Shaynna

Many people scramble for the holiday guides and seek sunny accommodation mid-year in fear of the dreaded oppressive onset of winter. Myself, maybe it is because of my love affair of Melbourne’s constant changing weather, find a certain romance that comes with autumn and winter.

I embrace the cold and the changes it brings to my home. Outside the windows I watch the ever-changing kaleidoscope as the leaves turn from green to golden yellow to burnt red and gracefully disappear to leave the barren architecture of the trees. Garden lighting highlighting these beauties give an alternate focal point in the evenings and a great show for when guests arrive. Nature’s way of creating interest is our signal to do the same inside. Out come the heavy knitted throws and deeper tones in scatter cushions, extra lighting in the form of deep red silk shades on table lamps and groupings of tall pillar candles in chocolate, cinnamon, caramel and vanilla.

This is also the perfect time to see how efficient your home really is. Interior Design is about function just as much as it is making the house look and feel fantastic through the warmer and colder months. Having your ducts cleaned regularly improves the life of the motor and gives you cleaner air circulating through the home. If you don’t have double-glazing on your windows it is important to have good window coverings over the winter months. If you have drapes you can add a heavier backing in winter and remove and store in summer. By doing this you are creating more energy efficiency in the home and that is good for your power bills as well.

How you live changes in these months and when redecorating or taking on a full renovation it is important to be aware of what changes you need to accommodate. I find I have smaller more intimate sit-down dinner parties in the winter months as opposed to the carefree BBQ’s and casual eating in summer. If you don’t have an area that you can sit at regularly think of how you can make your interior flexible to cope with the changes. Simple things like extension tables and storing extra chairs in the shed or garage or have two smaller tables in other parts of the house that you bring together and put in the centre of the lounge for such occasions.

Your home should be able to cope with the changes of your lifestyle and it should move with you. This way you can feel like you are on holidays all year round!