By Tedra Schneider
Room 911
Tedra Schneider
Oh, the coziness of winter — a bowlful of pinecones and cinnamon sticks on the coffee table along with a big mug of hot cocoa, a roaring fire in the fireplace and a luxurious throw upon your lap, a vaseful of winterberries and a big pot of stew simmering on the stove.
What more could enhance your sense of winter? As you gaze out your picture window looking at the beautiful fir trees fringed in snow and big flakes tumbling from the sky, what more could anyone wish for to complete the quintessential New England winter season scene?
For this writer, the long gray days, the ice on the driveway, the cold temperatures and the heating bills take away from the idyllic atmosphere. While I am not personally affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, someone please show me the light. There is an anticipation as the days grow longer that soon warmth and sunshine will come. In reality, it is a long, long way off.
What can we do to brighten our environment? Here are just a few suggestions that
are easy fixes while many of us wait for the arrival of spring: crocus, daffodils, tulips, forsythia and fresh green buds on the trees.
Open your curtains and let the light in. Buy some throws in reds or persimmon colors as well as stripes or patterned throw pillows to adorn your sofa. If you can take advantage of a sale, you can even buy a bright patterned small area rug to put beneath your coffee table. A bright runner on your dining room table or a brightly patterned tablecloth adds some punch to the room.
A quick and relatively inexpensive way to add some brightness to any room is through green vegetation. Plants, tall or waist height, tucked into the corners of a room and potted succulents for your end tables or cocktail table are welcome respites from the grayness of winter. Fruit-bearing plants and citrusy candles enhance our sense that spring is on the horizon.
Valentine’s Day will be here before long, and we will begin to see roses in a variety of colors, daffodils, tulips and eventually hyacinths. All of these colors can chase away the winter blues. No need to buy in abundance because a few potted flowering plants or bunches in vases goes a long way.
What else do you need to brighten your room? I would be remiss if I didn’t mention “decluttering” your environment. The more open space between objects and fewer objects in a room, the more likely your room will look lighter and brighter.
The big decision for me on this winter’s day will be the following: Should I make a pitcher of sangria with tropical fruits (even if they are bought in the freezer section at this time of year) or a tall glass of lemonade?
Tedra Schneider can be reached at restagebytedra@gmail.com.