creating a
cosy living room
this winter
The cold and dark days of winter have arrived and it’s likely that you’re looking for ways to make your home a little cosier. With ongoing concerns about energy prices for many of us, this year it might not be as simple as turning on the central heating.
Fortunately, there are other things you can do to make your living room a cosy and comfortable place during the winter months. If you need some pointers, keep reading for our tips on creating a cosy living room this winter.
Ambient Lighting
The type of lighting you use can make a big difference to how your living room feels. Bright white lights have a cooler feel – the opposite of what you want during winter. Instead, choose lightbulbs with a yellow or orange glow. This gives a warm and cosy feel. Instead of relying just on an overhead light, using table lamps or floor lamps to light up the space can also make it feel cosier. Dimmable light fixtures are even better, allowing you to create a soft glow and layer-up lighting. You can add other solutions for light too like candles or string lights.
Winter Textures
The right textures for winter can affect how cosy your living room feels. Layering different textures, for example by adding a throw to a cushion or chair, is another way to make the room cosier. When it comes to choosing the right fabrics for the season, think about what feels warm, soft, and comfortable. Wool, velvet, faux fur, chunky knits, and felt are fantastic choices for this time of year. If you want a luxurious feel in your space, silk can also be a good option.
Refresh Your Decor With a New Sofa
Chances are, you’ll be spending a lot more time indoors over the winter. Adding a cosy new sofa to your living room can make the space feel more welcoming and comfortable during the cold months. You can even create a bespoke sofa with thick, plush cushions and choose from warm fabrics like velvet or wool for an extra layer of warmth and comfort when snuggling up for movie nights or curling up with a good book.
Warm Colour Tones
Colour is vital for creating cosiness in your living room. Rich dark colours and earthy tones are ideal for creating a warm feeling. Using white or other light-filled colours can have the opposite effect and make the space feel cooler.
Of course, you have the option to totally redecorate and add colour to the walls to create a relaxing, winter feel. If you’re not ready to make a permanent change, there are plenty of other ways to introduce seasonal colours to the space. Furniture pieces, rugs, soft furnishings, and decorative pieces like flowers or artwork are all effective ways of adding colour. If you like to adapt your décor to fit the seasons all year round, this is a good strategy because you can simply change the details every time the season changes.
Dress Up Your Sofa with Cushions & Throws
Soft furnishings like cushions, throws, or blankets are a fantastic way to make your sofa more inviting during the winter months. They make the space more appealing and give you lots of soft and cosy things to snuggle up with. A few cushions or a throw can easily be added to a sofa to instantly transform it. Using cushions and other soft furnishings is a fantastic way to bring seasonal colours and textures into your living room. If you do start to get chilly during the dark evenings, having these pieces around can help you to feel warm and comfortable.
Layering With Rugs
Floors can feel cold during winter, especially if you have hardwood floors as opposed to carpet. Whatever type of flooring you have, adding a rug to the space instantly warms it up. Hardwood flooring might have gaps that cause a draught, but a rug covers them up and creates a warmer and more comfortable surface to walk on.
Just as with soft furnishings on your sofa, a rug is an ideal way to bring winter colours and textures into your living room. Opt for darker colours and warming, soft textures. A faux fur or shag rug creates a luxurious cosy feeling and makes the room more comfortable. Another advantage of rugs is that they can easily be swapped around when the seasons change.
Winter Fragrances
Home fragrances add a cosy feeling and can reflect the seasons. Incense, scented candles, wax burners, and room sprays are all great ways to add fragrance – incense and candles fit well with the winter cosiness theme in particular. Look for spicy and warming scents; great options for the season include ginger, cinnamon, clove, bergamot, frankincense, and winter berries.
As winter draws in, you’ll often see home scent products designed especially for the season. These products usually have scents that are ideal for the winter months and can enhance your living room throughout the season.
Keep The Heat In
Warm air escaping from your home instantly takes away the cosiness factor. Taking steps to ensure that your living room retains as much heat as possible can help you to stay warm throughout the winter. Windows are typically the main way that homes lose heat – single-glazed or poorly fitting windows can lead to heat loss. If you’re having a problem with this, replacing your windows with double or tripled glazed glass can make a big difference. Better retaining heat will keep your living room warmer and reduce your reliance on central heating.
Another useful tip is to have individual thermostats on your radiators so you can adjust them as needed. This allows you to heat just the room you’re using rather than the entire property.
