25 ways to cosy up your home
EMBRACE THE SEASON WITH STYLISH UPDATES TO TRANSFORM YOUR HOME INTO A SOOTHING, TOASTY COCOON YOU WON’T WANT TO LEAVE
1 SINK INTO SOFTNESS
When furnishing your living room, remember that comfort equals cosiness. A big, sink-in sofa is “the perfect piece for creating an immediate sense of casual comfort,” says interior designer Lydia Maskiell. Look for a piece that’s “deep and sumptuous”, and that grounds the space with its size and softness. For an instant fix, try a new slip cover for your trusty sofa and dress it with cushions in opulent shades of plum and
petrol, or complement it with an ottoman.
2 SNUGGLE UP
Adding a good-quality throw is an easy way to up the warmth in a room. “Drape a throw in a gorgeous texture, such as mohair or cashmere, over your favourite chair or at the end of the bed,” advises interior designer
Camilla Molders.
3 TREAT YOUR FEET
Carpet is king for creating cosiness underfoot, says Jason Verstak, general manager of marketing at Choices Flooring. “A wool carpet is highly durable, a good natural insulator and, if you opt for 100 per cent wool, a great sustainable option.” If wool is out of your price range, try a luxurious nylon carpet.
4 GET GLOWING
Nothing creates cosiness quite like lovely pools of ambient light, placed just so in your living area and sleeping space, to turn your winter evenings gold. Switching off harsh overhead lighting and utilising warm lamplight can instantly transform your room. “Lamps don’t have to be big, overly decorative or ostentatious,” says Tabbi Long, lighting designer at Beacon Lighting. “You could add in small pops of lighting, such as a Himalayan salt lamp, to a side table, small lamps snuggled into a bookcase or atop a buffet and floor lamps tucked into a corner.”
5 LOOK TO LAYERS
Build up layers with natural materials (below) to add texture and a coastal feel to remind you of sunny days. “Organic materials such as timber, rattan, jute and linen bring a sense of cosiness, as can velvet and bouclé,” says Lydia. “It’s important to focus on the tactility of a material and how it can be paired with other elements in a space,” she explains.
6 EMBRACE BEAUTIFUL BLINDS
“Installing the right blinds in your home can make it feel supremely warm and cosy,” says Matthew Walsh, managing director of Tuiss Blinds Online. The smartest choice for energy saving is blockout honeycomb blinds that feature pleated pockets lined with aluminium, says Matthew. Heat gets trapped in the honeycomb cells, creating an insulated effect, and preventing your window panes from radiating cold into the room. Another way to add an extra layer of cosiness and prevent any draughts from sneaking into your home is to hang curtains in front of your blinds.
7 TAKE IT SLOW
The waft of something warm simmering away in the kitchen might just be the ultimate in cosiness as you walk in on a wintry evening. A slow cooker does all the hard work while you’re out and about and the newest multi-cookers can switch between slow-cooking and pressure-cooking. >
8 GET DOWN ON IT
If your toes are starting to feel a bit chilly at night, it might be time to change over to a winter quilt. Investing in a goose-down inner will keep you toasty without overheating. Goose down is also light and soft for a snug night’s sleep. Make sure you take your summer quilt to a dry cleaner before storing it away for the winter months.
9 BATHE IN BLISS
Usher in the season with fluffy towels and a new bath mat, or invest in a warm-towel experience. “Installing a heated towel rail might be the perfect retrofit if you’re looking for a touch of warmth during the cooler months,” says Daniela Santilli, bathroom and kitchen merchandising
leader at Reece. (For more bathroom heating tips, see page 134).
11 LOOK TO NATURE
Raw, natural materials instantly add depth and richness to a space. Take your cues from the surrounding landscape to bring warmth inside through natural fibres and materials, such as timber, wool, hides and leathers, linen and rattan. The imperfections and patina in natural materials contribute greatly to a space feeling relaxed and lived in. >
12 BUILD UP YOUR BEDDING
For the ultimate winter bedding combination,
try layering your linen in a mix of different fabrics. Try a high-thread-count cotton top sheet with a French linen fitted sheet for a soothing night’s sleep. Look also to the decor you have in your room: brass details such as candleholders, trinket trays and other objet d’art will bring
a burnished beauty to your sleep zone.
