Winter is coming!

Time flies and the warm season seems to be on its way out already. Of course, there are things we’ll miss: sitting in the warm sunshine, meeting friends on the porch late in the day, that feeling that the day is endless and there is enough time to do whatever needs doing.

But then many, if not most, of us seem to partially hibernate throughout the darker period of the year. We can now look forward to the joys of warm jumpers, hot drinks around the fireplace, huddling up in front of your TV set, and eating more ‘comfort food’ than we rightfully should.

However, this changeover from the bright outdoors to the cosy indoors comes with a bit of reshuffling of priorities and possessions. Many people shift furniture around in spring to give easy access to the garden, and autumn means that the sofa finally goes back to a more comfortable spot. It makes sense to arrange things in your home to accommodate the needs of the seasons, of course, so let’s have a look at the things you can do now to get ready for a calm and relaxing winter season.

I’ve already mentioned furniture: have you considered changing things around to allow for a more comfortable meeting space? In winter, we tend to have more guests inside the house rather than outside in the garden. Maybe it’s a good idea to set up your lounge to be ready for entertaining guests easily? You may want to think about just how you make use of the space in winter: what will you do differently from summer? Make sure the space is as useful for those activities as it can be. Sometimes little things like moving coffee tables to a different spot can make all the difference to shift the focus in the right direction. Think about it.

One big classic switchover items is clothing. Not only will you be wearing warmer items throughout the next couple of months, but you may want to take a close look at the summer clothes you own, which ones you have not worn this year and find out why that is the case. Will you be likely to wear this next year? Can you remember when you last wore this piece? Stay away from other considerations, except maybe sentimental reasons, but even those should be treated with suspicion.

Other than thinking about paring down your wardrobe, you want to shift things in a way that the obvious items you will be using more from now on are on display, in front, while whatever is not in season right now can go out of sight – and should be out of sight. Ideally those items of clothing should be taken out of the way completely, but I realise most people will not be able to do this for lack of space. My practical advice: bring seasonal items to the fore in the best way possible and push the rest to the back of the wardrobe or shelves.

Talking of clothing: don’t forget your hallway: if you keep jackets, shoes and such items here, it’s now time to move the summer slippers and light jackets out of the way and make space for boots, wellies and rain wear. It’s incredible how many people keep everything in their hallway, clogging it up and making it so much less appealing than it could actually be.

After those small tips, I invite you to take a good look at your home and think about how you use your home differently in summer and winter. Make adjustments to get your home to a state that brings the most enjoyment as possible during the winter season. Also, Christmas (it’s still three months away, but it will certainly creep up on you sooner than you think) will require space and peace of mind, and your home should be as helpful as possible in that respect.

If you have enjoyed reading this, you may find these other articles interesting:

• Hallways are a visitor's first impression
• Clothes backlog
• Use the right kind of storage