Spirit of Winter

I’m heading back to San Francisco, after an all-too-brief visit with Jon. The East Coast was a patchwork of brown, white, and gray: a true winter palette. To counteract the dismal weather, we made sinfully rich oreo chocolate truffles and went bowling. It was lovely.

Moving to the West Coast has made winter a faint memory, but the past few days reminded me of how strongly color can evaporate from the landscape. As I cast my eyes around, I was dismayed by the lack of visual stimulus. Each color has its peaks—think of how gray can shift from a deep, charismatic charcoal to an alluring dove hue—but also its troughs (soulless cement gray…). As far as I was concerned, there were only troughs in sight.

Source: www.allaboutwalls.org

What did occur to me, however, was that in the absence of color, texture took center stage. I began to notice the severe angularity of tree branches, and rough clefts formed by rain and ice beating against tree trunks. Snow either sat in impenetrable mounds on the sidewalks or misted the air like sawdust.

Source: thecalloftheland.wordpress.com

Maybe this is why winter, more than any other season, brings to mind textural depth and richness. As the chill sets in, I dust off my wool tights, ribbed cashmere sweaters, and heathery faux-fur scarves (yes, faux is sometimes better). They give me the necessary line of defense to a world that is otherwise frozen and bare to the bone. Metallic accents and jewelry lend notes of crispness and luxe. 

Dressing a house for winter is no different. In my mind’s eye I envision living rooms swathed in base shades of grey, palest blue, nude, white, and wood.

Source: crinapopa.wordpress.com

This isn’t to say that color isn’t welcome--think of those pine greens and poinsettia reds that are the hallmarks of Christmas. But a home can also reflect and respond to the mood of its surroundings; in this case, a world of muted color and extraordinary texture. Why shouldn’t we bring that indoors?

Source: homegirllondon.com

If you're looking for inspiration to bring texture and warmth into your house, seek out materials that have a physical, tactile impact: suede, felt, leather, faux fur, sheepskin, wool, and silk are just a few. Below are some fun ideas!

Sources: West Elm, Restoration Hardware, Horchow, Land of Nod, Pinterest, Houzz.com, Real Simple.

Admittedly, given that I now live on the West Coast, I don’t have to “cope” with winter quite as much. It’s February, but there are palm trees on Dolores Street and avocados are always in season. I don’t miss the frigid cold or barren landscape one bit, but it is amazing how even a brief encounter with freezing temperatures can reaffirm your love of “home.”

Back at Jon’s flat, I had fun pulling on some thick, hand-knitted socks gifted to me by a Finnish friend. They aren’t the most fashion-forward items I own, but they are everything a winter homescape calls for: thick and cozy, deeply textured, and perfect for cuddling during Lost reruns (which engross me, despite my telling Jon that it's a terrible show and he shouldn't let anyone know he watches it).