With the cold depths of winter suddenly here, it's time to settle in and make your home a haven. Plush accents, heavier fabrics, and seasonal patterns all add an extra layer of comfort to living areas, bedrooms, kitchens, and more.
Here are our top decorating ideas to turn your home into a warm and welcoming space throughout autumn and winter.
Choose warm colours. Beat the chill outside by updating soft furnishings like cushions and throws in warm, cosy colours. Ditto with textiles and accessories! Opt for hues like rusty red, burnt orange, mustard yellow, and olive green, all of which make gorgeous additions to most neutral colour schemes. But be sure to balance them with plenty of warm white to avoid a heavy look.
Soft lighting. As daylight hours get a little shorter, create a cosy ambience throughout your home with light fixtures that emit a warm, soft glow. Rearrange floor lamps and table fixtures to brighten up dark corners or provide extra light for your favourite reading spot.
Add a throw …or two. Nubby knits are perfect for wintery nights at home curled up on the sofa. Or layer throws in soft and textured fabrics over sofas, chairs, benches, and beds to help you snuggle in. Choose blankets in seasonal patterns and colours for accents that are easy to swap out during warmer months.
Faux fleece. Faux sheepskins also have an irresistibly soft texture that's especially inviting in colder months. Why not drape small sheepskin throws over chairs, benches, and sofas for instant comfort. Larger sheepskin rugs are also the perfect way to add a a plush step underfoot.
Piles on the pillows. Paired with a warm blanket or two, throw pillows can transform sofas and chairs. Look for soft, fluffy pillows with a lot of texture for beds, sofas and chairs, and consider investing in larger pillows, poufs or ottomans for the floor.
Rug up! No one likes a chilly floor under bare feet on a wintery morning. Why not roll out a rug or two in the hallways, bedroom or living room – anywhere that receives a lot of foot traffic. And for rooms that already feature carpet or a rug, consider layering another one on top for an even cosier feel.
Layer Bedding. Introduce extra layers on your bed in autumn and winter. Start by switching out lightweight summertime sheets for warmer fabrics, like flannel or fleece. Then pile on additional pillows and drape a decorative throw in a seasonal colour or pattern across the foot of your bed.
Go for gold! For an instant warming effect, hang a series of gold framed mirrors in a hallway or on a bare wall that needs a little lift. If you can't find the perfect gold accessories, add a gilded touch to candlesticks, figurines, and more with gold spray paint, taking care to buy suitable paint for the material or surface you’re updating.
It’s all in the pattern. Last but by no means least, incorporate cosy patterns, like plaid, tartan, herringbone, and tweed, but in small doses. Look for patterned throws, pillows, rugs, and other accessories in colours that work with your existing scheme.