How to Cosy Up Your Home This Winter
With winter already here – and inclement weather already wreaking havoc amongst commuters as the ice and snow set in – many of us want little more than to curl up in a cosy space and wait for it all to blow over. Cosiness is not something that any of us necessarily take for granted, but it is something we don’t often dissect; what exactly is it that makes a cosy room? And how can you bring different elements together to maximise cosiness, especially in such rubbish weather as this?
Winter might be at our door but it isn’t too late cosy up your home this winter, and here we show you four ways to do it.
photo by Dagmara Dombrovska
How to Cosy Up Your Home This Winter Step 1
Lighting
The key to creating a sense of cosiness in practically any space is light – always light. By paying close attention to the way you light a space, you can turn even the drabbest of living spaces into a moody room befitting the most ‘hygge’ of folk.
First, it’s important to understand the different types of light and the roles they play in a space. Ambient light describes the brightest and most diffuse light sources, i.e.: the overhead lights attached to your wall switches. Accent lighting is used to illuminate specific pieces or areas in a space, and can be used in service of the most important form of light for cosy vibes: mood lighting.
photo by Mart Production
How to Cosy Up Your Home This Winter Step 2
Heating
‘Feel’ is a difficult thing to pin down in living spaces, indicating as it does a complex array of factors that constitute a mood or sense in a space. As well as decorative aspects, there are also more practical ones that can impact how cosy a space feels – in particular, heating.
Cosy spaces are typically warm spaces, whether that warmth is provided by ample blankets or by a space unaffected by discomforting draughts and heat loss. Heat is, of course, an especially pressing issue this year, owing to its greatly inflated cost in comparison to the past year – something which might impact any plans you had for cranking the central heating.
Plans for next winter:
Investment in an energy-efficient alternative heat source can dramatically reduce the cost of heating your home, and in some cases increase heat penetration. Air-source heat pump installation is a popular alternative to combi-boiler upgrades, being a new system that utilises refrigerant fluids and heat exchangers to take thermal energy from outside and bring it inside. Heat pumps are much more efficient than boilers, and the way they pump heat around lends them extremely well to servicing underfloor heating – the ultimate in cosy warmth.
photo by Leeloo The first
How to Cosy Up Your Home This Winter Step 3
Soft Furnishings
Of course, heat alone does not create that familiar comforting glow in a space. Soft furnishings like rugs from a Rugstore NE, carpets and curtains have a huge amount of impact on how cosy a room feels; they insulate heat and reduce draughts, but also provide unique visual stimulus in their design and colours that can serve to set you well at ease.
Speaking of which …
photo by Anastasia Shuraeva
How to Cosy Up Your Home This Winter Step 4
Cosy Colours
Colours are an essential part of the ‘cosy’ equation, and room décor can do a huge amount for personal comfort. Matching warm colours with different textures enables you to create a room with a real sense of cosiness; try ‘raw’ textiles like linen with smoky orange hues for true comfiness!
Further Reading: Cosy Christmas Living Room – 3 Top Tips to Get the Look
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