1. Insulate doors and windows
The main rule of thumb is: energy transfer
Doors
Door draft guard: Have you ever actually heard that name? Draft guards, draft snake, draft stopper are a long bean bag which is placed to cover the gap between your entrance door and the hallway and stop cold air to sneak into your cozy paradise. You can buy one but one great idea and fun activity is to make your own as a DIY project.
You’ll need some fabric, sand, zip lock bags, and about 30min to an hour depending on the version you are going for.
Windows
Windows are where most of the cold air will be coming in so it is a great start to look at for prevention. You can temporarily seal them and use heavier curtain to anticipate.
Rubber weather stripping : Trim it to match the length of the window frame, peel and stick to the frame. The rubber will fill in any gaps and block the draft.
Window insulation film : add the double sided step tape around the perimeter of the window, stretch the plastic film over the window, use a hair dryer to remove wrinkles in the film. It is a cheap and removable option to cover multiple windows
Draft snake as above
2. Cover your walls and floors
It is all about doing the same process to your walls and floors. They do not let out as much amount of heat as windows but it is still a wise decision to have a look at it.
Think Picture frames, posters, mirrors, tapestries, bookshelves, anything you can hang or put against a wall all can act as insulators. For furniture the best position is slightly away from your walls or on the inner walls in your apartment.
For the floor, you can get rugs and carpets to add a great winter vibe to your place but also prevent this cold feeling when stepping in your floor with bare feet after a warm cosy sleep or nap (also don't forget your favorite fluffy slippers ;).
3. Swap out your Bedding
Launder and store your warmer weather bedding, and reach for the down comforter or wool blankets instead to improve your bedding situation and so sleep. Just like when you go outside in the cold, layers is key so do not hesitate to throw some extras blankets for improved warmth comfort and also great visual design.
Here’s what you can do:
A mattress pad
Flannel sheets (bottom and top) or cotton
A comforter
4. Put a Boot Tray near your Front Door
Winter and transitional season like spring and fall means one thing: mud outside, soon in your appartement.
One great solution is to invest in a boot tray to put either outside of your door or right in the entrance of your apartment. It will help keep your floor as tidy as possible when you transit to indoor slippers in your hallway.
It is also one cheap and fun DIY project to do by reusing material like an old drawer, plastic trays and fill it with stones or your cork bottles.
5. Winter Storm Apocalypse Kit
Survivalism is a trend, and without sound alarmist it never hurt anyone to be prepared, especially with random weather events striking every year.
Here’s what we have in our apartment kit:
A flashlight + double stock of batteries
Candles and matches
A portable AM radio + double stock of batteries (again)
Some non-perishable food and snackies
Basic first-aid supplies
Bonus: fun board game, we can only recommend Exploding Kittens.
Package it up in a shoe box and store the kit under a bathroom sink, next to your medic kit or in a closet.