How to make your home all cosy this winter

How to make your home all cosy this winter

Now that the cold weather has arrived and we are heading towards winter, it’s nice to make your home all cosy as well. This will make your evenings so much more enjoyable. In order to do that you need some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. Here are some examples of what you can do to make your home more cosy in preparation for winter.

Two people sitting in front of a fire

Install a fireplace

Having a real fire installed where you can cosy up on the sofa with your other half and keep your feet all warm and toasty is very comforting in the winter months. If you have an existing fireplace, you would need to do is get the chimney breast opened up, line the flue and include a grate so that you can burn logs to make a nice fire. You can then have some lovely relaxing, warm evenings sitting by the fire reading a good book with a hot drink or glass of wine in hand.

If you’re considering this, you might want to check out antique fireplaces for some inspiration. They could add a touch of elegance and charm to your home.

Man servicing a radiator

Check your heating works efficiently

The last thing you want is to have problems with your central heating when it gets cold. Carrying out regular maintenance checks and ensuring that all your radiators work as they should will make all the difference. This is something you can easily remedy by using a radiator key to bleed them so that any trapped air can escape. This keeps them in good condition and will ensure they heat up fully and efficiently.

Installing a new window

Upgrade your windows

When you have the central heating on, you don’t want it to simply escape out of the windows, so it’s important to regularly check on their condition. If you notice that there are small cracks appearing on the woodwork then it might be time to repaint the frame or replace the actual windows. This will be particularly important if you have old style windows that are not double glazed and you begin to feel a draught inside. New windows will help keep your home cosy and warm this winter.

New sofa

Buy some new furniture

If some of the rooms in your home are feeling a little tired and run down then it might be that you need to revamp the look with some new furniture. Online home decor stores and shops can be really useful when you want to update the look and feel of your home without having to physically go to the shops and spend hours looking around, deciding what to purchase.

Grey sofa with white throw

Add throws and cushions to your sofa/bed

To get yourself even more cosy when you are sat on the sofa in the evenings, you could include a variety of soft cushions and throws so that you can wrap yourself up in the comfy fabrics and keep yourself warm.

Wall art and other décor accessories

Include accessories

A variety of accessories makes all the difference when it comes to decorating your home. Items like vases of flowers, personalised photos, wall art and lamps can really improve the overall look of the room and make it much more cosy and homely. So it is definitely worth investing in these kinds of pieces to change your house into a home.

Orange wall in a bedroom

Paint the room a warm colour

To create a cosy and warm setting, you can paint the walls in a nice warm shade. Colours like soft yellows, reds, and oranges are good shades to go for if you want to create a warm atmosphere. Paired with the correct lighting it will create a nice warm setting in which you can relax.

Warm Edison-type LED lamp

Choose the correct lighting

To give your home that warm, inviting glow, it helps if you choose the correct light fixtures and lighting to go with it. Opting more eco-friendly, energy efficient light bulbs that emit a gentle warm tone will make your living room or bedroom much more cosy and inviting. So that can certainly make a difference to the overall feel of the room.

Rug in front of a sofa

Utilise soft rugs as furnishings

If you have hardwood or laminate flooring in your home it will be much more cosy when you are walking around barefoot to include some soft rugs. This adds a level of softness and warmth to your cold flooring.

Overall if you are a bit organised and can afford to spend a few pennies, you can certainly make your home more comfortable and warm in preparation for the winter season.

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From house to haven – simple ways to create a heavenly base you call home

From house to haven - simple ways to create a heavenly base you call home

They say that there’s no place like home; but often, we find faults in our homes, or we struggle to turn a new house into the heavenly haven we crave. If you’re a fan of DIY projects, you’re interested in interiors, or you have grand plans to design a home that is perfect in every way, here’s a useful guide to help you create a base that ticks every box.

Small kitchen with yellow wall-mounted cabinets

Colours

Have you ever noticed that different colours have an impact on your mood? Many of us consider colourways one of the most important interior design features, and injecting colour or opting for a simple palette is a great way of running with a theme. If you’re shopping around for paint, you’re looking for accessories, or you’re toying with the idea of buying wallpaper, think about the kind of ambiance you want to create and how you can use different colours to set the tone of different rooms and spaces. Some colours, for example, yellow and orange, are proven to energise and motivate us, while others, such as shades of blue and green, have a much more calming impact.

