I keep hearing this phrase: visual warmth. I’m not 100% sure on the exact meaning among nerds for home interiors, but I gather it’s to do with visual cues that we tacitly read as indicators of warmth. It’s kind of an interesting idea, when you think about it. I wonder if it’s possible to actually raise the body’s temperature through the illusory perception of warmth.
If so, it’d be a lot cheaper to warm my house over winter, I’ll tell you that much. Maybe I should try it out. If the pictures on these visual warmth articles are anything to go by, that means investing in a sheepskin rug, a chunky knitted ottoman, a selection of woollen throw blankets, a decorative basket of oranges and a coffee table book about fire. Seems legit.
It’s not like I don’t already invest a ton of time and energy (as well as coin) in heating and cooling. Melbourne is, after all, the home of unpredictable weather, and you just never know what resources you’re going to need at the drop of a hat. Needless to say, things aren’t getting any more stable with every passing year, and it seems increasingly worthwhile to try anything that might help supplement the costs of managing home micro climates.
So, yeah, I am going to give this visual warmth thing a whirl. What’s the worst that can happen? I realise that my home has become excessive. Meanwhile, the best case scenario is that I feel warmer, cosier, and less reliant on the ducted heating. I mean, I probably shouldn’t rush just yet to skip out on my upcoming ducted heating service. Melbourne in winter simply isn’t the place to do that, at least not until I’ve taken this concept for a spin.
It’s all about not putting all your eggs in one basket, if you ask me. Anyone who relies entirely on their heater for winter warmth is just kidding themselves; you need the socks, the rugs, the jumpers, the spiced porridge and hot cocoa, the hot water bottles and, yes, that chunky-knit pouffe that makes you feel warmer whenever you look at it.