in 3 people suffer from sad. The Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/seasonal-affective-disorder-1-in-3-people-suffer-from-sad-9814164.html 
    4. Policystudies. (2019, February 19). Winter months, loneliness and isolation amongst older men. Comment and analysis. Retrieved from https://policystudies.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2019/02/11/winter-months-loneliness-and-isolation-amongst-older-people/ 
    5. Costa M, Frumento S, Nese M, Predieri I. Interior Color and Psychological Functioning in a University Residence Hall. Front Psychol. 2018 Aug 28;9:1580. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01580. PMID: 30210407; PMCID: PMC6120989. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6120989/ 
    6. Xu, Y., & Wu, S. (2022, June 16). Indoor colour and space humanized design based on emotional needs. Frontiers. Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.926301/full 
    7. Clay, R. A. (2001, April). Green is good for you. Monitor on Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/apr01/greengood 
    8. Osibona O, Solomon BD, Fecht D. Lighting in the Home and Health: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 12;18(2):609. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020609. PMID: 33445763; PMCID: PMC7828303. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7828303/ 
    9. Hanley AW, Warner AR, Dehili VM, Canto AI, Garland EL. Washing dishes to wash the dishes: brief instruction in informal mindfulness practice. Mindfulness. 2015;6(5):1095-1103. doi:10.1007/s12671-014-0360-9 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-014-0360-9 
    10. S Danoff-Burg, H M Rus, L Cruz Martir, R J Raymann, 1203 Worth The Weight: Weighted Blanket Improves Sleep And Increases Relaxation, Sleep, Volume 43, Issue Supplement_1, April 2020, Page A460, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.1197
    Marge Hynes

    Written by Marge Hynes