Within your home, there are probably spaces that you utilise for different purposes. Your bedrooms are likely to be peaceful, relaxed areas, while your living room and kitchen may be social hubs. Match the colours you choose to the function of the room. In the bedroom, you want to be able to switch off, kick back and unwind, so avoid bright colours and clashing prints and opt for shades that will promote serenity. Pastels are a great choice, and neutral tones like beige, white, and grey work really well, particularly in compact spaces.

For rooms that tend to be used for entertaining, socialising and enjoying hobbies and activities, go for something a little bolder. If you don’t want to go all-out with vivid yellow walls or patterned paper, you can lift plain, neutral walls with pictures and prints and coloured accessories. If you’ve got a white kitchen, for example, you could accessorise with red, pink, black or yellow appliances, storage containers and utensils.

Tan leather sofa with warm faux fur throw

Comfort

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of curling up in front of the TV, or climbing into bed and getting comfortable at the end of a busy day or a frantic week. There are several ways you can enhance comfort in your home, and one of the easiest and most affordable is using soft furnishings. Scattering throws on sofas and throwing cushions on couches, chairs and beds is a great way to create that cosy, lived-in look and make the areas that are designed for relaxation more appealing and alluring.

The seasons can impact how you spend your time and how you want to decorate your home, but soft furnishings work all year-round. In the chilly winter months, opt for heavy-duty, snuggly materials like wool and faux fur and replace them with lighter textiles such as linen and cotton as temperatures rise.

Another effective way of facilitating comfort at home is investing in the right kind of furniture for every room. If you’ve got an eye for interior design, of course, you want your home to look fabulous, but you also want to feel comfortable. Resist the temptation to buy sofas or chairs that look funky if they don’t provide relief after a long day at work. Try different styles for size when you’re shopping for seating or you’re looking for a new bed. You don’t want to rely solely on looks.

Exterior of a multi-storey apartment building with multiple air conditioning units

Temperature

When you’re at home, you want to channel Goldilocks when it comes to room temperature. You don’t want to be freezing cold and feel like you have to put your entire wardrobe on before getting out of bed, and you also don’t want to be sweating buckets when you’re trying to watch TV. It’s essential to get the temperature just right, so that you feel comfortable no matter where you are in the house.

If you live in an area where seasonal changes mean that you experience a range of conditions, it’s wise to consider investing in adaptable heating and cooling systems. You might find that you need to crank up the heating in the winter, but that you can’t live without air conditioning in the summer. If you do have different systems in place, customise the settings to suit your preferences; and don’t forget to keep up with basic maintenance.

When summer is approaching, look for a company that specialises in AC repair and routine services. And when temperatures start to tumble, get your heating system checked over. This will save you money in the long-run and eliminate the risk of finding yourself in a situation where you’re shivering in the winter or struggling to get cool in the summer.

Very cluttered living/dining room

Clutter

Clutter is a major obstacle to beautiful aesthetics and tranquil, zen vibes. If you’re trying to turn a house into a home and you want to design a space that makes you feel content and calm, there’s no place for clutter. If you’re a hoarder, or you’ve managed to accumulate a lot of stuff and you don’t have enough storage, now is the time to declutter. Decluttering will make your home look much more attractive and spacious as well as making you feel better.

The process of clearing space and getting rid of stuff you didn’t even know you had is incredibly cathartic. Adopt a methodical approach to tidying and throwing things that you don’t want to keep away. Go through each room, unpacking boxes and creating piles of items you want to keep, those you’re looking to donate or give away, and those that you want to chuck in the trash. Once you’re left with belongings that you want to keep hold of you can work on finding places to store them.

If you’re short on storage, invest in boxes, crates and tubs. Look into options like wall-mounted units and shelves and consider buying furniture with built-in storage. Similarly, if you have a small bedroom, you can reduce the risk of clutter by buying a bed with hidden drawers or installing wardrobes that have pull-out rails and racks.

