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The windowsill in November: how to make it the loveliest spot in the house

By half past four it is dark. From then on your windowsill does more work than your sofa. Here is how to style it in fifteen minutes, mostly with things you already own.

By half past four it is already dark outside. That is the moment your windowsill becomes more important than your sofa, your dining table or that expensive lamp in the corner. It is the first thing you see as you cycle into the street, and the last thing you look at before you close the curtains. Here is how to style your windowsill in fifteen minutes.

This week our editors took a hard look at the windowsills in our own homes. The verdict: most of us had a plant that had been thirsty since August, a pile of post and a charger. Time for a second chance.

Start by clearing it. Really, everything.

It sounds dull, but it is the most important step. Take everything off, wipe the sill with a damp cloth and look at the empty surface for a minute. Only then do you see how deep it is, where the light falls and whether the radiator is underneath. That last point matters: candles and fresh flowers do not like heat from below.

Choose one lead

The mistake we see most: ten small things in a row, all the same height. It looks like a souvenir-shop window. Pick one thing that is taller than the rest. A large earthenware jug with a few branches from the garden, a lamp with a fabric shade or a stack of three coffee-table books with a bowl on top.

That height has a purpose. When you look in from outside, you see a silhouette against the lamplight. That is the image you are after.

Vaas met bloemen op een vensterbank
Foto: Unsplash

Work in groups of three

Next to your lead, place two smaller things, different in height and material. For example:

  • a tall jug, a low dish of unglazed earthenware and a glass hurricane
  • a table lamp, a small framed card leaning against the window and a bag of walnuts in a wooden tray
  • three books, an amaryllis bulb in a pot and a copper candlestick

The rule is simple: not everything in the same material and not everything the same height. Wood next to glass, rough next to smooth. That keeps it calm without becoming boring.

Light: low and warm

In November a windowsill does most of its work after sunset. A small lamp with a warm white bulb (around 2,200 kelvin) makes more difference than five tea lights. Candles work too, of course, but always put them in a hurricane and never next to the curtains. No fuss with cords? There are lovely rechargeable table lamps these days that last a few evenings.

Bring November inside

The season gives you free material. A few branches with the last leaves, chestnuts, a crab apple or two, a sprig of eucalyptus from the market. Do not scatter them everywhere; choose one spot: in the jug, in the dish or simply loose on a linen cloth.

From mid-November you can plant amaryllis or paperwhite bulbs in a pot. Within a few weeks they grow into a plant that flowers right around the holidays, so your windowsill grows along with the month.

What it costs

Very little. You already have most things: books, a bowl, a candlestick. If you want to buy something new, invest in one good piece. A hand-thrown vase or a beautiful lamp you will use for years. Seasonal decorations usually end up in the attic by March.

Shop the look

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