A new season is the perfect excuse to switch up your winter home decor, and winter is all about creating a warm and cosy space to see you through the colder months. Whether you want to embrace the festive season, create your own Hygge haven or simply refresh your interior aesthetic, there are plenty of ways that you can transform your home. Here are some home decorating ideas that will see you through the chilly season and turn your space into a winter wonderland.
Candles
Candles are a great way to give your space a warm and cosy feeling that’s perfect for the winter months. Not only do they look great, but fragrance can have a huge impact on the ambience of your home. For winter, think warming scents like amber, cashmere and sandalwood or fir and spicy ginger for an inviting Christmas feel. You can even find candles that perfectly mimic the scent of a crackling log fire, perfect for creating a comfy atmosphere in a space without a fireplace.
If you’d like your candles to make more of a decorative statement, grouping together candles of different heights or placing them inside glass jars or vases is a stylish way to introduce them into your winter home decor. If you are sensitive to scents but still want the warmth of a candlelight display there are lots of things you can do with unscented candles to create a charming winter display. You can add some fire-safe faux snow or pine cones into the bottom of your glass vase, or you could even pick up candles that already have a winter look with winter greenery set into the wax or a festive ribbon tied around the outside.
If you have young children or just don’t want to worry about leaving candles lit, you can achieve a similar effect by filling jars or vases with strings of LED fairy lights, while reed diffusers are the perfect solution for wintery scents without the risk. Just remember to flip the reeds over every few days to keep your scent fresh.
Rugs & Throws
Layering up your soft furnishings is an instant win in winter decor, creating a sense of cosiness and adding texture to the room. A chunky, knitted throw draped over the sofa has an inherently warm aesthetic while also giving you something to cuddle up under on those long, cold winter nights. Think soft fabrics like wool or cashmere, or textured material like ribbed or waffle knits. Don’t be afraid to mix up prints and colours either, as it can really help bring more dimension to a space. If you want somewhere to keep your throws when you’re not relaxing on the sofa, a big wicker basket or storage box is a practical way to stop your sofa looking messy while also adding its own charming winter aesthetic.
Rugs are another great way to get that cosy winter look, and they can also work wonders for trapping in heat and keeping your feet warm when the temperature starts to drop. Light coloured rugs are a good option for winter to stop your space from looking too dark. Why not take a leaf out of the Scandi stylebook and try out a faux sheepskin rug in the living room or bedroom? Sheepskin rugs can be used in a few different ways to achieve that cosy Scandinavian winter look. You can drape one over a wooden chair to add an extra layer of warmth, or you can put one over a bench in lieu of your usual cushions. Even if you have an existing rug, sheepskins can look great layered over the top for winter.
Cushions
Adding cushions with winter motifs or in a seasonal colour scheme can totally change the look of your living room and is fairly inexpensive to achieve. You could also swap out your current cushions for some in wintery fabrics like knitted wool, faux fur or velvet. Choosing contrasting textures and colours will really help to add dimension to the room and contribute to an inviting winter aesthetic.
It can be hard to know how to group different cushions together, but there are a few guidelines that will point you in the right direction. Colourwise, it’s a good idea to pick cushions in shades that are already present somewhere in the room, even if it’s just in a piece of wall art or a decorative ornament. Doing this will make sure that your cushions don’t look out of place and will ensure a sense of balance in your decor.
The number of cushions you choose is really up to you, but generally speaking, you should stick to five maximum on a three-seater sofa and up to four on a two-seater. Try to keep the sizes of the cushions in line with the size of the sofa. Small cushions on a large, L-shaped sofa may look a bit lost, while oversized cushions on a loveseat will look too overwhelming.
Greenery
Adding winter greenery is an easy addition to your home decor as it goes with pretty much any colour scheme or interior style. Plus, you can incorporate greenery in so many different ways, from making a table centrepiece or filling a window box to simply adding a few single stems into your favourite vase. Pine, fir, cedar and eucalyptus are great options if you want to keep things simple. For a more decorative touch, you can also add in things like pine cones or faux berries
If you opt for real greenery, the secret to keeping them fresh is to cut the ends and soak them in water overnight before you use them. Then, mist them every day to stop them from drying out too fast. However, there are plenty of realistic artificial plants on the market if you want some greenery that you can use year after year.
Another low maintenance option is to simply use some winter branches to bring a bit of the outdoors in. Not only are they easy to find but they are completely free, and can be transformed into a decorative display in just a couple of easy steps. You can leave them au naturel or you could cover them with spray paint, either in white or to match your specific winter decor. Then, just arrange them in a large glass vase and your new winter decor is good to go. If you like, you could also hang some decorations from the branches or add a ribbon to your vase for a little extra embellishment.
Natural Light
If you find that your house can feel a little dark during the winter months, increasing the natural light inside can make a huge difference not just visually, but also for your mood. Exposure to sunlight helps the body produce Vitamin D, which is key to fighting disease and staving off fatigue. Luckily, even when it’s grey outside there are a few easy things that you can do to maximise the natural light.
First off, make sure that your windows are as unobstructed as possible by decluttering your window sills or cutting back any trees or hedges outside. Next, consider adding some more mirrors to your space. Mirrors help to bounce light around the room, making the most of even the smallest bit of sunshine. Large mirrors placed opposite windows are especially effective or you could update a wardrobe or cupboard with mirror doors.
Of course, over the winter there is only so much natural light you can get, so it’s well worth adding in a few extra artificial light sources too. Be sure to use warm white bulbs as opposed to blue-tinted lights, as it will help to establish a welcoming feel. If you don’t really need the extra lighting at other times of the year, you could even buy a light designed with a winter or Christmas theme to really get in the seasonal spirit.
Winter Home Decor Conclusion
Long winter days may sometimes get the best of us, but that’s not to say that our homes need to be dark and dreary too. These decor ideas show that you don’t have to make a huge investment to transform your home this winter. There are plenty of small, decorative touches that can have a big impact on the look and feel of your space. Whether you’re adding a few new accessories or going all out, we hope that we’ve given you some decor ideas to spruce up your home for the coming festive season.
Improve your home with mirror doors
Replace your existing wardrobe doors with mirrored doors and benefit from the added light and spacious feel they give to a room.