Ways to make your home feel cosier in Winter
Find out how a few key elements can warm up your abode over the winter months. Anyone can make a home that is inviting and relaxing after a long cold day.
Choose a warm paint colour: Explore the colour wheel - Notice that yellows, oranges and reds are on the warm side so utilising those colours will simulate a cosier, warmer mood. Blue and purples are on the cool side so they will simulate the opposite mood.
Warm lighting: Group lighting by using task and ambience lighting and a mixture of table and floor lamps. Warm coloured bulbs throw out a softer light and give a room a cosy feel.
TIP: Having your lights on separate switches means you can control how bright/dim a space will be.
Add pot plants: Any living element contributes to a cosy and inviting feel. Plants in baskets are not only on-trend, but they also generate more oxygen inside your home too.
TIP: Group pots together using different shapes and heights to make a focal point.
Carpet, rugs and textiles: Tiles are great but can be chilly underfoot in the cooler months. Carpets insulate, soften and warm up a room and New Zealand wool carpets are environmentally friendly with a sustainable fibre, plus naturally flame retardant.
Don’t discount rugs even if you have carpets. Make sure you choose a rug that works with your existing carpet. Placing a rug between yourself and the floor instantly guarantees a warmer atmosphere. Rugs are also incredibly good at tying a space together.
TIP: Garage carpet reforms the space from a cold concrete feel to a soft warm space too!
Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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85.1% Yes
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13.4% No
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
What do you think about this car park's condition?
A Tokoroa local says the car park at Tokoroa Hospital is a “third world” shambles and is not a good look for the town’s public medical centre.
Olaf Langhenkel said the state of the car park, which is riddled with potholes and past attempts at repair, had been deteriorating for around five years and nothing had been done about it.
What do you think about this car park's condition? Tell us your reasons in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).