Win a TV and Learn 7 Tips for Hunkering Down at Home This Winter

Baby, it's cold outside! Stay entertained with seven easy, fun-filled ideas that you can enjoy from the comfort of home

Georgia Madden 3 June 2020

Senior writer, Houzz Australia

Comment183

Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.

Grey skies and freezing temperatures are the perfect excuse to stay at home. But if the walls feel like they’re closing in after a few hours or the kids’ cries of ‘There’s nothing to do!’ are zapping your Zen, it’s time to get creative. Here are seven easy and fun ways to stay entertained when you can’t – or simply don’t want to – leave the comfort of your home.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

COMMENT TO WIN!
To help kick off the fun, we’re giving one reader the chance to win a new television. For your chance to win a AUD$3,239 LG NanoCell 9 Series 65 inch 4K TV w/ AI ThinQ®, answer this question in the Comments section in 25 words or fewer.

“I need the LG NanoCell 9 Series 65 inch 4K TV in my life because…”

Competition ends at 23:59PM AEST on 10 June 2020. Competition is open to Australian residents (excluding residents in the ACT) only. Click here for full terms and conditions.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

Landart Landscapes

Image by Jason Busch

1. Cosy up around a fire pit
“Warming up around a fire pit is like bringing one of the best parts of camping into your backyard,” says Matt Leacy, founder and creative director Landart Landscapes.

Make it a family event to remember by planning an outdoor-friendly menu. “Choose dishes that can be eaten from your lap – bowl foods like hearty soups, stir fries, pastas, curries or something out of the slow cooker are great or finger food like sausage sangas, sliders or burgers. Then kick back and enjoy gathering around the fire pit with friends and family.

“Unlike some outdoor kitchen structures, fire pits don’t reqiuire council approval and they are relatively quick to get up and running,” says Leacy.

Jess Hunter Interior Design

Leacy’s top tips for a successful fire pit set-up:

Stay safe: Set up your fire pit far enough away from your house and foliage so embers don’t end up in gutters or bushes. You should also have a garden hose or water source close by in case it’s needed.
Add light: Boost illumination by adding subtle lighting to surrounding garden beds or hanging festoon lighting.
Small-space solutions: If you have a small outdoor area and fire pit, consider built-in seating that takes up less space.
Go flexible in larger spaces: A larger fire pit in a bigger outdoor space will produce more heat the longer it burns. In this situation, moveable seating that allows guests to adjust their position is best.

Consider a portable style: Choosing a portable fire pit allows you to swap it out for a coffee table in the warmer months.
Don’t forget durability: if your fire pit will be left outdoors permanently, make sure it’s constructed of hardy, weather-resistant material such as steel or rusted steel (the latter gives you a more weathered look). It should also have a drainage hole so water can drain in wet weather.
Cook-ready: If you plan on cooking roasts or casseroles on your fire pit, make sure the grill is strong enough to take the weight of a casserole pot and big enough to hold sufficient coals for cooking.
Factor in wood storage: A wood heap near the fire pit will do, but for a neater look consider integrated timber storage.
Front-facing solution: If you’re installing a fire pit in the front yard, add a screen or hedging to protect against winds and provide privacy.

Winter Wonderland: How to Hunker Down and Have Fun at Home

Laser 2-in-1 Multimedia Projector with built-in DVD player, AUD$279, Target

2. Host a backyard movie
Sure, it might be more convenient to watch a movie indoors, but there’s a certain thrill that comes with watching the big screen under the moonlight. And it’s easier to set up than you might think. Here’s how:

Grab some comfy outdoor seats, blankets and cushions.
Set up a makeshift screen on a blank exterior wall or by rigging up a bed sheet between trees. It’s best to iron the sheet first to remove all the creases and secure it as tightly as possible so it can’t move. For a (slightly) more high-tech option, pick up blackout cloth from a hardware store and attach it to a simple plywood frame.
Splash out on one of the latest at-home projectors that simply plug into your computer or phone for hassle-free viewing.
Outdoor movies work best when it’s dark so wait until the sun has set.

