Shopping your house and doing a little rearranging can make those long, cold nights a lot more enjoyable

I don’t know about you, but days that get shorter and shorter bring my mood down — it’s too dark to go for an early-evening walk and the hours until bedtime seem to stretch out before me. However, I’ve found some ways to enjoy this time by cozying up my house for the coming cold months — without, I should clarify, spending any money. Here are some of the easy things I do to create a warm ambiance that I hope will help you cozy up your own nest.

Here are some staggering statistics about just how much energy the average household uses and how seemingly simple changes can make a big difference on your electric bill. This infographic breaks it down, room by room.

Don’t assume you have to do without those windows, that island, a home office space, your prized collections or an eat-in nook

I am learning so much by checking out Houzz photos from all over the world. For instance, I’d forgotten just how many European families get by with what we Americans would consider “a dorm room fridge.” Rather than stocking up on a decade’s worth of pretzels and cereal at Costco, a lot of Europeans pick up just 24 hours’ worth of fresh food at a time. This is why we’re seeing so many stylish small kitchens submitted to Houzz from across the pond — a double-size refrigerator and a walk-in pantry are of no use to most people over there.

Of course, plenty of Americans also have small kitchens. We’re just so used to seeing kitchen spaces larger than our entire homes that we don’t realize we can incorporate some of their great features into our modest nooks and galleys. You might not realize you have room to chop to your heart’s content, include an eat-in space or even set up a home office. Check out these 10 small-kitchen extras for inspiration.