Chasing Away the Winter Blues... Inside!

As the days grow shorter and darkness sets in as early as 4 PM here in Colorado, it's time to reconsider your interior lighting design to create a cozy, welcoming, and functional space. The right lighting can significantly impact your mood and productivity, and with a few adjustments, you can maximize those precious daylight hours. Here are some tips on how to embrace the darkness and create a well-lit and productive environment in your home.

Take Advantage of The Day

The importance of natural light cannot be overstated. Even when the sun sets early, maximize the daylight hours by ensuring unobstructed windows and clean window panes. Position your furniture strategically to make the most of natural light, and consider light, sheer curtains that allow sunlight to filter through.

Layering Your Lighting

By layering, we mean having multiple points of light sources which give you several options to illuminate your space. We always recommend having three ways to illuminate a space: ambient lighting (overhead lights or wall sconces), task lighting (desk lamps or under-cabinet lights), and accent lighting (table lamps or floor lamps). All of these options provide different aesthetics and can be used in various ways, and sometimes are better choices than stark overhead lighting from ceiling fixtures.

Adjustable and Automatic Lighting

We highly recommend adding adjustable lighting to your home, especially in the Living Room, Dining Room, and Kitchen. It's as simple as adding a dimmer switch to the wall for cozy evenings or when hosting a party. This way, you can turn your lights on as the sun sets and increase the brightness throughout the evening. If you want to take it a step further, you could add automation with a smart home device to gradually increase brightness throughout the day.

Incorporating these lighting design changes will not only help you combat the early darkness during the Fall and Winter months but also enhance the functionality and coziness of your home. If you need assistance with lighting design or any other interior design needs, HouseHome is here to help. Contact us today to transform your space into a well-lit and inspiring haven for the shorter days ahead.

We know that the options for lighting are endless. If you're interested in delving deeper into lighting design and its effects on your mood and productivity, read this blog post we wrote earlier this year!

Embracing Cozy Firelight: Fall Home Aesthetics with Candles and Fireplaces

After a long day, coming home should be a welcoming respite from meetings and to-do’s. There is nothing better than lighting some candles, turning on the fireplace, and cuddling up with a movie and a pizza to end a chaotic work day, and there is no season like fall to really embrace this opportunity. In this blog, we’re discussing how regular use of candlelight makes any space inviting. Relax, grab your favorite throw blanket, and read more about the beauty of firelight.

Mariah Cope, our talented Associate Designer, shares her expertise in creating a warm and inviting ambiance in your home through the use of firelight. In this insightful article, Mariah provides practical tips and creative ideas to incorporate firelight into various spaces, adding a cozy touch to your living room, bedroom, or outdoor patio. Learn from Mariah's personal experience and discover how to elevate your home's atmosphere with an enchanting glow.

Choose your candle Aesthetic

Select a candle aesthetic to create a cozy ambiance. Fall calls for warm, earthy tones - like deep burgundy, rustic orange, or rich brown. Decorative holders such as rustic wooden, sleek metallic, or vintage lanterns can enhance the look. Group candles of different heights and sizes in clusters or arrangements when decorating with wax pillar candles. If you prefer candles that have native vessels, there are so many beautiful options that can add to your decor rather than take away from it. One of our favorite high-quality candle companies, Apotheke, takes the aesthetics of their jars and holders into account when creating their amazing, rich scents for each season. When it comes to scented candles, choose wisely! You don’t want to overpower your own senses or any guests, so stick with one fragrance per floor of your home if you have an open-concept design.

The joy of many candles can be experienced without overpowering scent, as most unscented candles come in a variety of colors and sizes! If you would prefer to reduce any risk of fire, have little ones, or love to watch the glow of a candlescape for hours and hours, real wax candles can get very expensive! We have a fantastic option for you from our sweet friends at Sandstone & Sage that we’ll get to in just a moment. ;)

Illuminate Your Fireplace

Sprucing up your fireplace for Fall is a fantastic time to usher in a colder season and shorter days. Give it a deep clean and a fresh coat of paint, if needed. Don’t forget to have your chimney cleaned and inspected once a year if it’s wood burning! Decorate your mantel with autumnal plants like pumpkins and gourds, and realistic foliage to bring the beauty of the outside in. Finally, light up your wood-burning or gas fireplace for the perfect Fall ambiance. A basket or stack of logs nearby for a rustic look will complete the scene - no matter what type of fireplace you have!

Layer Lighting for Ambiance

The cozy vibes of a solitary candle on the bedside table or a symphony of flickering flames throughout the home will help you relax after a long day, but when it comes to low, soft lighting, MORE is MORE. :) We encourage you to incorporate candles into your fireplace mantle, group them in odd numbers for great design technique, and vary your styles together for an eclectic collection. The easiest way to do this is with a stunning new option, high-quality, flameless candles. Battery operated, and remote controlled, the possibilities are endless.

Unexpected Firelight

The beauty of flameless candles is they can “glow where no traditional candle has glowed before “ ;) Adding more sultry low light to your living spaces in calming and cozy ways! Where might you choose to put a candle if you didn’t have to worry about the fire? Try layering candles on bookshelves, or under glass cloches, you can even have candlelight in spots where it would otherwise be unsafe for small hands, or long burning flames.

We’re excited to collaborate with one of our favorite companies, Sandstone & Sage to offer our readers a 20% discount on beautiful, flameless candles! Launched in 2011, Sandstone & Sage offers a unique collection of designer-curated housewares, wall art, and antique items by husband-and-wife design duo, Jesse & Tiffany Pinegar. In a world surrounding us with fast food, fast fashion, and mass-produced decor, they invite everyone to adopt the idea of intentional living. Head on over to their site, browse their beautiful collections, and grab a set (or two, or three!) of their gorgeous hand-designed flameless candles. Use code HOUSEHOME for 20% off at checkout.