My Warm & Cozy Winter Cottage Tips and Tour
Do you struggle with what to do between the time you take down your holiday decor and springtime? Let me take you on a little winter tour of our cottage living room and kitchen, and give you some winter decor tips on how to keep warm and cozy during this time of transition.
Welcome Winter Mini Blog Hop
I’m joining 10 other amazing bloggers today for our Welcome Winter Mini Blog Hop, hosted by my friend Cecilia of My Thrift Store Addiction. If you are hopping over from Kelly of The Tattered Pew, welcome! Doesn’t she have the best winter porch ideas? Make sure to visit the blogs linked at the bottom of this post for more inspired winter decor ideas.
For those of you that have not been here before, thank you for being here! I’m Kim. I live in a 100-year-old beach cottage in the beautiful PNW. For most of the year, you’ll find me in my cottage garden or greenhouse, overlooking the Puget Sound.
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I have mixed emotions when it comes to taking down my holiday decor and transitioning to winter decor.
On one hand, I struggle with saying goodbye to the festive Christmas holiday decor and feel like my house looks…how do I put it? BLAH and BORING!
On the other hand, I love getting rid of the clutter. This is such a great opportunity to get in there and deep clean and organize. My home hasn’t had a good cleaning since last spring. I was out in the garden all summer. Then we went straight into fall and Christmas decorating. I didn’t have time to clean. In fact, I barely had time to get all of that seasonal decor out on time!
A Warm & Cozy Winter Refresh
Maybe you already know my secret.
I’ve finally figured out how to decorate for Christmas, with the idea of repurposing some of my holiday decor and leaving it up for the remainder of the winter season. My goal each January is to take away the true Christmas decor, such as red accessories, ornaments, Christmas pillows, and anything else with glitter and glam. Oh, and anything that says CHRISTMAS on it.
Here are some of the “all winter” items I tend to leave out until springtime…
- Naked Christmas trees
- Any greenery, fresh or faux
- Candles & twinkle lights
- Neutral pillows
When purchasing decor items for Christmas, I try to keep in mind items that can be left out for the entire winter season.
My Favorite Winter Decor Tips for Creating a Warm & Cozy Ambiance
1. Winter Greenery and Natural Elements to Bring the Outdoors Inside
I keep a lot of my greenery from Christmas out and about for the entire winter season. Depending on my mood, I’ll refresh the pine tree branches from my yard, and add faux greenery to it for a bolder and full appearance. I tuck faux stems around vignettes as well.
If I’ve already deep cleaned a room, however, I may tend to skip the fresh greenery altogether (it gets a bit messy) and stick with faux options only.
Christmas trees, now fully “naked”, are a great winter accessory. I kept some of my bottle brush trees out, as well as a few mini Christmas trees.
Cotton stems add so much winter charm to any room.
My pinecones definitely work overtime and are used in vignettes and on my mantel from the end of September, for autumn, through the winter season. They create winter warmth for sure. Here you’ll see my faux eucalyptus and bay leaf garland and faux pine branches for a cozy winter fireplace mantel.
Magnolia leaves are a beautiful type of greenery to keep up for the winter season. They can be added to a garland or made into a beautiful winter wreath.
Eucalyptus is one of my favorite faux greens I use. I have faux eucalyptus garland, wreaths, and stems throughout my home.
2. Create a Cozy Ambiance with Candles & Twinkle Lights
Just because the holidays are over, it doesn’t mean we have to give up that warm glow of a candle or some twinkle lights. I don’t know of any rules out there that say once we hit January, it’s time to pack them all up. Enjoy it as long as you can!
Nothing makes me happier than lighting a scented candle in the winter months. The Antique Candle Co. offers the most amazing fragrances all year long.
I also love using battery-operated candles in almost every room. I love being able to leave them, even when I’m not in a room. They can be put under cloches, and around garlands, without being a fire hazard.
3. Warm & Cozy Winter Mantel Refresh
My Christmas stockings and ornaments have all been packed up. Candlesticks, greenery, and pinecones are what’s left on my fireplace mantel for the remaining winter season.
