It’s cold outside, with blizzards and wintry freezing temperatures. Perhaps this has put you in the mood for dreaming of warmer realms and holidays in the Caribbean, where the sun never seems to cease shining. Perhaps, however, you dream of the exact opposite. A warm chalet atop an unreachable mountain peak, where you can be safe and sound from the cold, snuggling underneath a fuzzy sheep skein with some mulled wine, soft music playing in the background and your loved one in your arms. We can’t give you the chalet nor bring you any closer to making that dream come true, unfortunately. What we can do is give you a few interior décor style tips that will help you reconstruct that very chalet in the comfort of your own urban home. With a few minor improvements here and there and a couple of adjustments to the current layout of your living environment, you, too can transform your home into a fairytale setting, with warm woodburning stoves and plenty of warmth to keep you cozy till the end of winter. Read on for our suggestions.
Install a Fireplace
You don’t need a massive marble fireplace to make your home look and feel like a chalet–although it wouldn’t hurt to have one of those beauties installed, would it? Nowadays, you can go for a gas fireplace, an electric fireplace or even a flueless fireplace. This is the optimal solution for apartments in blocks of flats, where having a smoke escape system installed would be rather difficult, if not impossible. In terms of style, it all depends on the look you’re trying to achieve. Go classic and all-out Victorian with marble, or opt for a fireplace hung on the wall, in brass, silver or chrome for a more contemporary kind of chalet.
Scent is Everything
Think back on the winters of your childhood. What scents remind you of them? Orange peel, cinnamon and burning logs are probably going to be on your list. You can now recreate those magical smells without making a mess of the kitchen or setting fire to your home. Scented candles and incense sticks are now available in all sorts of variants—not to mention they incense burners and candle holders look great and can beautify any room.
Immaculately White
The best color for achieving a chalet-like atmosphere at home is white—from the color of the walls to that of the carpets, rugs, drapes and curtains. If you’re vying for an Ice Princess look, then combine that white with frosted glass surfaces, be they for coffee table tops or door windows. Alternatively, you can adorn your windows with self-adhering décor sheets that replicate the effect of frost-bitten glass. You will be instantly transported into a fairy-tale like world, with the only downside being that you will probably have a hard time deciding to step out into the cold.
Warm Textures for Warmer Winters
It’s common sense that you will want to keep warm in winter. To this end, fill your home with as many throw pillows, throw rugs and throw spreads as possible. Make them as eclectic as possible, but look for materials that have a unique texture, such as angora or cashmere wool. If these options are too expensive for you, bear in mind that many major furniture and home décor retailers carry faux animal skins and furs that you can place in your living room, either in front of the couch and underneath the coffee table or in your very own private, cozy reading corner. A note on pillows, too: they are not strictly for your couch or armchair. Feel free to place them on the floor and invite friends to use them for seating whenever they drop by.
Beauty is in the Details
Candles on handmade wooden candlesticks or in beautiful bronze ones. Potpourri in white, blue or pearl grey. There are many spectacular effects one can achieve strictly by updating the miscellanea or minutiae of one’s home. You don’t need to implement big changes in order to make your home look like the winter cabin you dream of. So long as you start from a good base, such as well-maintained massive hardwood flooring in a dark tone (oak works great), you’re all set and good to go. You can also change the hangings on your walls. Remember that most cabins were once used for hunting and, as such, display hunting trophies on the walls. There are many contemporary, post-modern and ironic variations on this theme that you can make use of.
