By Dara Greaney, Founder & CEO — LEDLightExpert.com
The winter months inspire a lot of changes. Coffee shops add new flavors, stores take on new looks by lining their shelves with holiday decor and gift ideas, and fashion choices shift to layers of warm fabrics designed to keep out the cold that winter brings.
The atmosphere within our homes often changes in the winter months as well when we decorate for the holidays and modify our playlists to make space for Mariah Carey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Pentatonix. For those who cook, winter involves the preparation of special meals featuring nourishing soups and freshly baked bread.
For those looking to transform their homes into a cozy haven to enjoy during the winter months, the bedroom is a great place to start. Winter months bring shorter days and longer nights, inspiring us to get to bed earlier and linger there longer in the morning. Adjusting the bedroom’s ambiance for winter is a great way to add enjoyment to the season.
Adjust lighting to create a cozier mood
Ambiance has a lot to do with lighting. The brightness, tint, and location of lighting can all have an impact on the way a room feels and the effect it has on our moods. A candlelight dinner, for example, conveys a much different feel than the bright, sterile lights of an operating room.
Adjusting the lighting in the bedroom can do a lot to increase coziness, which is why experts recommend layering lighting to make your bedroom more inviting. In the summer months when days are longer, a single bedside lamp and overhead ceiling light may be all you need. In the winter, a mix of floor lamps, table lamps, and lights hung at ceiling level can create a warm and cozy feeling throughout the space.
Lighting colors also make a big difference when it comes to creating a cozy atmosphere. Bulbs come in a range of colors, from warm yellows to cool whites to daylight shades that can create a bluish tint.
Generally, winter is a time for warm yellows. Bulbs that provide this color bring a hint of sunlight, brightening our mood as well as the room. Warm yellows are also a good color for reading before bed, providing just enough light to avoid eye strain without chasing away our drowsiness.
Modern LED lights are a great resource for those who want to adjust their bedroom’s ambiance. LEDs offer several upgrades over traditional incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, including the ability to shift between different shades without changing bulbs. With LEDs, you can shift from warm winter colors to bright spring colors when seasons change without changing the bulb.
LEDs also allow for more precision lighting than conventional bulbs. Whereas conventional bulbs are unidirectional — emitting light in all directions — LEDs provide designs that can be directed toward a specific space. An LED reading light on a bedside table allows you to set the mood by keeping the warm glow exactly where you want it.
LED strip or rope lights can also be used in creative ways to add to the layering of light in the bedroom. They serve as flexible lighting fixtures that can be concealed behind furniture or in alcoves to create the warm glow of recessed lighting.
Another benefit of LEDs is that they require significantly less energy to power than traditional bulbs, since the colder winter months often come with higher energy bills due to increased heating costs. LED bulbs allow you to add light without adding much to energy costs.
Add new colors to inspire a warmer feel
Colors can have a dramatic impact on the feel of the room. For winter, experts recommend warm hues like yellows and reds to make spaces feel more cozy. Warm shades generally make us feel more comfortable in a space and can even improve our energy levels during the long winter months.
Swapping out linens in the bedroom for the winter months is an easy way to update colors. Sheets, bedspreads, throw pillows, and window treatments provide a canvas for bringing new shades into the space. Throw rugs can also introduce new colors and increase the warmth of rooms that have tile or wood floors.
If you are changing bed linens, fabrics can also affect the coziness factor. Flannels are a great choice for making beds warmer and more inviting. Bedspreads in plush fabrics like velvet or chenille can also make the room feel more cozy.
Keep in mind that lighting can also be used to change the colors in a room, especially when using LED bulbs. In addition to providing the common light colors found in conventional bulbs, many LED fixtures can provide any color of the rainbow, allowing you to create pockets of warming orange, red, or pink around any light fixture.
Accent with decor that warms your heart
When creating your cozy haven, don’t forget to make it personal. Decorative elements that remind you of special memories can play a big role in making a space feel cozy. Whether it’s holiday decor that touches your heart or holiday photos of people you love, make a space in your cozy haven to display some personal touches that speak to you.
Transforming your bedroom into a cozy haven as winter sets in is a great element to add to your holiday traditions. And it can be easily done by updating the space with a mix of warm lighting, colors, fabrics, and decor.
– Dara Greaney is the Founder and CEO of LEDLightExpert.com, an e-commerce lighting retailer. Previously, Greaney was the CEO and Co-Founder at BuyAutoParts.com, an e-commerce auto parts retailer. He is a nine-time INC 5000 CEO and is an expert in growing products and brands that resonate with customers. Greaney is a hands-on leader with LED expertise in lighting design and lighting products as well as over 20 years of e-commerce, business strategy, and marketing experience. With Greaney as CEO, LED Light Expert has been a 3 time INC5000 winner. Under Greaney’s leadership, BuyAutoParts.com was named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies List in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Greaney has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Marketing and Finance and a Master’s degree in Business Marketing and Entrepreneurship. He has been featured on Union-Tribune TV, Business Insider, Parts and People, San Diego Business Journal, MarketWatch, UT San Diego, Energy Markets Today, and Sportz Biz. Greaney has also spoken at the ROI Revolution Retail Traffic & Conversion Summit, the Lavin Center, and more.
