Winter is the most of grim of seasons, but there’s a silver lining – or perhaps a golden glow. When it’s bitterly cold outside, your home can be a cocooning nest of comfort. Turn your attention indoors and follow these cosy-making tips to make your home a warm and comforting backdrop for all your hygge-style winter activities.
Light touch
Natural light is limited in the short days of winter, so lean into it. Embrace warm pools of illumination – and the shadows in between – for a look that’s as cosy as a hot chocolate. Anna Dick of Anna Margaret Interior Design is a massive advocate for considered lighting.
“Lighting is like jewellery – when it is thoughtful to the ‘big picture style’, architecture and placement, it has a subconscious effect on how we relate to our spaces,” she says.
Anna suggests taking a three-pronged approach. First, warm lighting only – opt for dimmable bulbs at 3000k or below (kelvins are the unit of colour temperature). Secondly, add interest with your shade selection.
“Shade types, such as solid, fins, mesh, fabric and glass, can all affect how a space feels by throwing light and pattern, diffusing light and creating sparkle.”
Lastly, layer lighting throughout, balancing downlights and task lighting with ambient illumination.
“Layering is about using a combination of the vertical height in spaces by incorporating floor lamps, table lamps, wall lights, pendants and ceiling fixtures throughout your whole home. This mixture is a recipe for cosiness,” says Anna.
What to shop
- Warm bulbs only (unless needed for tasks).
- Install dimmers, or buy dimmable smart bulbs.
- Choose shades that cast interesting shadows.
- Layer table and floor lamps, with pendants and wall sconces.
Lovin’ feeling
Cosiness is inextricably tied to touch. It’s the satisfying bump of velvet jacquard under your fingers, the weight of a well-stuffed feather-and-down duvet, or the incredible softness of a cashmere jumper. In essence, the more textural delights you can layer into a room, the better.
Start with the spaces you spend the most time. Dress the sofa with soft cushions and throws in a range of textures, such as velvet, linen and wool. Add texture to floors and windows with tactile rugs and heavy curtains. Layered textiles are even more of a gift in the bedroom.
“Winter in particular is the best time of year for styling a bedroom – there’s pleasure in building up layers: blankets, comforters and duvets. Think of a plush velvet comforter draped over a soft linen duvet and finished with a generously sized warm blanket on top. Your bedroom will feel inviting, indulgent and deeply comfortable,” says interior designer Heidi Brook of The Room Editor.
Texture wishlist
- Squishy cushions in touchable fabrics.
- Soft, warm wool throws.
- Bed sheets in brushed cotton.
- Plump, oversized duvets (king for a queen, queen for a double).
- Layered blankets for warmth and heaviness.
Toasty hues
Colour has an enormous impact on cosiness and, just as our winter wardrobes tend to lean towards darker hues, so too can our homes benefit from a colour change. Very deep, saturated hues can
turn a room into a snug cavern, but cosy enough to work all year round.
“When I need to cosy up a room, I select paint colours that are tonally warm and often saturated. A warm white might be cosy enough, if the room is naturally light and warm,” says Heidi.
“However, for colder south-facing rooms or those with lower light, I opt to go warmer and more tonal in colour. This might be a warm green like or a muddy pink.”
One of Heidi’s hot tips is to avoid standard ceiling white.
“A white ceiling can make a room less cosy. Increasingly, I’m using colour on ceilings – colour drenching with the wall colour, using warmer whites, or capping ceilings with a softer or deeper hue than what is on the walls.”
For a paint-free seasonal change, look to accessories. These can be bought new, or look at what you’ve already got and concentrate on richly coloured pieces in the room you use most. Heidi suggests art in warm hues, with textural cushions that pick up the same colours.
She adds, “Other than walls, the biggest area in a room is the floor – a large rug in a saturated or warm colour will bring loads of cosiness into the room.”
Buy warm colours
- Drench snug spaces in deep, saturated hues.
- Lean into warmer versions of neutrals.
- Lean into warmer versions of neutrals. Cushions and rugs.
- Shop for warm and inviting home accessories.
Zone for cosy
The way we live changes in winter. We tend to favour intimate dinners over cooking for a crowd and we prioritise conversation and quiet connection. The way our furniture is arranged should reflect this shift in focus.
Restyle your living area with an eye to cosiness, angle sofas and chairs towards each other to encourage conversation.
