It's that time of year already; the nights are drawing in and the mornings are getting darker. Waking up is harder than ever, as we long to stay underneath our warm duvets - and getting out of the shower every day is like some kind of modern torture we don't want to face! These colder months make getting undressed for bed at night, a fearful prospect and getting out of bed for the loo, an essential need we're willing to hold until morning, so we don't have to feel the chilly air touch our skin!
Autumn is upon us.
I always say that our bedrooms are the most important rooms in our houses - because they are truly our spaces. Completely personal, sacred and private to us. And at this time of year, we become more and more grateful for our bedrooms and our comfortable, warming beds.
At the end of a long and cold day, where better to end up, than in our beds, wrapped in the feather-filled glory of our duvets, curled up in a ball of comfort and cosiness?
What better way to drift off to sleep, than warm, content, safe - and sheltered from the cold outside? How truly fortunate we are to have our beds. Our bedrooms. Our homes.
I Like the Warmth
I'm really not a fan of the cold; in fact, I really dislike this time of year. I always feel a grief for the summer when it ends; seeing the leaves falling from the trees makes me feel so sad and hearing the geese flying over as they head south for the winter makes my heart sink a little. Leaving the warmth behind in preparation for the cold, dark mornings and shorter days leaves everything feeling less welcoming and more miserable.
Gardening Becomes Scary..!
I love my garden; I can't do as much gardening as I'd like, but gardening in the autumn isn't something I'm quite so confident at. Whilst the temperature makes it easier for me, due to a rare condition that makes me overheat easily, the presence of larger spiders in the garden at this time of year makes gardening a little too risky for my liking. Just the other day, I was cutting back some hedges when a giant cross spider dropped out of the cuttings! Wearing my gardening gloves made me brave enough to pick her up, in order to move her to safety, but the moment she ran a little too fast towards my wrist, I forgot about her safety and flung her into the hydrangea!
Roll on spring, I say (every single year!). Roll on lighter mornings, longer days, new growth, green buds and little fluffy lambs in the fields. Let's get the last of the year over so we have something to look forward to again! I'm already longing to see new leaves forming on the trees and the misty dew rising from the grass.
A Crisis of Energy
With the cost of living so high, it seems we're all going to struggle a little more than usual this winter; many of us won't be able to flick the heating on to heat our homes up quickly, because we can't afford to - and others won't be doing so out of sheer, stubborn, British principle!
And so, with our homes likely to be much colder than usual this year, we're going to need to resort to old-fashioned ways of keeping ourselves warm. Cosy blankets, woolly socks, hot beverages... sitting around a bonfire in the garden, or setting fire to the rubbish in our waste paper baskets if we don't have an open fire in the lounge (really, don't do that!).
Whatever we need to do to stay warm, we're going to need to get creative as we experience the winters that our parent's told us about from their childhoods. It seems the last few years have all been about remembering to appreciate what we have and learning not to take it all for granted; and may we all be extremely grateful when life finally returns to the normal we knew before 2020.
We have our homes. We have our bedrooms. We have our beds. Not everybody can say that.
Keeping our Bedrooms Cosy
There are ways we can keep our bedrooms cosy this autumn, despite the lack of heating. Let me share with you, how you can do this - quickly, cheaply and easily:
Focus on your Bed
The most obvious way to make your bedroom more cosy is to replace your summer tog duvet with a thicker winter tog. Snuggling up underneath a chunky duvet in the cold night is the best way to stay warm; and don't forget - brushed cotton sheets are so lovely to climb onto when the nights are chilly!
You could also invest in a thick mattress protector for extra comfort and a feeling of luxury; and remember to layer up!
Warm sheets + heavy duvet + cosy bedding + blankets = cosy bed!
Use Autumnal Colours
Isn't it strange how autumnal colours are so warming? Golden yellows, glowing ochres, warming oranges, simmering russets and hot reds; you look out of your window and all of the colours you see are contradictory to the temperature outside.
Taking inspiration from nature is always a good idea, but if you're looking to warm up the feeling in your bedroom, then taking inspiration from nature in the autumn months is a great way of bringing that cosy feeling into your space.
It can be as simple as swapping your light summer bedding for darker colours, your bright, cotton cushion covers for faux fur, or woolly substitutes, and adding a thick blanket or two to the foot of your bed. But if you're looking to create a more permanent fix, by getting a new bed altogether, then you could use darker woods to get that cosy feeling you're after.
'Wrap' your Windows
If you have draughty windows, this one is especially for you! The summer months definitely call for lightweight curtains that billow in the breeze like washing on a line; but in the colder months, your windows will be in need of heavier materials to keep in the warmth.
Swap your floaty curtains for weighty drapes and/or blackout blinds to block out the cold. Using darker, richer fabrics will also help with the cosy feel you need. As with bedding, make sure you layer your curtains for added protection against any chills you might feel; and if you have any cracks or gaps in your window frames, be sure to fix them before the weather turns!
Ambience is Key!
Creating a cosy ambience is important, whatever the season; but the colder the weather, the more important the need for cosying up your bedroom for a feeling of warmth and comfort.
Dimming the lights, using low-lighting lamps, or lighting some candles are all great ways to make your room feel cosy. Choosing a lower kelvin bulb will give you a warmer feel; not going over 2700 kelvin in the bedroom; this gives a nice amber glow.
Keep Your Body Warm
Keeping our bodies warm is the first thing we should be focussing on as the colder nights draw in. Layering up shouldn't only relate to our beds and windows; we should also be layering up on clothing. Fluffy pjs, cosy socks, soft and snuggly robes, chunky blankets and slippers warmed on the... I was going to say radiator, but we're not using our heating, are we? The fire..? The stove..? The luke-warm airing cupboard..?
Maybe we could just sit on them a while before we put them on!
Whatever you wear, make sure you keep yourself warm first. Take the duvet into the lounge to snuggle in front of the TV before bed, if you need to! Or, break my rule and take the TV into the bedroom. As much as I hate TVs in the bedroom, I can't deny that snuggling up in bed to watch TV is the ultimate in 'cosy'!
Finally - Cuddle Up!
If you have a partner, make sure you cuddle up in bed; keep one another warm by cosying up together. What better way is there to warm up than with a romantic snuggle with your loved one?
If you don't have a partner, but you do have a pet - or children - cuddle up with them instead!
Conclusion
And there are my tips for keeping your bedroom cosy this autumn. I hope they help some way to making these colder months easier for you.
Stay warm, stay cosy, stay romantic!
Thank you all for reading.
Lots of Love
Evelyn M
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