FINDING OUR WAY TO FALL…
The end of Summer is drawing close. Usually, that means a slow down from and all the trips to the beach, weekly BBQs, concerts, you know all the fun stuff that bright and warm days invite you to do.
We sure love Summer, but inevitably by September, we are slightly worn out and ready to slow down. Eager to turn more inwards, cosy up and prepare our nest for the coming long winter days. This year has been atypical, to say the least, and for most of us, quarantined folks, this year has simply rolled into one long “Stay home” season. Most of us haven’t really ventured much far from our nests.
If you are, like us, kind of lost in time, here’s a friendly reminder that Autumn is around the corner. Grab a hot and spiced beverage (we have a good recipe by the way!) and read on for a few ways you can shake up those quarantine blues and bring your home coziness to level 10 - I mean, we all know that’s where we will be spending most of our time in the months to come, so why not make it “Hygge” Extraordinaire?
We will skip the part where we remind you of the lesser fun stuff, like deep cleaning your home and washing your pillows and duvets, decluttering, etc; and just jump right onto the fun stuff.
The first step in designing something, whether it is a home or an experience, is visualization…
So let me start by asking you this, when you think of Autumn and coziness - what comes to mind? What makes you feel “hugged” (my definition of Autumn) and warm inside?
Each person has their own idea and definition. Your answer to this question will be the right starting point for you to build your personal little cozy haven on.
Chez nous, we will be doing something along these lines…
Create a sense of snugness and comfort by adding layers and layers of cosy textures - It is time for your chunky wooly blankets, soft throws, and fluffy slippers to see the light again. Pull them out of the cupboards, place them in strategic locations: over that chair you like to cosy up with your books, the sofa, by the fireplace…On display or neatly rolled inside baskets.
Make an Autumn bucket list. Write down everything you want to do, like personal projects and perhaps a new hobby, all the seasonal things you want to try, new routes you want to try next time you go on a nature walk, the books you want to read, and outdoor activities like visiting pumpkin patches or fruit orchards.
Get a couple of indoor plants - Whilst there are recent studies that actually suggest that it would require recreating a mini forest inside a room to actually purify the air, there are many other significant benefits to owning plants. Bringing greenery into a room adds life to the space, and helps reduce stress by uplifting your mood, it also increases humidity which is helpful in the winter.
Make your own “coffeehouse” playlist, and play it in the background whilst you’re working from home sipping on that Pumpkin spice latte (you got to try our recipe!). Now, if you really really miss your coffeehouse, you can visit coffeevity.com and listen to their playlists of ambient sounds of cafés and lounges.
Bring Essential Oils into your life. Investing in a humidifier with essential oil diffusing capabilities is a double win, and a great way to bring those “fall” scents to your home the natural way. You will reap the health benefits of the essential oils whilst making your home smell oh so good!
Our favourite Autumn blends are:
Autumn rain - 1 drop of Bergamot + 2 drops of Lavender + 3 drops of Fir needle
Afternoon in the Cabin - 3 drops Lavender + 2 drops of Clary sage + 2 drops Frankincense + 1 drop of cedarwood
Snuggle with a book - 4 drops of Cinnamon bark + 3 drops of Ginger + 2 drops of Sweet orange + 1 drop of Fir needle + 2 drops of vanilla.
Get a couple of fun, fluffy and warm socks.
Create an atmosphere, dim the lights. Use candles and lanterns to create little pockets of light around the house, recreating that beautiful sunset light inside your home. Invest in some quality 100% beeswax candles, they may cost a little more but think of it as a health investment as they not only won’t poison your home with harmful chemicals but will also help clean the air. Stay away from paraffin, and soy candles - they release toxic fumes as they burn. It is best to go candle-free than to bring one of these into your home.
If you want to bring in new color accents into your decor scheme, focus on warmth but don’t overdo it - if when you’re done all you can see is orange, then you may need to bring it back a few notches.
Build a fire pit on your backyard - click here for an easy “how-to”.
Voilá!
We would love to hear from you and what your personal idea of Autumn heaven is. Leave us your comments, or if you have a Design conundrum, get in touch as well!
Happy Autumn!