7 steps to a more comfortable home

Everyone deserves to have a house they love coming home to – a refuge from the world and a place to rest and recuperate. From layering up the soft furnishings to stopping up draughts, these simple design ideas will help you up the snug factor for a comfortable and stylish home.

1. Sink in to a snuggly sofa
A box set, a few tasty nibbles and sinking into a squashy sofa is something we can all look forward to at the end of a long day  – but worn out and creaky springs simply won’t do. So if your sofa has seen better days, invest in one that really offers comfort and support – and looks gorgeous no matter how much you lounge.

2. Embrace hygge
Possibly the best thing to come out of Denmark since the pastry, hygge (pronounce hoo-gah) is a concept that puts comfort and happiness at the heart of daily life. Roughly translated as ‘cosiness’, you can bring a little hygge into your life with some soft candlelight, warm jumpers and hot drinks shared with friends and family on a frosty evening.

3. Create a fabulous focal point
During the winter months, warm up open-plan living by rearranging your living room to create snug zones. Place chairs and sofas closer together around a coffee table, add soft lighting with lamps on side tables and, if you don’t have a fireplace, create a focal point like this display of framed photos.

4. Tap into technology
Never come home to a dark, cold house again by installing smart technology that allows you to control your heating and lights with an app on your mobile phone. Not only can you turn your boiler on during the commute home, you can also monitor usage and cut down on your energy bills.

5. Make hunkering down easy
Have soft throws and blankets to hand piled up in baskets next to chairs and sofas so you can easily snuggle down whenever the mood takes you. Replace any worn out or uncomfortable cushions with beautiful textures like faux furs and chunky knitted covers that feel soft and inviting.

6. Warm up the bed
Nobody likes getting into a cold bed. Banish the chill by slipping a hot water bottle under the covers 15 minutes before you get in – and treat your other half too.

7. Make it comfy from top to bottom

Hard floors are wonderfully practical and stylish but in cold weather we crave a little bit more warmth, so layer them up with rugs and runners to keep the heat in and soften the feel of a room. For the ultimate in cosy comfort, invest in underfloor heating. Unlike radiators that create hot spots and leave some areas draughty and cold, heating wires beneath your feet disperse heat evenly throughout the room.