Hello July! How to warm up your living room this season

The dreaded month of July is here, and by the look of things it means business.

Barely two weeks after you were swimming in floodwaters and wading through pools to get to your home, you now have to contend with gritty cold and a frozen nose and, if you live in certain areas, not feeling your toes.

It is time you cosy up your living room in preparation for the next one and possibly half month.

Here are a few tips on achieving to a warm living room without turning on the heater and driving up the electricity bill:

1. Hang thick curtains

This month, consider hanging thick curtains on your windows.

Windows let in the most cold and are also where most of the heat within a room escapes from.

Thick curtains will help you to arrest the loss and trap the heat inside, especially at night.

Be careful not to block out the light though, you still need it.

2. Use warmer fabrics

If you have a sofa in your living room consider using slipcovers made from warm fabrics.

Fabrics such as leather and velvet will help cosy up your sofa and match seasonal changes.

Consider using a fabric that is soft and sensuous to the touch.

3. Use brighter colours

Colour has the ability to transform your moods and brighten up your day. Believe it or not, colour could also give physiological warmth.

Use earth tones, desert colours to create warmth in your living room. You could achieve this by hanging thick cream or brown curtains.

Warm up the room even more by adding colours such as yellow and orange to make it more interesting and lively.

4. Light up the room

The room needs light now more than ever because light will create the illusion of warmth.

Open the curtains but keep the shears drawn to let in more light.

Consider lighting a candle or three for that warm luminous light.

Also use bulbs that shine a warm colour such as yellow or orange.

The more lit the room the warmer it will feel.

5. Re-arrange the furniture

If you have a large living room with lots of space between the seats, I recommend moving the furniture closer together.

This will help create the warmth between people and a cosy feel achieved only in small spaces.

You could hang a piece of art on the wall to create a focus for the room.

6. Warm up with a rug

Floors can get extremely cold in the month of July.

Most Nairobi residents live in houses with a tiled floor.

These floors get chilly even in the January sun so they can be punitive in July.

Invest in a warm cosy brightly coloured rug.

Such a rug will make you want to snuggle up in a ball with your hot chocolate and a good movie till morning.

I hope these tips warm up your life this season. Be safe and keep warm this July.