I absolutely love these vintage books from Jaysworld.
4. Adding Texture for Winter Warmth & Coziness
Adding a variety of textures to any space makes a home feel comfortable, cozy, and “lived-in”. I’m a huge believer in mixing several elements in the same space. Here are some of my favorites for winter…
- Chunky cable blankets, stitched pillows, and other accessories made of yarn
- Wicker furniture and baskets
- Woods such as dough bowls, vintage shutters and antique pieces
With the frigid winter temperatures outside, bundling up indoors is more important than ever. Ask puppy Ollie, he agrees!
Chunky cable blankets, stitched pillows, and other accessories made of yarn instantly create a warm and comforting abode.
My friend KariAnne at Thistlewood Farm made the perfect 5-minute DIY sweater vases for the winter season. Aren’t they the cutest?
Wicker furniture, accents, and baskets not only warm up a room but add texture and contrast.
Dough bowls, breadboards, and vintage shutters are just a few of the wood pieces I use for winter home decor.
5. Vintage Mixed with New
A few vintage pieces mixed in with newer decor add much-needed character at a time of year when we really need it.
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope that some of the winter decor tips and ideas I shared were helpful. Make sure to hop on over to my very talented friend Lora of Lora B. Create & Ponder to see her beautiful winter mantel decor. You won’t want to miss it! And be sure to visit my blogging friend’s posts at the end of this post to see all of their beautiful winter decorating inspiration!
Until next time,
Happy Winter Decorating!
PIN IT FOR LATER!
If you’ve enjoyed this blog post, please pin and share this on Pinterest.
For More Amazing Winter Decor Ideas Follow the Blog Hop
Be sure to visit my blogging friend’s posts below to see all of their beautiful winter decorating inspiration!
My Thrift Store Addiction | Midwest Life and Style | Panoply
The Crowned Goat | Calypso in the Country | The Tattered Pew
Shiplap and Shells | Lora B. Create & Ponder | Follow the Yellow Brick Home
Open Doors Open Hearts | Bricks ‘n Blooms
Let’s Connect on Social Media
- Follow me @shiplapandshells on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook
- Join my Facebook Gardening Tips & Tricks Group.
What color paint is used on the piece of furniture that’s blue? I love it!
You gave me so many great ideas for decorating my house this season!! I love the vintage touches! My family is decluttering our house over the weekend and then we’re getting cabinet refinishing the following week. After that, we finally get to decorate for Christmas, and I’m so excited!
Beautiful! Your home gives me such a sense of tranquility and peace. Where do you buy your faux greenery? It looks real.
Thank you, Ann! The faux greenery comes from many different places throughout the years. Pottery Barn and a local store called the Garden Room are my favorites.
Very cozy indeed! I am so jealous of your cabinet with the quilts – I have longed for one just like it forever.
Love all your cozy touches, Kim! Stay dry and warm!
Thank you Molly! So happy the sun is out today!
Kim, I just love how you decorated for the winter season! I am using a lot of cotton stems which I love due to cotton is all down here in south Georgia!
Can you still use them in the spring or do I need to pack them all up?
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Love hearing from you!
Thank you Margie! Great question because I researched the heck out of how long I could keep cotton stems out. I couldn’t find anything, so I made up my own rules. I bring them out for fall, keep them for holiday and winter decorating, and use them in the spring as well. I keep them more in the background in spring, but I think they look pretty with the reds and pinks for Valentine’s Day. That’s just me though. I don’t believe in rules when it comes to decor! Have a good week.
I think I need me an Ollie! So stinkin’ cute! Love all of your cozy winter ideas too. And that hutch makes me want to find more quilts. Seems like the ones we have are all yucky colors. I want blues and greens and pinks and reds. Not peach and brown and yellow and orange. Bleh. Great tour!
Thank you Cindy! You are too sweet. I am just so happy I have this cabinet because we literally have no storage space for our quilts and blankets. I don’t think they believed in closet space in 1920, but then again, they didn’t have the STUFF we have now. I do gravitate towards the blues, greens, and pinks as well. Thank you for visiting.
