Cosy.  Comfortable.  Warm.  All of these words spark something in the imagination that can invoke images of watching the cold weather outside simply melt away. The cold air may be creeping around outside and the harsh breeze reddens your cheeks and nose instantly. However, just because it’s icy outside, doesn’t mean your home has to be anything less than toasty. Warm designs and décor doesn’t have to be kept to the bedroom, or the den. Your bright and airy rooms in the home can be toasty and cosy, too, with a little tweak here and there.

When you’re making plans to turn your home into a cosy haven, you should try and be aware of the colours you choose. You can have a home in white, ice blue and mint and still manage to make it a cosy space to be in. With the stylish décor tips that we’ve got for you, you can keep the harsh, cold weather outside and soften up your interiors with little effort!

How to make your house cosy and warm:

Layers

Not just for cakes, layers are great for any airy room of the home. We don’t mean that you should be draping blankets and throws everywhere; we just mean that you need more than a strip of wood for the floor and exposed brick for the walls. If you have layered wool rugs, cushions and curtains full of patterns you can make a whole room come to life. You instantly warm a cool room by adding new textures, colours and styles. Curtains on the windows that are floor length can physically warm a room up, as you prevent the outside breeze escaping into the home during those stormy evenings. You can dot cushions of different styles on the couches and even have some large floor cushions down for guests.

Knits

Winter is a time for wrapping up in chunky cardigans and sweaters, adding slippers and fuzzy socks to every outfit and generally feeling snug. Knitted throws on the sofa, knitted pouffes in front of the armchair and even knitted cushion covers are all ways to add something to the home. Warm up the look of those wooden floors with knits everywhere and swap your cushion covers to textured knitted ones instead of the usual cotton ones. You add warmth, colour and texture with knitted materials.

Lighting

One of the harshest parts of a home can actually be the lighting above you. If you only have ceiling lights and not lamps, now is the time for change. Lamps of different sizes and lighting strengths can make your living room instantly warmer. Illuminate the sheepskin rugs (faux of course) and knitted pouffes with lighting that you can change throughout the day. You want to make it count, and lighting is something that changes the entire feel of a room. If you want to really make a home warm, add a fireplace! Not just for decorative purposes, a fireplace makes a whole room brighter, cosier and is a talking point for guests.

Metallics

Winter is all about the holidays and part of the holidays is the gift wrap. Whether you go for foils or shiny paper, you can extend this for the season into your home. Bronze mirror frames that match the throw on the back of the sofas, silver accents and even gold accents can give a lounge a Christmas feel. Extend the colouring to fake flowers around the room – so gold accents with yellow flowers etc. These are fiery colours and really can invite warmth into the room, making your home feel cosy at little cost.

Tones

If the tones in your home lean more toward the cooler colours (white, ice blue and mint), then you have to learn which colours oppose and warm it up. A cooler palette is funky and modern, but it’s often harsh in lighting and most furniture is pointed and sharp. Adding in soft blankets and throws is a great way to ensure that you instantly warm a room. If you make sure the colours of your soft additions are darker in colour, such as warming red and burnt orange, you can offset the cool of the room quickly.

Staying in style with your home décor isn’t always easy, especially if you are on a budget or generally not sure what will work. The thing is, there’s always inspiration online to be found. All you have to know is what you want to warm up and you’re halfway there!