Interiors: Snug as a hug with clever ways to cosy up your living space

Clever ways to cosy up your living space 

Transform your bedroom into a boutique-hotel-style boudoir by making clever use of texture 

PLAY WITH TEXTURE…

LAUNDRY BASKET, £100; THROW, £120; BENCH, £295; RUG, £350; CUSHIONS from top: CREAM, £55; PILE, £55; WOOL, £50, and GREY, £75, all habitat.co.uk

Do:

• Build up multiple layers. For an easy way to work the trend, pile on the cushions and throws, using different textures and tonal shades.
• Introduce touchy-feely furniture such as the sheepskin Fox chair from Habitat or the latest Bethan Gray collection at Anthropologie.
• Look for natural materials such as jute rugs, sheepskin and hessian wallpaper. 

Don’t: 

• Go overboard with pattern – this look is about tonal texture, not clashing prints.
• Limit yourself to soft furnishings. Ceramics and wood are also clever ways to add texture.
• Forget about your walls. Textured paint – such as the Craig & Rose Artisan Stone Effect range at homebase.co.uk – adds depth to a room. For a quick update, opt for a woven wall hanging; or, for a bold statement, hang a floor rug.

…AND WARM UP WITH WOOD AND SHEEPSKIN     

GET YOUR NATURE HIT…  

…in the comfort of your home. You can hibernate without feeling cooped up! Here’s how

5 WAYS TO ADD A BREATH OF FRESH AIR   

• Create a green wall using winter’s go-to paint colours, such as Jewel Beetle at littlegreene.com or Amsterdam Green at anniesloan.com.
• Use natural flooring. If stripped wooden floorboards aren’t an option in your home, try quick-step.co.uk for a wide range of engineered boards or faux-wood vinyls.
• Bring in forest-print fabrics and wallpaper – surfaceview.co.uk sells bold wall murals. Or try an abstract fabric, such as the Norrland collection from villanova.co.uk, for fresh ways to incorporate woodland patterns in your home.
• Go wild for indoor greenery. Brighten up your surfaces with house plants – a mix of real and artificial work well together. Find a wide range of faux foliage at abigailahern.com. 
• Incorporate textured wooden furniture – swooneditions.com has a great range of sideboards and dining tables.

ON THE WOODLAND TRAIL 

PLATE, £4.99, hm.com

FOREST-SCENTED CANDLE, £29, trouva.com

WOODEN BASKETS, from £19.99 (small), zara.com

VELVET BEDSPREAD, £225, toa.st

SIDEBOARD, £699; FAUX FIG TREE, £69; BOWL, £6; VASE, £19.50; TABLE AND TWO-BENCH SET, £499; THROW, £39.50; HEXAGON-PRINT CUSHION, £29.50; BIRD CUSHION, £17.50; PLANTS, from £9.50; DINNER PLATE, £5; SIDE PLATE, £5; CERAL BOWLS, £4 and £8; TEAPOT, £19.50; JUG, £25; MUG, £4, and RUG, from £179, all marksandspencer.com

TURN UP THE TOASTINESS

A log fire, warming palette and textured furniture will keep you feeling the glow in the winter months. Chair, £1,200; Footstool, £599; Cushion, £40; Rug, £550, and Floor Lamp, £175, all johnlewis.com

• Bring in a pile of logs to add an instant rustic feel. No real fire? No problem. Create a wintry display instead by piling them high in a basket or stacking them under a low shelf.
• Layer rugs – add warmth by mixing different sizes and textures together to cover draughty floors. This is also a quick and easy way to connect open living spaces and ‘join’ rooms together.
• Bulk up your curtains by adding another layer of fabric or a thermal lining. This will help to keep the warmth in, as well as reduce winter heating costs.
• Inject a jewel tone. A pop of rich colour – in the form of cushions or a blanket – gives an instant winter update.
• Fluff up your furniture. Sheepskins over dining chairs will cosy up your winter meals.
• Nothing says snug like an open fire or log burner. Create a focal point in the room by angling furniture to face it.
• Dim the lights and embrace the darkness with candlelight and lamps. Choose a wintry scented candle or room diffuser for the full sensory experience.
• Cover your sofa or armchairs with woven throws. Tuck in neatly for a chic take on the look.

4 RUSTIC LOG BASKETS