Clever ways to make your home warm & cosy in winter

They say what good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter, but I’m not sure I agree.

I could happily live without the cold of winter, which for some reason always seems to go on so much longer than summer does.

I’m definitely a summer person (I put it down to being an August baby) and I hate being cold, and when I say hate I mean really hate – I’ve been known to cry simply because I was cold! So anything I can do to feel warm and cosy I will, and it’s not as hard or expensive as you might think. For example, it can be as easy as deciding to buy neon signs online that can light up a room during this dreary season.

One of the things I do like about winter is all the glossy magazines and travel features with gorgeous pictures of weird and wonderful winter getaways (this e-book from Julian Charles is a prime example): there’s nothing quite like curling up with a glass of something and one of those – as long as you’re warm, that is.

Misery Guts actually proposed on a winter getaway – at Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps, which is the castle Walt Disney based his fairytale castle on.

It was jolly cold (he didn’t go down on one knee because of the snow!) but the thing about places where snow is the norm is that they more than make up for it indoors (think roaring fires, spiced wine and thick curtains over the doors) in a way we just don’t here in the UK.

So if you hate the cold like me how can you make your home warmer and cosier in winter like they do in colder climes? I asked some fellow bloggers for inspiration and here’s what they said.

Clever ways to make your home warm & cosy in winter

1. Don’t put the fairy lights away. “Turning on our fairy lights around the fireplace – there is something so cosy and comforting about those,” says Rachael at From Rachael Claire. “Especially when it’s teamed with your comfiest pjs and dressing gown.”

2. Don a nice thick dressing gown. “There’s nothing like getting into your dressing gown on the sofa on a cold evening or snuggling into bed with an electric blanket!” says Georgina at Gee Gardner.

3. Invest in new bedding. “I have a massive heated fleece blanket and I use it everywhere in the winter! In bed, at my desk, on the sofa… sometimes I’ll just shamble around the house with it draped over me. I hate the cold and it’s super cosy!” says Christy at Welsh Mum. (If you’re in need of inspiration take a look at https://www.juliancharles.co.uk/bedding/type/all-bedding)

4. Buy the biggest, fluffiest socks you can find. “Throws and cushions a plenty on the sofa, and fluffy socks!” says Victoria at Lylia Rose.

5. Go candle shopping. “For some reason lighting candles in the evening makes me feel all warm and snuggly,” says Victoria at The Growing Mum.

6. Wrap up in a slanket. (That’s a blanket with sleeves – I know, I had to google it) “I love to have a Slanket folded on the arm of my chair,” says Katy at Katy Kicker. “This is ideal for working while wearing, keeps me warm and avoids putting the heating on when I’m home alone. And they look nice folded over the arm of a chair.”

7. Treat yourself to hot chocolate machine. “Hot chocolate is the most comforting and indulgent drink out there,” says Steph at Expert Home Tips. “Instant mixes are OK, but they can’t compete with the fabulously frothy milk and rich chocolatey-ness you get from a real hot chocolate machine. We got a Nescafé one at a heavily reduced price. It’s stylish, functional, and makes the meanest hot choc around!”

And if money isn’t an issue…

Invest in a wood burning stove. “The first thing we did when we moved in to our new house was put in a wood burning stove,” says Erin at Yorkshire Tots. “I wasn’t sure it was worth the money at the time, but my husband really wanted one. I have to say, it was worth every penny. There’s nothing as nice as a fire burning on a cold evening with cats laid in front of it and the kids snuggled up on the sofa under a blanket with me watching Dr. Who!”