As soon as Christmas is out the way Winter can feel quite depressing and seems like such a long stretch ahead. This is when I look at ways to make our home as cosy and warm as possible. The bad weather means we have many more days stuck indoors. So, candles are lit, extra thick blankets are laid out and the sofa has more scatter cushions added to make it look inviting.

Rugs and Floor Cushions

If you have hardwood flooring, you can add rugs and floor cushions to help make your home cosy and warm. Carpets are more insulating against the cold, so if you can add a few rugs and cosy floor cushions you can hold onto some of the warmth.

Fluffy Cushions

Buy fluffy cushions, faux fur can be very warm to snuggle into. It is an insulating material that will take the edge off winter.

Choose Warm Colours

When making any purchases for winter opt for warm colours. Red and oranges are considered warm colours because they remind us of the desert warmth. You can also paint your walls in warm colours. But it easier just to add some soft furnishings rather than redecorate your rooms for the changing seasons.

Pick Up A Pouffe Or Footstool

You can keep your feet off the cold floor by purchasing a pouffe or footstool. These have lots of other benefits like helping your comfort levels. Lifting your legs can reduce aches and strains. Your legs can feel more painful in winter because the drop in temperature can lead to restricted blood flow. Choose a faux fur sheepskin pouffe for extra warmth!

Bleed Radiators

You should make sure to bleed your radiators annually. It’s a good idea to do this when the radiators are still warm, but the heating has been turned off. Bleeding the radiators will remove trapped air and make your radiators work more effectively helping make your home cosy and warm in winter.

Add Radiator Panels

Behind some of our radiators we have added cardboard and silver foil this helps reflect the heat back into the room. It stops it going into the walls instead. You can buy specialist foil, but we just used what we already had in the kitchen as quick fix.

Draught Proof Your Home

Draughts can make you feel very cold in winter. You can do simple things like buy draught excluders to place by the door. Over time skirting can change shape and need more silicone added to stop draughts. We definitely need to do this in our living room.

It’s not recommended you cover your extractor fans as they help with damp. We went to view a house that had covered the bathroom extractor fans presumably to keep the warmth in and mould was growing at a steady rate in the room!

Use Furniture Effectively

Big rooms can look cold and uninviting unless you stage the furniture correctly. You need to use your furniture effectively to make cosy corners. Our master bedroom is quite big, so we added a small seating area to help make the room more welcoming. We also added a rug that came out from under our bed so when we stepped out of bed first thing, we were not met by the cold laminate flooring.

Giant Bean Bags

There is nothing like sinking into a giant bean bag to feel warmer in winter. Bean bag fillings are good at trapping heat so you will be very cosy reading or watching TV nestled in one of these.

Conclusion

With a few simple changes you do not have to dread the long winter months. Instead appreciate the time indoors now you have made your home cosy and warm.