Autumn is upon us, which means winter is only that much closer. And if there is anything we crave when the weather starts to get a little colder, it’s comfort. So why not infuse a little of that into your personal space with these design tips for a cozy bedroom?

Play With Space Perception

When decorating a space, many of us look for ways to make rooms appear bigger and grander. But when it comes to designing a cozy bedroom space, closeness is more desirable.

While we can’t change the size of the room, we can use some fundamental interior design principles to make a room seem more intimate. For example:

• Use larger furniture pieces
• Keep furniture pieces closer together
• Paint the walls dark colors with warm undertones
• Add patterned rugs
• Highlight key focal points

Dim the Lights

Although abundant natural lighting can make a space feel more comfortable, glaringly bright fluorescents and other synthetic lights can leave us feeling ill at ease. This is especially true when you’re trying to go to sleep at night. Here are a few ways to make lighting a little cozier in your bedroom:

• Swap to dimmer lightbulbs
• Add covered lamps to the space
• Use twinkle lights
• Install dimmer switches

That isn’t to say that you have to keep your lights dim all the time. Simply having multiple light sources, some gentler than others, will allow you to customize your light level depending on your mood.

Utilize Texture

When we think of comfort, the first sensations that often come to mind are tactile: a soft sweater, a warm cup of cocoa, a gentle hug. Fortunately, we can play with textures in our room design as well. Some textiles that add to a cozy aesthetic include:

• Flannel
• Fur
• Wool
• Knit
• Velvet
• Wood

You can incorporate these elements in your bedspread, throw blankets, pillows, wall hangings, and window trim.

Autumn is here, and what better way to bring in the season than to add a little coziness to your bedroom? That way, you’ll be able to stay warm and comfy the whole cold season.

Even though Arkansas isn’t known for having brutally cold winters, there are times when a cold front makes its way down to us and freezes everything in sight. That’s why it’s a good idea to prepare for the worst before it gets here. That way, you aren’t battling with everyone else in town to get the things you need to make it through the chilling weather.

In order to help you out, we’ve put together a guide on how to get your home ready for the coming winter. As long as you follow our advice, you will have nothing to worry about for the coming season.

Get Your Heating System Looked At

So many people who live down south never bother to have their heating looked at by a professional. That’s why when the frost comes, heating companies get swarmed with requests to come out and fix their heater. With that many people needing service at once, you could go days without heat during the worst possible time not to have it. That’s why it’s a good idea to be proactive about getting your heating checked.

If you want to be extra safe, you should look into switching your heating over to gas. One of the biggest reasons why people lose heat is due to electrical issues. There are plenty of other reasons you should heat your home with a propane furnace, but this is the most significant.

Seal Up Any Cracks on Your House

In addition to making sure your heat is working fine, you’ll want to make sure your house gets completely sealed up. There’s no need to make your heater work more than it has to because of the cold air that’s seeping in.

When we say you should check for cracks, most people assume we mean noticeable ones in the siding or roof. While those are important, you should focus more on your doors and windows, since they’re the biggest culprits of this issue. Also, it’s good to make sure you seal everything up, so you don’t have to worry about small animals making their way inside to find a warm place to live for the winter.

Stockpile Some Extra Food

In worst-case scenarios, there’s a good chance the winter storms will make it to where you won’t be able to leave your house for a few days since southern states don’t have the necessary equipment for clearing snow. When that happens, it will be a bad time to run out of food.

Sure, if you’re paying attention to the weather, you can quickly go out and buy some before the storm hits. However, everyone else will be doing the exact same thing, so you might not be able to get what you need, which is why it’s a good idea to have a stockpile before the storm ever hits.

Buy Some Salt

We know that buying a bunch of snow removal supplies might be a bit of overkill, so that’s why our final tip on how to get your home ready for the coming winter is to, at the very least, buy some salt to spread across your sidewalks and driveway. Ice is more common than snow on cold winter mornings, so you’ll want to make sure you don’t slip and hurt yourself while going out to get the mail.