As the cooler days and nights are beginning to settle in, there is nothing more inviting than a cozy room filled with glowing embers, layers of textiles and rich, warm colours on the wall to envelop you!  Unfortunately for me, there are no glowing embers in my house…..but at this time of year I always start to crave the warmth and bring out the wool blankets, throws and knit cushions!  This year I have a luxurious faux-fur throw from West Elm on my birthday wish list!  (hint-hint to any family reading this!)

Image found on West Elm.

It will coordinate perfectly with my linen sofa, oat straw walls and silhouette accent wall!  (sorry – it’s an occupational hazard that I speak in Benjamin Moore colours…)

SO let’s take a look at some ways to bring the fireplace warmth into your interior spaces with OR without the fire!

Every room in the house from living to bedroom feels warmer and more luxurious when you layer.  Now I have to admit my husband doesn’t share this sentiment. Instead he just thinks he married a serious textile hoarder.  Tell me, don’t you all store several large rubber bins full of various seasonal and colour coordinated textiles?

Well, not that I need more……but I found this gorgeous assortment on Etsy, designed and handmade made in England by knitfreckles!   I just love the simplicity of the designs and was struck by the designers’ colour story:   “This collection is inspired by the landscape of North Eastern Britain. The colours and textures in my collection reflect the countryside and the remains of an old Roman fort near to where I grew up.”

From KnitFrekkles

These are the warm and hazy colours that inspire me when I look at this beautiful sofa vignette:

Silk, velvet and faux-fur layered cushions bring a yummy, “lux-iousness” to the already warm and cozy linen sofa in this family room.  I painted the backdrop desert twilight, a green infused warm-grey so the walls would recede and echo the natural slate floor.

Wall colour and a good wool rug really help to fill a space with warmth.  I helped a good friend of mine create a new colour scheme for her old home – in fact it is a heritage farm house that was lovingly restored with the quintessential mix of classic and modern, authentic and re-invented.  (photo above and below)

Reclaimed wood flooring, windows and doors offset the contemporary touches in artwork, and furnishings.  In a good sized room such as this, the large,patterned area rug is practical and strategic as it grounds the furnishings around the central focal point – the grand fireplace. During the warmer summer months this rug could be switched out with an inexpensive sisal, but for the winter the wool is ideal for extra seating in front of the fire!  I love the traditional damask pattern so I referenced it with the warm, rich sparrow on the surrounding walls.  Of course with the deep wall colour, layers of textiles and richwood finishes, a default white for trim just wouldn’t fit the bill.  So for this room I used jute for the trim, fireplace surround and mantle for a subtle contrast that lends a more heritage feel. And for the ceiling a soft, creamy white, deep in thought.

Here in another space you can see how even a streamlined, modern floating fireplace can be “warmed up” even more with rich colour!   This little sitting area in a large master bedroom has the warm grey historical grant beige on the walls accented with stone brown.  A patterned rug layered over the broadloom is a great stylist’s trick and the hits of fresh yellow-green in accessories are playful, coordinating with the bedding colour.

Share with me your favourite tips for bringing the warmth of a burning fire into your home this season!

Keep warm and happy decorating!

Sharon

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