Your home is so cozy and pretty! I love the ideas for winter decor. Ollie is adorable! What breed?
Thank you Vicki! I appreciate it. Ollie is a havanese.
Your home is so pretty and cozy. Ollie is a cutie. What kind of breed is he ? To
Thank you Linda! Ollie is a havanese.
Hi Kim! Happy New Year! Your home always looks so cozy and beautiful. I have a question for you. How do you keep your floors looking so shiny and clean? They always look so great! Thanks for the great tour!
Thank you Linda! First they look extra shiny because there aren’t any carpets in the house because of puppy training these days, so it’s extra noticeable. I use Rejuvenate Products on my floors. I’m so glad you think they’re shiny. Thank you!
So many beautiful ways to welcome winter, Kim! I love the way you’ve used lots of vintage elements and all the pretty ways you’ve used trees too. Your quilt cabinet is definitely one of my favorite pieces no matter what the season. And don’t even get me started on that little cutie pie Oliie! I could seriously play with that sweet pete all day 🙂 Hugs and happy weekend, CoCo
Thank you for all the sweet comments CoCo. And Ollie makes it very hard to get anything done throughout the day. They say puppies sleep 18-20 hours a day, but I think I need to challenge that!
Your Ollie looks like a stuffed animal; he’s adorable! Loved this winter tour of your cottage, Kim. All the beautiful natural textures combined with your awesome vintage finds is right in my sweet spot. I think we should start a new design trend: organic vintage: lots of vintage and lots of organic textures to go with it…perfection! So fun to be hopping with you!
I love that idea Lora. We do have a the same style for sure. And ues, Ollie doesn’t even look real right now, I almost hate to see him grow up, except I need him to be potty trained!
Kim! You’re winter home is gorgeous!! I love it! PS Your puppy looks like my Mom and Dads puppy!! Such a cutie!!!
Thank you Aliya! Enjoy your week my friend.
I love how Ollie is featured under the cozy section he is the cutest!!! Your home looks so pretty! I love all the winter touches and warmth that the candles and twinkle lights add. xoxo
Thanks Stacy! You know I have to feature him every chance I can because he’s growing so quickly!
Oh my goodness, Kim. Where to start? Everything in your home is absolutely gorgeous. I love the way you incorporated simple touches into your winter style. And how cute is little Ollie? Pinned for future inspiration.
Thank you Jen! Ollie is my very favorite winter accessory for sure. Thank you all for the kind words. So fun to be hopping with you today.
Kim, your cottage is so cozy and charming! We are on the same page when it comes to transitioning for winter–I also am leaving greenery, bare trees, and dried oranges to brighten the winter months. Pinning and sharing on IG. Happy winter! Cecilia @My Thrift Store Addiction
Thank you Cecilia! And thank you so much for letting me join along with you all today. What a group of talented women!
Kim your winter decor is just beautiful! I am in love with that cabinet filled with linens and quilts!! Pinned !Thanks for all of your lovely tips and the tour!
Thank you for visiting Kelly! With a lack of closets, that cabinet has been a life saver! And it’s a bonus being cute!
I know what you mean about having mixed feelings this time of year – but your home looks gorgeous! I love all your colors and all your pretty pieces that work so well for winter. I have to tell you though, Ollie is my favorite of all of your “accessories”! Could that puppy be any cuter?!! Enjoy every fluffy moment! Great hopping with you again and enjoy your weekend!
Shelley
I am so with you on Ollie! He is even better than a blanket. I can’t believe how fast he’s growing. Thanks for visiting Shelley!
Kim, your winter decor and home are anything BUT blah and boring! I absolutely love your color palette, mixing the sea greens with blues and creams. I’m with you on keeping naked trees around for awhile, at least until the gray days become fewer, maybe early February. If we’re going to be home, we crave comfort. It looks as though Ollie is a cuddle bug – adorable! Happy winter to you, and happy to join you today on Cecilia’s invitation.
Thank you Rita. I felt the same way about your beautiful winter color palette. The art of nesting comfortably is so important these days. Thank you for visiting today. So fun winter decor hopping with you.