This Month’s Editor’s Letter
After covering up all winter, I’m excited to wear a dress again.
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Sport for KidsSport for WomenSport for MenSport for KidsYour home is your sanctuary, so make your space comfortable and cosy as the weather chills and nights get darker. We show you the new home hero’s to create instant cosiness this autumn.
Try to dedicate one area in your home to cater to wellbeing, whether it be somewhere you can roll your yoga mat out or sit comfortably and meditate. Consider how you like to relax. Is it by cooking, taking a long bath, reading on the sofa, or entertaining? Once you have established what’s important to you, design your space around it. If it’s surrounded by beautiful books, make sure they are in a space where you can easily access them. If you love to watch TV on a comfy sofa under a blanket, then create that vibe for yourself.
The colours that you surround yourself with in your home, will have an impact on how you feel when you spend time there. While soothing neutrals bring calm to some people, for others a pop of colour in luxurious textures gives energy and relaxes. Colour can make you feel cosy. Dark shades of blue and green can bring intimacy to a room which makes it feel instantly inviting. Whereas in stark contrast, the textures of beige and white can have the same effect. It's just how you use colour and in a way that’s personal to you.
Overcrowding your rooms will do the reverse of making you feel relaxed and cosy, so always have the Swedish proverb ‘lagom’, which means ‘just enough’ in mind when styling for the new season.
While you may not be able to take over a whole area of your home for relaxation, even if it’s a little nook that you can dedicate to calming activities you should find that spot for cosiness. A comfy chair in the corner with a sheepskin rug where you can curl up with a book will always take away the daily stress. You can even make the kitchen cosy if that’s where you love to hang out. Light candles, choose soft lighting, a rug underfoot, and a little pile of cookbooks on the side, these things will change the vibe of the area you like to be in.
Overcrowding your rooms will do the reverse of making you feel relaxed and cosy, so always have the Swedish proverb ‘lagom’, which means ‘just enough’ in mind when styling for the new season. Don’t forget to take things away too. If you are adding throws, blankets, and cushions, make sure you have storage space for them when not in use. Too much extra stuff all over furniture can make the room feel cluttered. Even if you are a family of four, you don’t necessarily need four blankets. The same goes for homewares and books, don’t crowd every surface with piles of stuff, let the room breathe and create a good energy flow and space.
It's not just the obvious things that bring about cosiness in the home. There are plenty of quick ways to make your home cosier, like adding fresh seasonal flowers around the house displayed in the less obvious places like bathrooms and bedrooms. They will not only bring colour to a room but give it that homely vibe. Plants, crisp linen, fluffy towels, rugs, and even making your daily rituals, like your morning cup of coffee extra special with a mug that makes you feel good will make a difference. Lighting also plays an important role in how cosy space feels. Remember the rule: a minimum of five light sources per room. This may sound a lot, but dimmable, mood lighting will instantly make your home feel more relaxing and cosier.
While art isn’t the obvious thing you’d think of when creating a cosy home, bare walls can look stark, and make a room feel somewhat cold and uninviting. A home that has a lovely mix of art on the walls, instantly creates cosy vibes. Be true to your style when curating your artwork and don’t just go for the same thing, mix posters, fabrics, colours, and different art mediums to create visual interest and warmth.
