How to Create a Cosy Winter Feel in Your Home

With the winter weather well and truly here, Matt Deighton, from handmade furniture specialists Sofas by Saxon, tells us how you can create a cosy feel in your home and chase the chill away.

In the depths of winter, there’s little better than coming in from the cold to a home that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Your living space should be somewhere you always feel comfortable and able to relax, which is why you should aim to create a sense of cosiness in your interior design.

And, you’ll be pleased to know that, with the right décor choices, it’s possible to create that much sought-after cosy atmosphere without needing to move to a country cottage with its own roaring fire. Here, Matt shares a few top design tips so that you can achieve exactly that.

Choose warm colours over cold ones

One of the best ways to really cosy up your space is to opt for a warmer colour scheme. Instead of choosing whites, creams, light blues, and light greys, go for deeper, richer colours to add more vibrancy and to create more of a glow.

Your go-to colours here should be reds and oranges, but emerald greens, navy blues, and purples can also have the desired effect. Bear in mind that you don’t necessarily need to redecorate your entire home but adding a feature wall to a room can create enough warmth for the whole space.

Make use of wooden surfaces for a natural look

If you’re looking to add texture and a natural wintery look, it’s worth maximising the number of wooden surfaces in your home. This means that if you’ve got any exposed floorboards or worktops, don’t be afraid to show them off and let them breathe some life into your room. And, if you’re worried about a wooden floor being colder than a carpet, you can always dress your space up with a rug to add warmth and contrast.

You can even add more wood to your living space by making smart furniture choices. For instance, a chunky wooden dining table and chairs will add a homely feel to any kitchen or dining room, while a coffee table made from reclaimed wood will bring a tonne of character to a living room.

Fill your home with soft furnishings

To accessorise your home, why not add some soft furnishings in cosy, winter fabrics? I’ve already mentioned that a rug is ideal for filling up cold, empty floor space, but there are plenty of other options for extending the look across your home. You can add a throw to a sofa, a blanket to your bed, or hang curtains at windows to break up the cold, hard lines in your home. And, if you’re in the market for upholstered furniture, it’s also a good idea to opt for soft fabrics for a cosy feel.

When choosing your fabrics, you’ll want to stick to winter favourites that will add to the snug look you’re trying to build. Velvets, wools, and tweeds are very strong choices, and you should opt for those warm, homely colours again, or switch things up with tartan, check, or herringbone patterns.

Pick out a cosy statement chair

This is one of my favourite recommendations to those looking to capture that cosy, winter look: invest in a nice statement chair that you just want to curl up on with your favourite book. Not only will this give you the ideal spot to kick back and relax, but it will really help tie the room together, as well as adding a healthy dose of personality.

There are a few types of chairs that will work in this capacity, such as wingback and high back chairs, and you’ll want to find one in either a rich leather or in a soft fabric to match your other furnishings. The beauty of this addition is that a statement chair can work almost anywhere — whether it’s in the middle of your living room, the corner of your bedroom, or in an alcove in your hallway.

Make use of ambient lighting

It’s easy to feel a little sad when the long winter nights set in, but you can ensure that your home always has a warm glow to it by adding plenty of ambient light options. Putting a few nice candles around your home is a sure-fire way to capture that cosy, settled-in look, and if you choose some with winter scents, like cinnamon, pine, frankincense, or patchouli, you’ll get a mood-boosting bonus.

Electric lights can also work really well. Floor lamps are particularly good at illuminating dark corners, while table lamps can provide a handy option for soft light adjacent to furniture — pair them with bulbs that give off a gentle radiance to really nail the winter atmosphere.

Follow these tips to create the perfect cosy winter feel in your home. Once you’ve finished decorating, you simply won’t want to leave the house!