Four ways to create an inviting sanctuary in your home this winter
Four ways to create an inviting sanctuary in your home this winter
With the winter solstice just around the corner and Christmas arriving shortly after, we’re
in the depths of British midwinter. It’s a time when the short days and dark evenings
make heading indoors early the only real choice. And, with this winter throwing
seemingly endless rain at us as well as freezing wind, ice and snow, cosy nights at
home become a very tempting proposition. In this month’s Heugah Interiors blog, we’re
sharing four tips for creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home.
1. Choose soft rugs for underfoot luxury
If you’re lucky enough to live in a carpeted home, perhaps with underfloor heating, you
might not know how chilly it feels to walk around on flagstones, wooden floorboards or
even vinyl floors in socks in the winter. While we do advise reaching for a pair of thicker
socks or slippers, we also love adding a thick, soft rug in key areas, such as living
rooms and bedrooms. There’s nothing wrong with layering rugs on top of carpets or
even other rugs – whatever it takes to banish the chill of winter seeping to your toes,
especially in older houses and cottages.
Choosing materials like hand-tufted real wool or ensuring a rug is made with a long pile
for extra ‘fluffiness’ will add to the feeling of cosiness. This Berber style rug from Lorena
Canals would be perfect for injecting some warmth to a bedroom or living space. As
we’ve mentioned in other blogs, rugs are also great ways to ‘zone’ larger rooms, which
can be tricker to turn into the perfect winter evening nest! So, why not add a round rug
under a sofa and coffee table to create an obvious cosy corner for relaxing? Shop our
rugs by brand here.
2. Add plush cushions for comfort
Then, we advise you to turn your attention to ensuring that your sofa, armchairs, bench
seating and even beds are decorated with an array of cushions. The current maximalist
trends means that there’s no need to make sure they all match or that you stick to one
pattern or colour scheme. You can mish-mash whatever you have, just make sure
there’s enough to create a welcoming pile to sink into! Those oversized cushions, in
various shapes and fabrics, will be perfect for resting a book or tablet on, or propping
you up while you watch your favourite Christmas films and then the best new year
television,
If you would love your cushions to come with a side order of sustainability, we’re proud
to stock Hug Rug Woven cushions, rugs and throws. These are made from a material
that’s woven from 100% recycled plastic bottles, keeping them out of landfill where they
would remain for hundreds of years to come. If you’re worried about what these
cushions look and feel like, you’ll be very pleasantly surprised – the material is just like
real wool, but is mould and mildew resistant, stain resistant and you can machine wash
it to freshen them up. Take a closer look here.
3. Create a snug reading nook
While there’s normally an excellent choice of films and new television shows to get your
teeth into in winter, it’s totally possible to get screen fatigue after a while. If that’s the
case, we think there’s no better way to spend a winter evening than taking a deep dive
into a good book. Books transport us to different times, place us in other people’s shoes
and can even take us to distant lands and worlds.
If you follow us on social media, you’ll know that one of our favourite interior trends is
the ‘reading nook’. This is usually something like a window seat with bookshelves, a
bedroom mezzanine, a micro library or a TV-free sitting room full of books. They’re
normally very snug, with lamps, cushions and blankets to curl up in while you read.
Now, we know that for most of us, it’s not possible to make an entire room into a
reading zone or summon up a spare window seat or build a mezzanine. But we’re
making it our winter project to create a DIY reading nook in our homes. We’d start by
placing a comfy armchair or beanbag next to a lamp and a mini bookcase or coffee
table. Then, we would add a throw and some cushions, perhaps a fluffy rug underfoot. A
nice finishing touch might be a houseplant and scented candle, to boost the feeling of
peace and quiet.
4. Drape throws to banish winter’s chill
Speaking of adding throws to help make a space feel cosier, we think a throw is an
essential addition to so many rooms in winter. It’s easy to stay warm when you’re busy
at home, cooking, cleaning or tidying up after family members. But when you finally sit
down at the end of the day or want to take a few minutes break (perhaps in that reading
nook!), you might feel winter’s chill. We love draping soft, textured throws over sofas,
armchairs or the foot of a bed. For extra visual impact, why not mix and match several
throws with different textures and colours like wool, fleece, or faux fur? You can explore
our full range of throws here.