Six steps to creating a cosy home this season

Six steps to creating 

Six steps to creating a cosy home this season

If you’ve opened up an interior design magazine or perused Pinterest in the last couple of years, you will have no doubt heard of the term hygge (a Danish way of life seeking to optimise happiness by creating a snug home environment). A surge in hygge’s popularity back in 2016 prompted a slew of new buzzwords to battle it out for the home comfort crown. In 2017 the Swedish term ‘Lagom’ took centre stage. Roughly translating as ‘not too little, not too much, just right’, lagom is a wonderful example of all things in moderation (although the Swedes may have a legal battle with Goldilocks on their hands as we’re pretty sure she trademarked that phrase a few centuries ago). Literally meaning to snuggle or cuddle, the Scottish term ‘coorie’ has recently become the belle of the blogs when it comes to home comfort and may well be 2018’s cover star.

So, which word should you plump for when creating a heart-warming home this winter… Our answer? None of the above! Just to make life more difficult, we’re throwing a fourth option into the mix and it’s a revolutionary one at that… Cosy. Yes, that’s right! Good old-fashioned, reliable cosy. While cosiness may not have the headline grabbing appeal of hygge at present, it remains a way of life that will never go out of fashion.

With the season rolling into its iciest months, comfort is key. So read on to discover our six steps to creating a cosy home this winter…

Step 1: Let there be light  

Get your living space glowing with an open fire or cluster of candles. Bringing a gentler light and natural warmth into your home will help to keep those winter blues at bay and instil a sense of tranquillity into any space.

If opting for scented candles, try to go with woody notes rather than overly sweet fragrances. Hints of amber, smoke, pine or leather will help to give your home a cosy appeal.

Step 2: Sink into something soft

Texture is key when optimising comfort. Think soft, like really soft, like sinking in to the back of an enormous swan gliding down a tranquil river kind of soft. While enormous swans and tranquil rivers are fairly impractical for the modern home, soft furnishings and accessories are a stellar second choice. Be sure to plump up your furniture with warm throws and super soft scatter cushions. We recommend taking a look at our range of delightfully bright and beautiful cotton matt velvet house scatter cushions. Pleasingly plush, these jewel tone cushions have been richly fabricated to maximise comfort during those all-important winter movie nights.

Step 3: Welcome the wilderness

A contemporary interior can find itself overrun with tech and inner city homes can often feel out of touch with calming natural influences. We advise adding some greenery to your home. Keep things low maintenance with some seasonal ivy or eucalyptus and if you struggle to keep your foliage thriving then you can always add a little wood to your living space. Creating small stacks of rough cut logs can bring a bit of rustic charm to your home and help to balance out a tech heavy interior.

Step 4: Turn up the twinkle

‘Tis the season to be sparkly and we’ve no doubt that homes up and down the country are currently twinkling in the glow of a nearby Christmas tree. All too often though, we only focus on the living room when hanging up our fairy lights. We recommend giving your kitchen, bedroom and study areas a bit of glitter to ensure that cosiness reaches every corner of your home. Pay particular attention to strings of subtle gold lights in order to keep the ambience soft and soothing (we recommend checking out Hurn and Hurn, who have an original array of lighting options).

Step 5: Make more of your space

We love a minimalistic interior as much as the next person, but if you’re hoping to experience cosiness in its purest form, then avoiding large empty spaces is the way forward. We suggest adding a love seat to any unoccupied space in your bay window or under an exposed staircase (throw in a few books too if you want to capture that mini snug aesthetic).

Step 6: Roll out the rugs

Amp up the snug factor of any exposed wood (or already carpeted) flooring with a soft, textured rug. We suggest taking a look at our Sheepskin or Casablanca rugs, both of which are made from 100% luxurious wool for optimum softness. Coming in neutral tones, these rugs will complement a range of interiors and will make kicking off your work shoes all the more satisfying!