For those who are enthusiastic about having officially entered the holiday season, it's easy to get the urge to go over-the-top when it comes to transforming your home into a virtual winter wonderland. But if you happen to be the less-is-more type — and still want to pay tribute to the season — you actually only need a few key cozy winter decor essentials to instantly get into the spirit, according to interior experts.
Even if you're not going for a holiday feel per se, there's just something so satisfying about a space that's especially warm and welcoming in the colder months. Just as you might lighten up your colors, fabrics, and textures in the summer, the winter requires a little extra consideration to get the mood inside to match the setting outside. For example, adding on a throw blankets that beg to be bundled up in can make a world of difference alone.
And because designers' favorite kinds of seasonal swaps are so simple, you don't even necessarily have to do any shopping to get the desired effect — you may already have things in other parts of the home or even stashed away that can find a new life in your winter decor. That said, if you want to pick up a thing or two to bring the coziness into your home STAT, read ahead for a few essentials the pros say to swap in, plus some stylish examples of each.
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Cozy Winter Decor Essentials: Seasonal Greenery
If you're someone who loves to keep florals around the home — or even if you're not — you might want to try adding a dried sprig or clipping (even if it's faux) to a beautiful vase to bring a bit of the outdoor landscape inside. Tiffany Leigh Piotrowski of Tiffany Leigh Design specifically loves the look of cedar or dried magnolia branches.
Cozy Winter Decor Essentials: Warm Wood
"One of our favorite tricks to cozy up your space for the season involves introducing texture and warmth with a large, vintage wood bowl to your dining table or coffee table," says Piotrowski. "Rustic wood tones quickly warm up your home and we like to use these bowls to display favorite Christmas ornaments or seasonal fruits like clementines."
Cozy Winter Decor Essentials: Heavy Blankets
You simply can't create a cozy setting without the right blanket. "We also love swapping out our light linen throw blankets for cozier and heavier wool or knitted blankets," says Piotrowski. "Bonus points for plaid and chunky knit textures which amp up the cozy factor even more."
