Styling Tricks To Make Your Home Winter Cosy
WORDS:: CHYKA KEEBAUGH
PHOTOS:: LISA ATKINSON
The winter months call for a winter cosy home, but how do we achieve this?
One place to start is the fireplace itself. Whether it’s functional or not - every now and then, the soft warm glow of candles in this alcove can really changed the ambience of your home. It is also a fantastic way of breathing new life into in inactive fireplace.
Filling a fireplace with candles is a styling trick I adore. Groups of candles, all varying in height and width with gorgeous melted candle wax dripping down the edges forming one big lumpy mess of waxy goodness! Surrounding your fireplace with groups of candles is an easy way of using your fireplace and creating that gorgeous glow without burning wood! Perfect for closed in chimneys.
In other parts of the house I also use dark toned candles because sometimes a white candle can just be too stark. As the seasons change, so should your candles. Everything in winter just needs to feel beautiful and easy - like it always been there. But like anything to do with a naked flame - be careful! Never leave candles unattended, never burn them near curtains or anything even close to flammable and never burn them near children.
There is nothing more fun than creating new looks with your decor with simple and quick swaps and changes, especially in winter!
Now, we all know that it’s not about changing our furniture every season! Rather, it’s about bringing in some new prints and patterns and introducing a splash of seasonal colours to bring your space into the now. A straightforward and stylish way of doing this is by updating your cushions and a few accessories here and there. Cushions, throws and table decor can make a huge impact when styling your seating area, and considering we spend a lot of time indoors at this time of year, it’s well worth the investment.
Three things to consider when updating your cushions…
Don’t go wild!
My first tip for revamping your sofa is that you don't need to go wild; there is nothing wrong with sticking with your current colour palette and adding one new colour tone to update the look. It can honesty be that easy! What you don’t want to do is take on too many colours and try to make it all work – it will become too busy and an eye sore! Keep it simple and limit your colours choices to a palette you’d be happy to live with every day.
Be mindful of the colours you already have in that room
When changing your cushions, I think you always need to be mindful of the colours already in your room and to add colours that will compliment or heighten the existing look. For instance, if your living space is white and blue with warm wood tones, stick with it. Look for different shades of blue and navy to mix in with your existing décor – it will make the other shades of blue and navy in the room really pop and everything will be in harmony.
Look for varying sizes and statement cushions for visual flair
You can add a statement colour here and there to your sofa, but don’t go nuts, otherwise everything will become a visual mess! Mixing and matching cushions that feature prints and patterns that fall within the same colour scheme, or even introducing different textures, will add more flair to your look. Be mindful to also choose cushions of varying sizes too – it will add depth to your sofa.
Make your home more inviting by styling with books
I love walking into homes where the owners book collections are proudly displayed. I love seeing what others are reading, and it is always a perfect conversation starter. Coffee table books are an indulgence of mine because there is so much beauty out there to be seen, looking on a computer screen is no way near as magical as flipping through a brand new book with a beautiful fabric spine. The smell and texture of pages and the crisp sound of the spine opening up, it’s an experience in itself, and I am so excited that people are moving back into book shops to get their hands on the real thing.
I have a varied taste in what I read and go through phases, just like fashion. One month it will be purely historical, the next is all true crime and the following only biographies. I want to know everything about everyone and books scratch that itch. I also love keeping my collections on display and pile them high all over the house, so I always have something to flick through. Because why can’t they be read then turned into something to decorate with? Don’t just put them on the shelf or hide them away, there are so many neat things to do.
A thought to carry you into the week....
Your home should be a reflection of who you are, your family and what you love in life. Take a walk around your home, does it reflect your desires? Are you surrounded by a collection of items that trigger happy memories? Are you holding on to things you really should be kicking to the kerb? If you are, it’s time to kick it! Let’s start living the life we love in the home we love.