Vancouver is split into those who do and those who don't–ski, that is. Those of us who don't welcome weekends on the slopes enjoy a cleared-out house in which to crank up the thermostat and turn on the lights. Well, maybe a couple of years ago we did, but not now that we know what we're doing to the planet. If environmental altruism doesn't get you, remember that electricity costs money. Personally, I'd much rather put down hard-earned cash for a toasty mohair sweater than further fatten BC Hydro's coffers.

The look and feel of your living area can also make it seem warmer. Think of being in your dentist's office versus being at Bacchus Restaurant in the Wedgewood Hotel, and then analyze why–obvious reasons apart (your dentist doesn't serve martinis)–you feel more cosseted in one than the other. Basically, it's your innate emotional response to cool colours and hard surfaces as opposed to warm hues and softness.

If minimalism is what floats your design boat, don't feel you have to sink it with alien colours and textures. Unadorned, beige, or off-white sofas can look clinical when it's dismal out, so pile on the cushions–tasteful ones, of course. Susan Schroeder at Wanted (436 Columbia Street) tracks down soft, vintage-wool blankets in subtle colours, then cuts, hand-quilts, and appliqués them into smart modern cushions ($55 and up). She also recently got her hands on sample books of handwoven and embroidered silks that an upholsterer was throwing out, and she's making them into one-of-a-kind pieces ($65).

Sadly, the moral glow you get from turning down the thermostat doesn't always reach as far as your feet. You need other things to compensate, such as a lap rug to tuck around your knees or a big, cozy throw to put around your shoulders. Throws that you drape over the back of the sofa, or fold neatly over its arm, don't have to be granny-square monstrosities crocheted from vicious shades of purple acrylic. Dania­down (various locations) carries generously sized throws ($19.99) made of light but incredibly warm polyester, which means they're machine-washable, so the cat can enjoy them too; colours are cool celery, sky, or ivory, or for a slightly warmer feel, chocolate or latte.

The hues that make you feel good on a cold day invariably come from the warm end of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, and shades in between, deepened and dirtied to rust, sepia, and ochre. Natural colours and textures also go a long way to raising the visual temperature of pared-down and cool-palette interiors. Right now, 18 Karat (3039 Granville Street) carries nothing but warm neutrals. Enormous resin bowls ($250) glow as though they were made of solid amber, as does a huge pot in the same substance ($235 to $520, depending on size). It's modelled on a flowerpot, which means there's a hole at the bottom through which you can feed electrical wire to light it from inside. (Hold that thought on lighting.) You could fill it with pine cones, free and everywhere, or, if your designy little head thinks that's too evocative of Christmas at kindergarten, the store carries a wide variety of equally oversize items ($2 and up) including cacao fruit, knobbly pandanus, and delonix pods at least 12 centimetres long, ridged horizontally so they resemble a primitive game board. Other finds here are gorgeous throws, some fuzzy, some smooth, in black, white, and combinations thereof.

Lighting can also be the difference between feeling chilled and feeling snug. It needs to be bright enough to read by, but soft enough to create atmosphere. Also, consider the environment–as your old bulbs burn out, replace them with compact fluorescents. Adria Vasil's Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services in Canada (Vintage Canada, $24.95), the invaluable reference book has a lot to say about these bulbs and whether or not it's worth turning off the light if you're just running out to the corner store for 15 minutes. Vasil also blows the whistle on candles, which, if you buy the real cheapies, can throw all kinds of noxious stuff into the air, including lead. IKEA candles, she says, are lead-free. Your best bet–or, rather, the environment's–is to invest in the pure, honey-coloured, sweet-smelling beeswax kind. 18 Karat also carries candles that tick all the boxes: they're a soy blend, come in delicate and non-sneeze-inducing scents like cinnamon and citrus, and are packaged in handsome square-glass containers that you can recycle into small vases once the candles burn down ($13.50 and $22).

At peace with our surroundings, we can turn our attention to the benefits of the season: some serious book reading, Scrabble playing, and DVD watching.