13 PICK THE PERFECT PAINT
Rich colours such as navy, forest green, mustard, cream and earthy reds are a beautiful starting point
if you’re looking to introduce warmth and depth into a space. “Dark, muted tones are often associated with cosiness and painting the walls in a deeper colour is a classic way to make a room feel cosy,” says Lauren Kay, interior designer at Heartly.
“If you do choose to paint the walls, consider using natural tones in the other selections you
make for this space.”
14 LEAN IN TO COMFORT
For an extra-luxe touch in your bedroom, add a padded, upholstered bedhead. Look to panelled
or buttoned bedheads that frame your bed beautifully and provide a comfy spot on which to lean while you’re reading. Velvet and linen
are both smart fabric choices here.
15 SOFTLY DOES IT
Opt for furniture in rounded silhouettes, finished in soft fabrics – they’ll help you create a gentler environment that’s made for relaxation. “Curved shapes are inviting and they instantly relax people,” says Lydia Maskiell.
16 LOOK TO THE DANES
The Danish concept of hygge is, at its core, all about cosiness and wellbeing. “A cosy room is the feeling of being comfortably enveloped within the space,” says Simone Rose of Xavier Furniture, who suggests looking out for a sofa chair that “hugs you in all the right places.”
17 TAKE A SEAT
If you have the luxury of extra space in the bedroom, Sarah Yarrow of Yarrow Build suggests adding an armchair. “Depending on the style of home, I love something deep, curved and upholstered – with soft, deep cushioning,” she says. “This will become the perfect spot for pulling on your shoes or to have a quiet moment with a book and a cup of tea.”
18 LET’S TALK TEXTURE
“Within a bedroom, textiles can be used to help cosy a room – for example, a wool or chunky-knit throw placed over bedlinen,” says Lauren Kay of Heartly, adding that flooring also plays a key role. “Carpet in the bedroom makes the space feel inviting; however, if you have floorboards, a nice large rug that extends under the bed and feels warm underfoot will help you achieve a cosy feel.”
19 Keep lights LOWER THE LIGHTS on a dimmer so you can instantly
change the mood in a room. Even swapping in
warm-white light globes can add a gentler ambience to your home. “Bulbs with a warmer white temperature (2200K-3000K) are more welcoming and much easier on the eye,” advises Tabbi Long of Beacon Lighting. “The warmer light tends to flick a switch in our brains that
allows us to enter the realm of relaxation.”
20 FILL THE WALLS
Personalising your space with meaningful pieces of art creates a feeling of the familiar and instantly puts you at ease. “Artwork on the walls is a great way to make a room with white walls feel cosier,” explains Lauren Kay. “Art is subjective and I always suggest choosing pieces you love. Consider the other colours and tones within the room to avoid a clash.”
21 PLUMP FOR PANELLING
“I’m a big fan of using wall panelling to add texture to a space,” says Lydia Maskiell. “Simple yet interesting architectural details such as wainscoting infuse warmth and character. I also love injecting personality with the use of playful wallpaper and bold colours.”
22 RUG RIGHT UP
Not only are rugs deliciously warm underfoot, they can create zones within a room. In a large space, a rug is an excellent option for creating intimate nooks designated for snuggling up and relaxing. “When the temperature drops, a rug is an easy way to set your mood to cosy,” says Alexandra Tanya, co-founder of Miss Amara.
“The higher the pile the more texture and warmth.”
23 MOVE IN CLOSER
To turn your living room into a warm and welcoming sanctuary, think about new ways to lay out key pieces in the space. Lydia Maskiell suggests rather than pushing furniture to the outer walls of a room, you could try to “bring pieces closer together to encourage conversation.” Then settle in, hot drink in hand, to savour the intimacy.
24 OPT FOR POPS OF COLOUR
For some, a touch of colour can make a space feel cosy. “Chunky cushions, fun piping or vibrant throws are all easy ways to introduce little colour moments that don’t overwhelm the space, but cleverly add a pop of colour that creates a cosy feel,” says Camilla Molders.
25 FINISH IN FINE STYLE
Decorate your living and dining spaces with a simple seasonal update that packs a visual punch. Swap cushion covers for new designs in tactile fabrics, add a richly hued table runner and arrange foliage and flowers in seasonal colours. Light candles and lamps as evening falls and cuddle
up on the sofa beneath a beautiful blanket.