How to Ensure your Bathroom is Cosy and Looking Great for Winter
Firstly, thank you so much to all of you who’ve submitted requests to be featured in our blog. We love to bring you different voices that we believe will help you make your home so beautiful you’ll never want to leave. Sophia Griffin is a Birmingham-based chef with a passion for homemaking. When she's not working, she loves dreaming up of new ways to improve her home for her family — a loving husband, two beautiful sons, and their ever-loyal dog, Teddy.
With winter just around the corner, it's never too early to prepare our homes for the cold months ahead.
But what area of your house deserves the most attention? According to the Independent, it's your bathroom. Studies show that we spend an average of 3 hours and 9 minutes on the toilet per week — more time, in fact, than many of us exercise.
So considering how much time you spend on the loo, it would be a good idea to make sure that your bathroom is ready for the upcoming winter months. Here are a few tips that range from your heating all the way to your decor that'll ensure that your bathroom is as cosy as can be!
Warmth
Bathroom floors tend to get frigid and, fast, with all the ceramic, stone, and porcelain. Inspect your radiator before winter sets in for any cold spots or leaks, so that you can address them ahead of time. You can also consider long-term solutions like underfloor heating, but for many homes, this may not be a practical solution. If not, a rug is a good alternative. For instance, the Atipico Nordic Rug not only gives your feet an additional layer of protection from the cold flooring, it also adds a nice decorative touch without going overboard.
In addition, remember that temperatures can get as low as 2°C during winter, so it goes without saying that you better make sure that your boiler can be relied upon to get you through winter. The reason for this is fairly obvious, as absolutely no one enjoys cold showers especially when it is cold out. This is why plumbing specialists HomeServe recommend having your boiler checked at least once a year to make sure it is working to its optimal level. If you have an old unit, it would pay to get it replaced or at the very least get a professional to give their opinion on how long it will last. Boilers generally last up to 10-years before they need replacing.
Insulation
Having insulation is an important factor in retaining heat. While it would be easy to just close your windows, this simply isn't enough during winter. Be sure to either install silicone sealants on your window edges or go all out and get weather stripping for your windows. Remember that you're not only trying to keep the cold out, but also trying to keep the heat in. Another thing that people often forget is their bathroom air ducts. Bathroom ducts need to be insulated to prevent cold air from entering the room.
One clever way you can go about insulation is by designing your home around it. For instance, The Guardian's George Marshall shared some tips on ventilation in the publication’s lifestyle section. He was able “to hinge one of the panels of the bath casing to provide a laundry chute to the utility room below”. This way, it serves two purposes, one being a laundry chute and the second being a large air vent.
Décor (our favourite part!)
Lastly, comfort is all about feeling great about the space that you inhabit. Little additions like the a few candles could liven up your bathroom with the soft warmth and holiday cheer it's been lacking. Surely a Feu De Beaumont Golden Porringer Candle would do wonders for your bathroom. The Golden Perringer comes in three variations: Wild Fig, Jasmine, and Oudh, boasting an impressive 100-hour burn time.
And if you're feeling a little cramped in your bathroom, then adding some mirrors can also make it feel larger. A good choice would be the Gubi Randaccio Wall Mirror, known for its simplistic but elegant design that makes it perfectly adaptable for all interior motifs.