Sitting with your back to the kitchen? Turn the sofa sideways in an open-plan space, so the chef doesn’t miss out on the action.
Arrange your space for fun winter activities, like board games. Place a coffee table or card table centre stage, then dig out board games and jigsaw puzzles and place them somewhere visible.
Bonus points: set up a jigsaw puzzle table in a public thoroughfare, then watch as everyone who passes by is compelled to place a piece or two.
Game-night essentials
- Stock up on games and jigsaw puzzles.
- Invest in a card table, or repurpose small tables for games.
- Cluster comfy chairs to face each other.
The invisible layer
Cosiness is a multisensory experience, and fragrance is a key ingredient – particularly in winter, when homes are shut tight and your preferred perfume is competing with eau de football boots and wet dog.
Step one is to open the windows daily, even if it’s just for an hour to chase out damp and whiffy air.
Then introduce a scent that makes you feel cosy: cinnamon and spices, vanilla and citrus smell as delicious as fresh baking, while fragrances such as cedar, smoke and sandalwood are deeper but equally evocative.
Candles are a cosy winner – the warm glow of flickering flame is both romantic and relaxing – but where safety is a concern, reed diffusers and room sprays are an equally fragrant option.
Shop the scent
- Splash out on quality candles (beeswax or coconut over paraffin) made with high-grade oils.
- Woody, spicy and sweet scents are deliciously warming.
- Reed diffusers are a flame-free alternative.
Draw the drapes
There are many ways to dress your windows, but in winter, when the object is cosiness, it’s curtains’ time to shine. Draw them in the evenings to close out the outside world and create a sense of sanctuary. Used on large windows, they can create a wall of fabric that’s as enveloping as a hug.
The guidelines for curtains drill down to ‘more is more’, according to Anna.
“Where possible, have curtains made floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, or if not possible, a good distance off the window or door, both vertical and horizontal, to create an impactful covering.”
Use a thick fabric (or a thinner fabric with a thick lining) for a sumptuous feel or achieve fullness with a double helping of curtains, she says.
“Double tracks help by virtue of stepping the finished curtains into the room, and having a lovely semi-sheer closed across a window or door at all times feels soft and whimsical (and warm).”
Shopping for curtains
- Go large with curtains, wall to wall, or at least well outside the window frame.
- Choose thick, luxuriant fabrics for visual warmth.
- Consider doubling up, with floaty sheers underneath.
- Curtain tie-backs are optional, but can be an opportunity to express your style.
Cosy toes
Our love affair with timber floors is deep and enduring, but when winter bites, those bare boards are frosty on your toes. Dial up the snuggliness underfoot with carpets and rugs. Carpet (particularly wool) is an insulating hero in all its forms – choose cut pile or plush pile for maximum softness, or a loop pile can feel deliciously massaging underfoot.
The compromise between hard flooring and soft is rugs that provide softness underfoot and visual warmth. Budget will be a determining factor; tufted rugs are usually cheaper (and gorgeously plush), while hand-knotted rugs are synonymous with quality and longevity.
Whichever option you choose, bigger is better – if you can fit all your furniture on the rug, or at least the front feet, your room will look more complete and feel warmer.
What to shop for
- Wool carpet is an insulating star.
- Cut pile is softest underfoot.
- Choose the biggest rug you can afford.
- Don’t forget a rug pad or tape to avoid slips.
That lived-in look
You can curate a space to within an inch of its life, but the final element to a cosy and inviting home isn’t one last scented candle, but something rather intangible: it should feel lived in. This abstract element is about making the home feel relaxed and ready to be enjoyed.
Think throws casually tossed, rather than folded; cushions slightly squished, not chopped; a side table at the perfect distance to perch a cup of tea; and a mug chosen less for looks than for its satisfying shape in your hands.
For the last piece of the puzzle, your home should tell a story of the people who live there. Don’t be afraid to display your paperback novels (not just your chic design books), and style your home with memories – objects from your travels, candid pictures and little clues about the life you and your family live.
Living elements
- Well-thumbed paperback books.
- Travel mementos and family photos.
- Cosy (rather than crisp) throws and cushions.
- Chunky, hold-in-two- hands mugs.
Read more:
- Why slow decorating is the new interiors philosophy
- How to create a cosy, designer-approved living room
- Luxe for less: 20 ways to elevate your home without overspending
