Here’s how to beat the July cold

’Tis the season of extreme cold and wet weather is here, so it might be very easy to feel like the grey outside is seeping into your living space. PHOTO| FILE

What you need to know:

  • The classic Maasai blanket is another great piece to use this chilly season.

  • You can line some of your white bathroom linen with strips of the blanket and also create a piece of inexpensive wall art for your toilet by framing the blanket with small pieces of wooden decorations.

’Tis the season of extreme cold and wet weather is here, so it might be very easy to feel like the grey outside is seeping into your living space. This often makes the home look grey, messy from mud prints and very cold. Here are a few ways to make sure that your home remains bright and warm through this season:

ADD SOME SUNSHINE

In the form of some yellow linen, preferably cushions in shades of sunny yellow in your living room. You can also add some temporary sunshine to your dining room by spreading a yellow table runner on it.

Your kitchen can also get a bit of “sun” with a set of plain yellow mugs. In your bathroom, add some bright yellow candles on the shelf.

On your vanity case, place a bunch of yellow roses in a simple glass decanter on a silver tray with some apothecary bottles and, voilà, you have a simple, bright and chic spot in your bedroom! In the corridor, you can spray-paint some picture frames yellow and place some black-and-white family photos for an inexpensive but colourful gallery.

ORGANISE THINGS

Wet things, that is. Place two simple, metal milk buckets just behind your front door for storing wet umbrellas and muddy shoes. To add some va-va-voom to the buckets, use a decal of a funny word quote on them for a bit of charm. Also, add a row of some doorknobs in your entry way for a place to store your coats.

DOWN AND DIRTY

Regarding muddy shoes, another option is to use a good, sturdy outdoor rug to place or clean them. Another idea is to add a dash of whimsy by painting some watering cans in pastel colours and planting  herbs in them.

Place them outside your front door to take advantage of the downpours and to add a bit of visual interest to the space just outside your door.

PLAID GAMES

The plaid blanket, especially one with navy and red, is always a great classic to add to the arm of a sofa, or even to a bedroom. For a new take on it, you can re-upholster an ottoman in your living room with the blanket and add another matching blanket to another piece of furniture in the room to complement the ottoman.

MAASAI ALWAYS

The classic Maasai blanket is another great piece to use this chilly season.

You can line some of your white bathroom linen with strips of the blanket and also create a piece of inexpensive wall art for your toilet by framing the blanket with small pieces of wooden decorations.

CENTREPIECE

Get an old, blue-and-white ceramic teapot, fill it with candies or cookies and use it as a centerpiece on your coffee table. It can also act as a bookend on your kitchen shelf to hold up your collection of recipe books.

WARM AND COOL

All at the same time. Get a set of hot water bottles and glam them up with some old rock T-shirts to use as cushions and warmers in your entertainment space or bedroom.

WARMTH FROM THE INSIDE

Sometimes heat is not just physical but psychological. To add a bit of heat in your master bedroom, add a grey faux throw with matching faux cushions to make the space a bit cosier and ideal for long, cold nights.

COLD FEET

There is nothing  more shocking then the sensation of a cold floor when you wake up in the morning. Add a sheepskin rug to counter this and make waking up taking  that first step much easier.