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890 days ago

Ways to make your home feel cosier in Winter

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean at Whakatane ChemDry

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...

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More messages from your neighbours
17 hours ago

Suellen’s sweet Christmas tradition

Bob Owens Retirement Village

The festive season is always a great excuse to indulge your sweet tooth, and this time of year poses the perfect opportunity to bring a real showstopper to the Christmas table.

For Suellen’s family, that showstopper is Croquembouche, an impressive tower of cream puffs bound together with spun sugar that is popular at weddings in France and Italy.

What began as a birthday treat at a local French café has become a cherished Christmas tradition for Suellen and her 17-year-old twin granddaughters, Ellie and Sadie. Every year, the trio gather in Suellen’s apartment at William Sanders Village to cook this festive dessert - a holiday highlight they all treasure.

Click read more for the recipe.

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12 days ago

Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag

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4 days ago

On the range

Resene

Venetian plaster finishes are on-trend at the moment, so why not recreate this look at home and cover that unsightly rangehood at the same time? Find out how to create your own with Resene Sandtex and these easy step by step instructions. Find out more

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