Designs to Warm Your Home
Writer Lynne Goldman reveals some surprising design ideas to help you warm up your home's décor for the colder months ahead.

Fall into Beauty By Lynne Goldman, photos by Dan Epstein Room designed by Maria Monaco Carole Gambale of A&R Interiors in Denville WARM UP YOUR HOME AGAINST WINTER'S CHILL As the days get cooler and the sun sets earlier, it's natural to turn inward toward home and hearth. It's a gradual process here in New Jersey, with time to warm up both mentally and physically for the colder months. Here, designers offer tips from the simple to the surprising to make your home a cozy haven. icture curling up with a soft throw by the fireplace, tucked in with a book, a cup of tea by your side. "Warm is a concept as well as a feeling," says interior designer Helen Post Curry. "We actually use that word to express different experiences relating to each of our five senses." She suggests considering each sense—sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound— when adding warming decorating touches to our homes. P Light, both natural and created, has a powerful effect on us, especially in winter. It's no coincidence that many of the major religious holidays in winter celebrate light and warmth in some way. Rather than covering up windows, pull away the drapes and let as much light in as possible, says Maria Monaco of Monaco Designs in Essex Fells. Which rooms get a southern exposure in your home? Rearrange living spaces to take advantage of 12 Vicinity MAGAZinE October 2009 See warmth the warmth and light. Hang glass prisms or crystals in the windows to catch and reflect the sun. Use sheer curtains, she suggests, instead of heavy drapes, to bring in as much light as possible. Color helps us shift into the different seasons, too. As the leaves turn red, orange, and gold, so can your home. If repainting or adding wallpaper isn't an option, add autumn and winter colors in your window coverings and accessories—pillows, throws, candles, artwork, vases, picture frames, and area rugs. Bring in deeper color tones—cranberry, green, teal, and cinnamon—to spice up every space from the kitchen to the bedroom or family room. To make your home more comfortable for fall and winter, Jodi Heinz suggests taking an item you found at a garage sale—perhaps an accent table or outdoor planter—and have it repainted in fall hues like reds, oranges, and greens. Heinz, who owns Jodi Heinz Designs in Scotch Plains, also suggests trying canvas floor cloths, which she custom paints and designs, in autumnal autumnal colors in place of a rug. She uses patterns, fall flowers like mums, and some leaves for a sophisticated, but seasonal look. If you're considering repainting your walls for the winter, Heinz recommends choosing neutral tones with a painted texture to help add warmth to the room. Fireplaces also evoke warmth, although not everyone wants the mess or has the room for one. Consider an electric fireplace, which can resemble a wood-burning stove, or an ethanol burner fireplace that can be built in or free standing (ecosmartfire.com). ey don't need venting and can be moved to fit your décor and whims. Wood—especially vintage wood—brings visual warmth into a room instantly. Patty Cain of Gypsy Farmhouse in Cedar Grove uses reclaimed barnwood from 19th century Lancaster farms to create beautiful dining furniture, benches, kitchen islands, fireplace mantels, and other pieces. She'll take an antique ladder and hang a quilt or blanket

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