Best thing about winter? Permission to hibernate. From the best beds to snuggle up in to creating a cocktail hour from the comfort of your own sofa, here’s our guide to hunkering down like a pro
PUT THE WORLD ON HOLD Be inspired by fika, a Swedish ritual that means ‘take a pause’. What better excuse to indulge in breakfast in bed?
From left: BASKET, around £11; JUG, around £33; BEDHEAD, around £917; PILLOWCASES, around £16 each; CUSHION, around £38; QUILT COVER, from around £125; LINEN THROW, around £92; LIGHT SHADE, around £108; RUG, around £324, and CUP, around £5, all aurahome.com.au
TABLE RUNNER, £22; PLATE, £17; MUG, £10.50, and spoon, £25 (part of set), all bloomingville.com
5 BEST ZZZ-WORTHY BEDS
KITCHEN THERAPY It’s the warm heart of your home, so take time to savour slow-cooked stews, freshly baked bread – and a glass of wine or two…
COCKTAIL HOUR Create the pleasure of pre-dinner drinks at home with your own bar.
AND YOUR OWN CHEF
Download Supper London (supper.london) and expect high-quality food from trendy vegan restaurants such as By Chloe. Minimum order is £25
Don’t have the time to cook? Don’t worry – the takeaway market has had an upgrade. Supper London works with top chefs and restaurants to offer a range of high-quality cuisine from a wide variety of restaurants at the touch of an app. Expect food from trendy vegan restaurants such as By Chloe to 20in gourmet pizzas from Covent Garden hotspot Homeslice. Download the app at supper.london.
CHECK IN, CHILL OUT If you must venture into the outside world, visit these snug spots to get that warm fuzzy feeling
THE BATH PRIORY, BATH
Enjoy how the other half lives – or rather, hunkers down – at this upmarket country-house-style hotel. Think plush lounges with squishy sofas, roaring fires and paintings, and furnishings befitting a truly posh pile. The hotel also boasts a top-notch restaurant and the country’s only L’Occitane spa. If, at any point, you feel the need to walk off one of its delicious afternoon teas, you can always pull on your wellies and wander around the hotel’s four acres of beautiful gardens.
THE HAM YARD HOTEL, LONDON
It may be in the heart of Soho, but designer Kit Kemp’s signature cosy-cool interiors mean you won’t want to step outside this urban-village-feel hotel. With its luxurious upholstery and sumptuous textiles, a theatre and bowling alley on site, plus a garden on the fourth floor – why would you?
THE ROSE INN, KENT
From coaching inn to no-frills pub to homely boutique hotel, the eight-bedroom Rose has been a firm favourite on Deal’s high street for more than 200 years. With its cosy mixture of vintage, Victorian and mid-century interiors, and restaurant serving comfort-food classics using fresh, seasonal British ingredients, this seaside spot is as snug as it gets.
CURL UP WITH THESE The best new interiors tomes to update your coffee table
MAD ABOUT THE HOUSE: How to Decorate Your Home With Style by Kate Watson-Smyth; £20, Pavilion*
THE PATTERNED INTERIOR by Greg Natale and Martin Lawrence Bullard; £43, Rizzoli*
IMAGINARIUM: A Compendium of Inspiration by Sibella Court; £77, Rocky Nook*
THIS IS HOME: The Art of Simple Living by Natalie Walton; £30, Hardie Grant*
*To order any of our featured books with 20 per cent off until 25 November, visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640. p&p is free on orders over £15