Monday, September 30, 2013

Cold space blues, a few tips to warm up a cold space...

warm spaces
warm spaces (Photo credit: ▓▒░ TORLEY ░▒▓)
We allllll hate a cold space, its the space most wont hang out in or venture in. We have to ask ourselves what makes the space feel cold. Color, temperature, lack of visually appealing and or comforting items. If you address each of these problems, you'll soon find you can warm a space up in no time.

Temperature: Is the space really cold? A cold room will never feel warm no matter what you do it to it. If the space is poorly insulated you may want to consider purchasing insulated drapes in warm colors like browns, golds and reds for visual warmth and physical warmth. Electric fireplaces can be a wonderful focal point and also provide additional heat and have varied settings.

Visual appeal: Visual tools for warmth in a cool space can be utilized with candles, not just as décor but actually using them on a regular basis. Candle light emits a soft warm glow and will play off of the other accents in a warm to allow a little warm light to bounce off of any reflective accessories in the room. Reflective surfaces like metallic finishes, fabrics that have a sheen all can be mixed with matte finishes to create a balance of light and dark and warmth. Plants also have a welcoming, calming effect and where life will flourish, warmth can be felt.

Colors : Color matters in a space, and you can not make a cold space feel warm without color, however its not just color alone that works. Depending on the light in the room, the type of paint you choose is also important. Satin finish paints will let light reflect and lighten a dark space. Matte paint is soft and can give off the look of suede in candle light. A bright room that is stark and cold would do well with matte, while a room with limited natural light could make best use of the light with a satin or semi gloss finish to help the light source redistribute.

Other ideas: Sconces add decorative elegance and a nice soft light in dark spaces. Whether they are with candles or electric, they add to the atmosphere. They are decorative when not in use, take up little space and are purposeful when needed which makes them a great choice for lighting. Area rugs can also warm up a space where you have a lot of hard surfaces in a room. Always view your space top to bottom and side to side. Floors like hardwoods and tiles can sometimes use a little softening and warming up with area rugs and soft plush warm hues will do the trick nicely.
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