Looking to spruce up your outdoor area? Find a local landscaping expert to help on Houzz

Connect SmartHome Smart RGB Festoon Lights, AUD$149.95, Harvey Norman

3. Add a little sparkle
Make the event feel extra special by adorning the trees, shrubbery or a pergola in your garden with pretty festoon lights. There’s no shortage of styles on offer, including charming, vintage-style festoon lights and ones such as Connect SmartHome Smart RGB festoon lights, which allow you to control the colours and light levels from an app on your smart phone or via a voice command.

LG NAN 099 75-inch NanoCell 8K TV, AUD$10,199

4. Watch it bigger and better indoors
Movie marathons, video gaming, binge watching your favourite television show – there’s no denying everything’s better on a larger screen. And apparently Australians agree: “A couple of years ago the average TV was 55 inches in size, but today consumers are purchasing 65-inch TVs and above more frequently,” says Tony Brown, head of home entertainment marketing at LG Electronics Australia.

“Australians want bigger, better and smarter TVs and we are continuing to see more Australians trading up their five-year-old TVs for a smarter home entertainment experience,” he says.

Create your own at-home cinema or gaming hub for friends and family with one of the latest high-tech smart TVs. LG’s new NanoCell 4K TV range boasts premium LCD/LED panel technology for exceptional colour purity and cinema-like viewing at wide angles – so everyone gets a great view. Screen sizes range from 55 inches (AUD$1,800) to 86 inches (AUD$7,740).

Pantheone Audio

Pantheone I speaker, AU$3,390

6. Turn up the volume… and dance!
If you haven’t got the memo already, vinyl is making a comeback. So if you’re stuck at home, why not pull out those old records that are gathering dust at the back of a cupboard, grab a few friends and a nice bottle of wine – there’s your evening sorted.

Nostalgia is a big driver of the vinyl trend, says George Poutakidis, founder of Addicted To Audio. “There’s something special about choosing, cleaning and playing a piece of vinyl. In addition, the sound, with all its flaws, is something that cannot be reproduced in digital format. I use the analogy of a bottle of wine with a cork compared to the screw-cap version – there is no comparison.

“While there are Bluetooth turntables available, these are generally entry-level ranges. Some people love the simplicity of wireless options, but in my opinion it defeats the purpose of vinyl. A good turntable starts at AUD$399, however, if your budget permits, you can find something special in the AUD$700 to $2,000 range,” he says.

If you’re not quite ready to relive the 1970s just yet, why not upgrade your plain, boxy speakers to something that verges on art, such as the Pantheone I speaker, and host a family danceathon. If the sight of your children doing a coordinated dance routine proves too much, at the very least you’ll have something beautiful to look at.

Kate Hansen Photography

5. Host a family games night
Get the kids to put down their devices and go old school with a family games night. They might grumble at first, but watch how quickly they change their tune once they start beating Mum or Dad at Monopoly or checkers.

You can take the fun up a notch by doing a little preparation ahead of time, including:

Get the snacks ready – think popcorn, popsicles or go all out with themed snacks (snakes and ladders slice, anyone?).
Layer up the cosy blankets, cushions and throws on your sofas and armchairs.
When choosing games, think about the ages of the children playing and make sure there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Chris Snook

7. Layer up
A drop in temperature is the perfect excuse to stay snuggled up at home with a good book. Make your reading spot – whether it’s the sofa, a comfy armchair or your bed – even more appealing by layering up the textures; think faux-fur throws, chunky-knit blankets and quilted velvet cushions – the more tactile, the better.

Define Landscape Architecture

Your turn
For your chance to win a $3,239AUD LG NanoCell 9 Series 65 inch 4K TV w/ AI ThinQ®, answer this question in the Comments section in 25 words or fewer.

“I need the LG NanoCell 9 Series 65 inch 4K TV in my life because…”

Competition ends at 23:59PM AEST on 10 June 2020. Competition is open to Australian residents (excluding residents in the ACT) only. Click here for full terms and conditions.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

More
Looking for more at-home ideas? Don’t miss 5 Pesky Problems Around the House and How to Fix Them