How to create a cosy home for winter

Well Mebournians, winter is coming. Today was the coldest day of the year so far and I have certainly felt it. I must have drunk about 9 cups of tea to stay warm! For some, winter-time is a very gloomy time of year as we have less sunshine and more rain. For me, it reminds me of home (Ireland) where the sun barely shines and rain is constant! Honestly, I love rugging up and creating a cosy home. We tend to hibernate and stay home more often during winter, so there really is no better time to prepare your home for the colder months ahead. This blog will give you 7 easy tips to follow to create a cosy home.

1. Change your bedding

The obvious thing to do is to change your duvet from your light summer one to a heavier one (I find duck feather to be the warmest). But it’s also worth changing the style of your duvet cover, your sheets and throw. I tend to go for crisp white during summer and spring, but then I bring in a darker green or a deep plum for autumn and winter. Having darker colours within your room, makes the space feel moodier, heavier, warmer and cosier.

Introduce a thick woollen throw for the bottom of the bed. Not only does it look great, but it’s also practical for extra warmth. I would also encourage you to buy an electric blanket if you haven’t already. It’s the best feeling in the world getting into a warm bed after a long day.

Source : Pinterest

2. Change the scent of your home

Our sense of smell is so powerful. It can bring back memories you thought you forgot! Ditch the plug-in air fresheners, diffuser sticks and room sprays.  Light a candle to bring instant warmth to your home. The flicker of the warm flame, ambient light and warming scent will quickly turn your house into an inviting haven from the cold. Our appetite changes from season to season, as do the scents we are instinctively drawn to. We enjoy fresh, floral, citrus or nature-inspired scents in summer and comforting, spicy, woody or musky scents in winter.

I personally love lighting a Cinnamon scented candle or my new favourite is the “Santal 26″ from Mecca. You can personalise the candle if you wanted to give it as a gift and it smells absolutely divine!

3. Use area rugs to your cosy home

The feeling of a cold floor under your feet during the winter is enough to make you hit snooze for the umpteenth time. If you have floorboards, put down a warm rug under the bed to give your feet a little snuggle in the mornings. Rugs are also great for insulation so they will help keep your room warm for longer. Go for a nice thick pile, wool or a shag rug to give you the cosiest vibes in your room.

4. More throw pillows create a cosy home

I am the biggest advocate for feather filled cushions. They sit so much better on your sofa or bed, are much nicer to put your head on or squish behind you to get more support. If you don’t have feather cushions, you can upgrade your inserts only by visiting IKEA! If you don’t have many cushions, well…get more! Cushions provide softness to a room which will make it feel like a cosy home. A bed with many cushions will feel far warmer than one with only a couple. Read more about feather filled cushions in my other blog HERE.

Full project HERE

5. Add some jewel tones to your cosy home

A little colour splash within your home will brighten up a drab day in winter. If you want to bring in colour seasonally, I suggest you do it on smaller items such as cushions, bedding and accessories as these things can easily be swapped and stored during opposing months. Choosing jewel tones will provide a cosy vibe as they are moody, luxurious and dark.

Some great colours for winter are Burgundy, Emerald Green, Aubergine, Mustard, Teal and Rust.  How nice are these dark green walls (see photo) I did for a previous client?

6. Change your artwork

This doesn’t need to be an expensive activity. I am not encouraging you to go out and buy an original Picasso, but I am asking you to consider the relevance of your art to the seasons. Some art is more suited to warmer seasons and vice versa.

Do you have bright floral art, a beach scene or vibrant abstract art hanging around your home? These types of art are beautiful for summer but less appropriate for winter if you are seeking a cosier home. Of course, there is a such thing as “neutral art” where it can be hung all year round such as linear or black and white art.

Minimal white walls without art feel spacious and clean. They are great in summer but feel very cold in winter. If you don’t have any art hanging up, maybe consider a few pieces for the colder months at least. If it’s not art, it could be family photographs, mementoes or tapestries.

7. Add more lamps for a cosy home

Alongside rain, sleet and wind, winter is known for its long nights and dark mornings. While it might be dark and cold outside, you can banish sadness by using light to create a warm, cosy haven in your home. Leave the overheads and their blue hues off (unless they can be dimmed) and turn your yellow hue floor/table lamps on instead! They give off a much warmer light than your ceiling lights do giving you a much cosier interior. Incorporate some floor or table lamps nestled close to the sofa, add some lamps to your hallway console table and turn your bedside lamps on before you get into bed.

Soft, diffused light works best in creating a cosy warm atmosphere so go for globe lamps to cast a diffused light in your space. Choose lighting with brushed brass or gold accents to help reflect the warm gold hue around the room making it feel extra cosy. Wooden light features will create a similar cosy feel too.

Image : Ikea

Above all else, a cosy home must feel like your own and that can be achieved by decorating and designing it exactly as you want. Your personality should shine through whether that’s filling your mantelpiece with your favourite trinkets, covering your walls with family photos, layering your coffee table with books you love or stacking your sofa with cosy cushions and throws.  Your home is your sanctuary, so make it just that this winter.

I hope you learned a thing or two, Im off to have a hot chocolate and hit the hay! Thanks for reading. Let me know if you have any more ideas on how to make a cosy home this winter.