Wooden room divider in a bedroom

Me time

For most of us, life can get hectic. When you’ve had a crazy day at work, or you’ve been rushed off your feet running around after the kids, it’s crucial to be able to enjoy a bit of me time in the comfort of your own home. Every home should have areas, no matter how small, that enable their owners to take time out, chill out and relax. If you don’t have a huge house with space for a reading, painting, or music room, you can section off a corner of a living area, turn your bedroom into a private sanctuary or even set up a crash pad in the backyard.

Give yourself time and space to do things that make you happy and enable you to unwind and mentally shut down. You can use screens or furniture to divide rooms, or create distinctive areas in the garden by using different types of materials; for example, turf, gravel and wooden decking.

Many of us dream of having a home that feels like a heavenly haven. We crave that feeling of security and comfort and we look forward to being at home and spending quality time with loved ones. If your house isn’t quite ticking all the boxes, or you’ve recently moved, and you’re looking for ways to get everything just right, hopefully, this guide has given you inspiration.

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The ultimate guide to staying cosy at home this winter

The ultimate guide to staying cosy at home this winter

A lot of us cringe at the thought of winter rolling in – bored little ones kept in during the day, ice on the windscreen and the never-ending quest for heat. It’s easy to forget the good stuff, yet flannel pyjama sets, open fires and Christmas crafts are just a few other things that only winter can bring. With their help, there are tons of ways to fend the chill off this winter and keep us cosy and warm all the way through to spring.

If you’re one of those people that has yet to fall in love with winter, here are a few tips on staying cosy during this year’s chilly season.

Knitting

Cosy up with crafts

When temperatures drop outside it’s only natural to want to stay in, but that doesn’t mean all activity should stop. Little brains especially need some stimulation if you want to avoid a serious case of cabin fever – that’s where Christmas crafts come in. Decorating ornaments, baking biscuits or even just knitting or working on watercolours by yourself will keep your hands moving and the boredom at bay.

Roaring fire

Gather round an open fire

There’s nothing that says cosy winter nights quite like an open fire. They’re warm, they smell gorgeous and best of all, they’re dazzling to look at. If you don’t have a hearth or a log-burner, not to worry – cranking up the heat and turning your TV to a fireplace channel works pretty well too.

Reading a book with a hot chocolate

Crack open a winter read

With little ones running around, there often isn’t a lot of time leftover to read. But once they head off to bed, take a few minutes to snuggle up on the sofa before you doze off yourself and dive into a good book. If you can’t be somewhere warm this winter, you can at least read about somewhere that is.

Ladies nightwear from Tu

Spring for some cute PJ sets

If we’re going to be doing cosy activities, we should be wearing cosy clothes. Flannel, faux fur-trimmed and covered in a cute print are the only ways to go as far as women’s nightwear this winter is concerned. The nightwear from Tu at Sainsbury’s ticks all the right boxes – just make sure you don’t forget the slippers.

Hot black coffee

Always have a hot drink nearby

By ‘hot drink’ we preferably mean those that are spiced, drenched in chocolate and come with a little alcohol splashed in for good measure – at least once the kids have gone to sleep. While open fires keep our houses heated this winter, hot drinks promise to keep our hearts nice and warm.

Water-filled bath

Indulge in a bath when you can

Again, we know this one isn’t always easy with kids running around – especially little ones that wouldn’t mind climbing into the bath with you. But if you can take a few moments every other week or so to run a hot bath and just relax, preferably with one of Lush’s sweet-smelling Christmas bath bombs or oils, your winter nerves will thank you for it. You might even get to squeeze in some time for that winter read, too.

Roast chicken dinner

Embrace the roast dinner

Roast dinners are incredible all year-round – they’re the ultimate comfort food, in our opinion – but there’s something about having one in the winter that just feels right. We’re not saying to indulge in gravy puddles, cranberry sauce and hearty meat every Sunday – though every once in a while isn’t bad, right? If you’re looking for something a little less strenuous, a healthy roast or home-made soup will keep you warm all winter long.

There you have it – bring on the frost. How will you keep cosy this winter?

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