If there’s any time of year to make your condo or loft cozy, it’s during the winter. While the brave souls among us may spend a lot of time outdoors in the cold and snow, many of us spend a lot of time in our homes. There are several things you can do to give your condo or loft a more wintry feel and save a little money on heating costs.

curtains

Sheer, sheer curtains can look great in your home during the summer months, giving it an airy feel, but thicker curtains make much more sense during the winter. Thick curtains in dark colors will not only give your place a cozy and warm feeling, but will also keep it warmer by trapping heat and radiating it away. If you want to go one step further, buy energy efficient curtains, which are specifically designed to capture the sun’s heat and can help warm the room.

Decorate with pineapples and twigs.

Pinecones and twigs make great decorations and create a warm feeling that can lift your spirits on a cold winter day. There are many ways to use them. Take the flowers out of a clear glass vase, fill it with pine cones, and then stick some twigs or sticks into it. It looks great on a shelf or on your fireplace mantle. Or, fill a bowl with pinecones and use as a centerpiece.

crowns

Nothing says winter like wreaths. Lots of people use them outside and they actually look great when hung on the front door. But they can also make great interior decoration. Hanging a wreath over the fireplace will give the entire room a wintry feel.

Wrap your windows with plastic

If you’re like most of us, your windows will be tightly closed during the winter. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re keeping all the cold air out of your condo or loft. There are a variety of plastic wrap systems that you can hang on your window frames to cover the windows and prevent cold air from entering. You can buy kits that have everything you need except the hair dryer, which is used to heat the plastic and melt it in place.

front door mat

Since you probably walked through snow, and maybe mud, sand, or salt, coming in, it’s important to put a rug at your front door. A rug is especially useful if you have a rug that runs all the way to the front door; that rug will get dirty quickly, even if you only step on it to remove your shoes. And if you have hardwood on your doorstep, you’ll spend a lot of time sweeping up the sand and other debris that you bring with you. At least if you have a rug, most of the debris will be confined to one place.