As baby boomers age the trend in homes and home furnishings and accessories is increasingly toward comfort – and warmth.  From cozy towels, to heated tile floors, the   desire for warmth has steadily grown in the housing industry. More and more of us desire the comforting caress of a heated towel after a bath.  Cozy bedding and places to warm up are becoming more and more popular. Yes, the move is solidly on the warm side all around the home. Shivering cold baths Today’s homeowners remember their youth and convulsive shivering after getting out of the tub.   In response, homes are now seeing fireplaces turn up in spa-like bath retreats.

Fireplaces can be added to bathrooms and bedrooms easily and there are more options than ever for adding fireplaces that hadn’t been available in previous years.  Even cold tile floors have succumbed to new radiant heat flooring that consists of heated lines running under tile so that feet don’t turn blue in the winter.  Perhaps more importantly, radiant heating is more efficient than heated air flowing out of ceiling vents.

Tankless water heaters are another growing trend to warmth.  No longer is it necessary to waste water while waiting for it to warm up with the new smaller, individual tanks.  The tanks provide instant hot water and are installed directly in the bathroom rather than several rooms away like most conventional water heaters.

Even towels are getting into the warming act.  For years Europeans have known the joys of a toasty, dry towel after a bath and those same joys are making their way into American homes now, too.  Heated towel warmers are designed to be left on all day to both heat and dry towels, and use about the same electricity as a lamp.  Towels should be folded thickly on the racks to hold in the heat, rather than loosely hung over the heated bars.  Heated towel bars like those from Warmrails.com can be used freestanding or wall-mounted, and all come with the option of plug-in or wall-wired.  Towel warmers range from $50 to $1000 or more.  If you have a cold bathroom, or dislike drying off in the winter with a cold, damp towel, consider a towel warmer to take the chill off.

Dining warmth

The warming trend is moving to other parts of the house as well – and it’s the warmth of a look.  Many homeowners are switching their living and dining rooms to experience the romance and ambiance of dining in a room with a fireplace.  Dining by firelight makes any meal more memorable and creates a warm atmosphere and cozy mood.  Try switching your living and dining furnishings.  Imagine the charm and warmth of a holiday or special evening meal by the glow of firelight.

Outdoor warmth

The warming trend has moved outdoors as well.  Outdoor fire pits, fireplaces, chimneas, and even patio furnishings with a fire pit in the center are popping up at home centers.  All these developments in outdoor living have shown that outdoor enjoyment doesn’t have to end with the falling temperatures.  Fire pits can easily be constructed with simple materials to create cozy evenings outdoors.  Roasting marshmallows won’t have to wait for a camping trip when you have your own outdoor fireplace or fire pit.

Take away the chill

Make your home more inviting with the simple addition of some warming elements.  From a plug-in towel warmer to an inexpensive fire pit or full-blown outdoor fireplace, there are many ways to take the chill out of your home and turn up the temperature on the comfort and ambiance of your living space.