Jennifer Sheahan: How to create a cosy winter escape at home

As temperatures drop, the Home of the Year winner is inspired by chic cold-climate decor, from Alpine huts to Scandi cabins

Homes in colder climates have the winter look nailed. File pictures

Every time I go abroad on holiday my head gets filled with all sorts of home redecoration notions. This is generally a bad idea because what looks good there rarely looks good here. We just don’t have the climate to pull off Spanish-tiled patios or the blue-and-white Greek island look. 

That said, during the Christmas season we get to let loose and redecorate our homes to whatever style and extent we please. Where better to look for inspiration than to colder climates, where winter cosiness is a way of life?

Homes in snowy villages, such as Scandi cabins and Alpine huts, have the look nailed. 

Here are some lessons in wintry decor from cold-climate countries that we can borrow for the next few months to cosy up our homes in style.

Exposed beams, panelled walls, and rustic original wooden floors are part of this aesthetic. File pictures

FIRES 

There truly is nothing cosier than a fire. I do not have a stove or a fireplace, but there’s no reason to let that hold you back from having a glowing fire in the winter months. Before you go building a bonfire, what I’m talking about here is the recent proliferation of biofuel and electric fires. In years past, when I thought of electric fires my mind went to fake-looking flames with a dry, uncomfortable heat being blown out of a fan. 

Not so anymore — things have come a long way and freestanding electric fires. Check out the options from Dimplex as a starting point.

Better yet, in my view, is a biofuel stove. These are fabulous because they are real flames but do not require a chimney or any ventilation! They burn bioethanol, which does not create any smoke — its only byproducts are water vapour and about as much carbon dioxide as a couple of average-sized candles. The options available are endless, and for small homes, I love the small freestanding stoves or the little tabletop fires.

Finally, you can always substitute candles in place of a full-blown fire — an empty stove or even a lovely clay pot can be filled with lots of candles for a similar effect to a fireplace. The fabulous Sarah Doyle (@retwiggdstylist on Instagram) recently created a beautiful faux fire with a tiled backdrop and a gorgeous fireplace surround that she fills with candles for a beautiful effect — check out her page for inspiration.

WOOD FEATURES 

Close your eyes for a minute and picture a beautiful cabin in the snow, cosy and warm. What’s the main material that comes to mind? For me it’s wood. Beautiful exposed beams, panelled walls, and rustic original wooden floors covered in plush rugs. I’m not suggesting you rip out your interiors and install wooden everything, but wood can be a beautiful theme when decorating for the holiday season.

 A little pile of logs in the corner, natural wood coasters and placemats, wooden candle boxes, and carved wooden ornaments such as little houses, snowmen, and trees dotted around. Wood goes with everything, and adds a beautifully plush and cosy element to your decor. You can even get very realistic-looking faux wooden beams that you could temporarily attach to your ceiling for a full winter transformation!

BLANKETS AND PILLOWS 

Having blankets and pillows everywhere: This one is so obvious it almost doesn’t need to be said, but there is something of an art to draping your furniture with blankets and pillows. There is a general rule of thumb that in cold weather, you should have a blanket and pillow for each guest. I find this quite funny — for me, it sounds like anyone coming over for drinks and nibbles will suddenly find themselves in the middle of a slumber party — but I like the general theme of there being plenty of blankets available, draped over most available surfaces. 

The critical factor here is the texture of the blankets — think deep knits, sheepskin, and cosy wool. If you like a more neat look, fold your blankets in thirds and place them over the arms or the backs of chairs and couches. If you prefer the more natural boho look, drape them across the backs, arms, or seats of chairs and couches. 

A simple way to achieve that look without it being messy is to fold the blanket in half along the long side, throw it at an angle, and then spread the lower end a little wider than the top end with some material hanging over the edge. Layering cushions on top of blankets adds to the cosiness.

NATURAL FOLIAGE 

Houseplants don’t immediately spring to mind when I think of winter, but when I visit cold-climate countries in the winter months I often notice an abundance of green foliage. It makes sense — short, cold days lead to more time indoors, and so bringing the outdoors in is necessary and a great boost to our wellbeing. Of course, we have our green Christmas trees and garlands, but we can lean into this for a full wintry look. 

Add boughs of pine, fir, and other evergreens and bring in additional houseplants that do well in winter such as snake plants, succulents, Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema), and of course beautiful poinsettias. I like to wind twinkling battery-powered fairy lights through all my indoor plants for the Christmas season — I don’t stop at my Christmas tree!