Embrace Hygge: Interior Design Tips for a Cozy Winter
November 19, 2023
Our Vancouver weather sure has taken a turn for the cooler this past week. Brisk mornings are becoming part of our new daily routines. On the bright side, the turn in the weather is just the prompt we need to begin decorating our homes for the cooler fall and winter seasons.
Here are our top eight tips for embracing your hygge style and decorating your home for the upcoming cozy months.
1. Bring in warm colours
The first and easiest way to bring a cozy winter into your home is through your decor colour choices. We’re currently loving browns, burgundy, plum, and deep greens. Bring in these colours through textiles, real or faux branches, artwork, and seasonal decor items.
Give thought to your winter colour palette for your home, and have fun with it. We suggest a 60:30:10 ratio:
60% dominant colour (most often your wall colour)
30% secondary colour (the main colour of your seasonal decor)
10% accent colour (to complement your dominant and secondary one).
2. Decor for the front door
Create a great first impression by decorating your front door or porch for the season. Consider matching your porch colour scheme with your indoor themes.
Some people like to put seasonal wreaths and decor on their front doors. You can do a fall-themed door or wreath with branches and keep it up until you swap it for your holiday wreath. If you’re feeling extra crafty, make a wreath representing the seasonal occasions you celebrate or something special to your family. You can also pick up a handmade wreath from a winter farmer's or Christmas market and support a local business or maker.
3. Lighting your home for the season
You may be missing those long summer days that filled your home with natural light, and we are, too. But that means now is the time to ensure your home is adequately lit for those shorter days. Look for areas of your home that need extra light and add tabletop or freestanding lamps.
If you haven’t already, add dimmers to the lights in the rooms you spend the most time in, like your living room and bedroom. It helps you set the mood and avoid harsh, overhead lights when you only need calming, subtle ambiance.
4. Decorate your mantle
Your mantle is the focal point of your living room. It’s also the perfect place to add some cozy and luxurious decorations. Add your favourite seasonal decor to the mantle, or cover it with fresh branches and holly berries, a faux garland with plum hue or accents, greenery with a sculptural vase, a grouping of beautiful candle sticks at various heights, or some handmade pottery pieces.
Credit: Lark & Linen
5. Add a cozy rug
Keep your feet warm by adding a thicker pile rug or shag rug to your living room and bedroom. It’s always a good idea to include a rug under or along the side of your bed so you wake up and never have to touch the cold floor. These are especially warming when used on wood or concrete floors, which tend to get chilly during the winter.
A shag rug adds warmth and personality to a space. At ADC, we tend to lean more towards wool rugs, which are a great option as they are durable, soft, and resist moisture.
If you’re looking for a rug that you can throw in the machine (yes, they exist!), there are some great options on the market, like Ruggable. Two of my favourite collaborations are with Morris & Co and Interior Designer Nina Takesh. I love that they are practical and look good too.
6. Swap your bedding
It’s time to change your bedding. Good-quality bedding can help you stay warm without overheating on cold winter nights. As linen and percale are best suited for summer months, the warmest option for your winter bed sheets is cotton, flannel or silk. One of my favourite brushed cotton sets is from Parachute. I love their clover set colour. Alternatively, you can’t go wrong with their sateen sheet set in bone. Their sateen is crafted from 100% premium, certified long-staple Egyptian cotton with a smooth and soft feel.
Add an extra throw or blanket on your bed made from alpaca or cashmere for extra warmth.
7. Decorate your dining table
An elegantly designed dining table works well, especially when entertaining guests is common. Bring out your seasonal table linens and heirloom dinnerware, and make your table center memorable for your guests. Decorate your table to your style, perhaps including taper candle holders (add some whimsy with various styles), and mix some textured vases and coloured glass vessels with dry botanicals for a chic twist.
Credit: Amber Interiors
8. Buy a heated towel rack (you won’t regret it)
A heated towel rack is a must for your West Coast home in the winter. It may seem like a luxury, but wrapping yourself in a warm towel after your soothing bath or shower makes a huge difference. No room on the wall to add a heated towel rack? No problem. You can get this clever portable bucket to warm up your towel and bathrobe in minutes.
The bathroom is another place to consider adding a rug. Be sure to wash bathroom rugs often, as they are susceptible to mould and mildew.
BONUS TIP
Your home’s smell impacts the ambiance and warmth of your home. When your home smells like fresh baking, it evokes feelings of warmth and family. If you’re not a regular baker, you can light a candle or non-toxic incense sticks to emulate the smells of the changing seasons. This time of year, we love the fragrances of cinnamon and vanilla.
Decorating for fall and winter is about bringing real and perceived warmth into your home. Now is the time to begin swapping out your summer home decor for warm and cozy ones.
Let's talk if you need help preparing your home for the winter. We can help you decorate and furnish your home, all while ensuring you never lose the functionality of your spaces.