We’ve reached the heart of winter and if you haven’t updated your home décor beyond putting up and taking down Christmas decorations, it’s definitely time for a sprucing. Think cozy, think welcoming, think friendly. All of the following design tips incorporate the best of these terms, and with a little bit of work and some savvy additions, your home will serve as a safe haven from the frigid temperatures outside.

Easy Winter Home Decor Hacks

Turn Your Fireplace into a Statement

If there’s a more important aspect to your living space during the winter than a lovely heat source, I don’t know of it. If you have a fireplace, do what you can to frame it. Beef up your mantle with some delightful winter décor, including white dipped and gold spray painted fake fruit, add some DIY panels to the surrounding wall for an elegant appearance, or install a façade of faux stacked bricks or limestone. If you don’t have a fireplace, you can still get the look and feel of it for minimal cost. Grab a portable fireplace that will give off soul-warming heat with a chic look.

Related: Ways to Fix Up Your House to Add Value

Maximize Your Light

The winter doesn’t give us a whole lot of light to work with, so make sure you’re making the most of the light that you do have, and add where necessary. If your home doesn’t receive the best of the sun’s rays, mimicking natural lighting is a necessity. The best way to achieve this is to layer your light sources. Think table lamps, lanterns, floor lamps, and strategically selected overhead lighting. Go for energy saving options designed to mimic natural sunlight, as fluorescents can give your home a sterile, hospital-like feeling.

Textured Textiles

Winter calls for texture, especially when all you and your family want to do is curl up on the couch and stay warm. The easiest way to do this? Blankets galore. The fuzzier, the better. Not only do they invite guests to get cozy, well-selected throws can serve as the perfect accent to your couch. Don’t feel like the season means you have to avoid color. If you want to incorporate some bright hues to cheer up your space, textiles provide the perfect avenue to do this.

Feet Cozies

Make sure those tootsies are kept warm with an area rug. There are hidden benefits to a floor coverage. Not only do area rugs keep your feet protected from the cold wooden and tile floors, but they also expand the look of your floor space, meaning an appearance of more square footage and a more open-feeling room.  

Window Treatments

You’d be surprised at the huge effect changing your window treatments can have on the look of your entire home. Choosing your curtain should be dependent upon what you’d like them to do. If you’re wanting to maximize natural light, stick to lightweight, gauzy treatments that will let the sun’s rays into your home. If you’re looking to keep out chilly drafts, a thick curtain will help you keep down heating costs as it insulates the home better.

Go Rustic

There’s something about rustic designs that complement the winter season, and there are hundreds of ways you can incorporate this trend! The best way to achieve this look is to incorporate natural elements; wooden tables, plank floors, exposed beams, and faux animal hides all lend themselves to a rustic setting.

Up Your Candle Game

One of my favorite decorating techniques is to incorporate candles wherever I can. If you’re worried about open flame with little ones, try out these awesome flameless wax pillar candles from Pottery Barn. I love displaying candles within lanterns and placing them around the house for a storybook vibe. I also love to intersperse miniature tea lights around garland on my entryway table—it makes for an elegant welcome to any guests you might entertain.

A Little Bit of “Spruce-ing”

Forgive the terrible pun, but there’s nothing like bringing in some of winter’s gorgeous natural creations into the home. Grab a few branches of spruce and some pinecones, arrange in a circular pattern around a decorative plate, and voila, a winter décor piece that doesn’t scream Christmas. If flower arrangements aren’t your forte, you can also order some from a company like FTD.