When the nightly news spends half the time telling you what parts of New Zealand have weather warnings, and the other half showing you flooding, heavy snowfalls and wild winds, you can be sure we’re caught in the grips of winter.
During these long cold nights, it’s easy to find your sleep broken by the wind whistling around your home or from the sudden shock of cold when your foot slips from under the warm bedclothes – and any sort of interruption can stop you being at your best during the daytime.
Clearly the best way you can guarantee a great night’s sleep is by finding the perfect bed and mattress combination from Bedpost – but we’ve also compiled a great checklist to make sure you do everything in your power to keep your bedroom warm and toasty.
Hot decorating tips
While the weather’s keeping you from doing DIY and gardening outdoors, winter can be a great season to concentrate on decorating indoors. And while you’re fixing up all those little jobs you’ve meant to do for ages, why not add a few finishing touches to your bedroom to make it a cosy crash-pad.
1. If you’re thinking of giving your bedroom a lick of paint, consider dark colours on the walls (or at least one feature wall) because it will help reduce the impression of the room’s size and create a cosy atmosphere. Rich, saturated reds, browns and charcoals will help mute the harsh winter light during the day and you can always balance the darkness with bright, crisp linen to make sure the bedroom doesn’t become too gloomy.
2. Natural wood always helps create a feeling of warmth in a room – either via a polished floor or via exposed beams. If you’re buying furniture, go for antique, upcycled or vintage pieces as they’ll help create that cosy-cottage feel.
3. Busy or bold wallpaper will also help create a feeling of warmth in a room – again, it doesn’t have to be throughout the whole room because a single feature wall will also do the trick.
Bedding and textiles
If you’re not keen on a wholesale revamp of your bedroom, you can still change its feel with a few well-chosen items. From scatter cushions and throws to drapes and rugs, you can take the edge off a winter bedroom without spending a fortune.
1. You might already know what type of pillow suits your sleep style – but that doesn’t mean you can’t cosy up your bed with a few more. Even if you’re not going to add a new pillow to help rest your head, you can still give yourself something to snuggle up to by adding a new cushion or throw in a natural fabric.
2. Curtains don’t just have to be for windows – you can certainly help create a warm feeling for a room by draping fabric around the bed to imitate that decadent four-poster look. Soft flowing fabrics are best for creating a centrepiece for the room but if you’re thinking about draping fabric on the walls, choose heavier fabrics such as tweed or denim.
3. Nothing is cosier in a bedroom than having that cottage-look. You can get this by adding a simple piece of furniture such as an ottoman or an armchair in a chintzy or rich fabric, or throwing down a few colourful rugs.
Insulation
New Zealand homes are often singled out for their poor insulation and that means many of us spend nights in bedrooms which are unnecessarily cold and damp. The simple truth is that a well-insulated house is not only warmed in winter, but also cooler in summer – and you’ll save yourself a fortune in heating and air con bills throughout the whole year.
1. According to the Government’s EECA website, your priorities in terms of insulating your home are ceilings, underfloor, walls and then windows. There are heaps of styles of insulation around from natural wool fibre to the more traditional fibreglass rolls.
2. Windows provide a natural spot for heat-loss (as well as building up a lot of condensation) so consider backing your curtains with thermal blinds or upgrading them to full-drop drapes.
3. No matter how many steps you check to insulate your bedroom properly, it can all come undone if you leave gaps which let the draughts in. Make sure doors and windows aren’t loose and fit weather strips around windows. Gaps under doors can be dealt to by draught excluders and any gaps around floorboards, skirting boards, cornices or fireplaces sealed up.
Practical steps
As well as decorating and DIY, there are a few practical steps to how you use your bedroom which might help you keep a little warmer and sleep a little sounder at night. They may seem obvious, but they can really help your bedroom become a sanctuary from the cold winter weather.
1. Be prepared for the cold mornings (especially if you have to get up in the dark to get ready for work or school) by keeping your dressing gown and slippers close to the bed – nothing gives you a rude awakening worse than the feeling of cold floorboards as you swing your legs out from under the covers.
2. Get yourself into a nice warming routine before you get into bed. A warm bath and hot drink (just no caffeine, remember) should do the trick.
