10 interior design tips for a cosy bedroom this winter

When it’s dark and chilly outside there’s simply nothing nicer than retreating into a truly cosy bedroom; one that makes you feel joyful, warm, safe and sheltered from the winter world.

Thankfully, creating a homely haven is simple with just a little planning. You can easily create a cocoon-like bedroom, perfect for hibernating in until spring and beyond. In fact, if you follow all of this advice you may find you’ll never want to come out! Let’s explore our top cosy bedroom ideas to ensure you stay snug.

1. Use candlelight to create a warm glow

Because we start and finish each day in our bedrooms, spending as much as a third of our lives there, they need to be an inviting, warm and restful place to be, and especially so during the winter.

You don’t need a roaring fireplace to provide an emotionally uplifting feeling of warmth to your bedroom. Instead, make inventive use of candlelight and lanterns to emit that cosy glow that makes you feel happily insulated from the cold outside. (Be mindful to never leave an open flame unattended; you may prefer to go for battery powered candles.)

And to take the warm and inviting bedroom scheme to the next level, using an electric blanket can help keep you extra cosy during winter. They cost less to use than heating, promote blood circulation, ease aches and pains, and enable you to relax after a long day. Try it and you’ll wonder how you’ve been able to survive in winter without one!

2. Find calming and uplifting colours

Your cosy bedroom design should have a relaxing atmosphere, so soothe the senses with calming shades and complement a neutral palette with pastel hues.

Choosing thick fabrics will help keep out the cold. Another cosy bedroom colour idea is to combine delicate prints and soft colours with natural materials and plants to create a bedroom filled with cosy comforts.

Here we’ve featured pastel colours to liven up a neutral palette and bring a tranquil feel to the room, around our Kobe Velvet-Finish Upholstered TV Bed Frame.

3. Embrace the Scandinavian way of hygge

There’s a real art to creating cosiness and few have perfected it like the Danish. Their ‘hygge’ way of life encompasses warm and fuzzy feelings of relaxation and togetherness.

A quick and simple way to add this concept into your life is with a hygge style bedroom. For example, if your bedroom has a wooden floor, placing a thick rug under or beside the bed can make all the difference when stepping out of bed on a cold winter’s morning and feels oh so good underfoot! Read our complete guide to hygge bedroom design here.

4. Snuggle up under a warm and toasty duvet

A thick and comfy duvet is essential right now and will provide you with comfort and warmth throughout the year.

If you’re too cold in bed, you could find yourself waking up in the night, or struggling to fall asleep in the first place.

The duvet tog rating determines insulation levels; the higher the rating, the better the duvet is at retaining heat. If you’re looking to keep extra warm and toasty in the night, we recommend choosing a tog 13.5. Additionally, putting a throw on your bed will add extra weight while you sleep, giving you the sensation of a comforting embrace. Once you’re underneath it you’ll never want to come out, especially if you’re snuggled up with a good book.

5. Find the right balance of technology

When it comes to creating a cosy ambience in the bedroom, it’s important to strike the right balance when it comes to tech.

Try to avoid technology taking over your room; this should be a space to truly relax and wind down so keep out your phones and tablets while adding natural elements such as plants and fresh flowers.

6. Invest in a plush padded headboard

An upholstered bed frame or padded headboard provides a tactile finish when you sit up in bed.

Our Chloe bed frame has a plush padded headboard with softly curved wraparound edges to help shield you from chilly draughts. Made from touchably soft bouclé fabric, this glamorous design will bring a touch of snug luxury to your bedroom.

7. Cosy up in flannel bed linen

Swap smooth cooling cotton for brushed flannel fabric during the colder months.

Often woven in classic check or plaid, it will add a cosy log cabin vibe to your bedroom. A hot water bottle will keep you extra toasty as you settle down for a peaceful night’s sleep.

8. Add some toasty texture

Tasselled throws and cushions, waffle knit bedding, and a soft fluffy rug will all add texture and toasty warmth to your room.

The clashing of textures and fabrics creates a rustic and abundant look.

9. Soft lighting

Shorter days and longer nights can often leave us feeling a little drained. Bringing soft light into your bedroom is a great way of creating a peaceful environment.

Lamps with warm coloured bulbs create cosy ambience, fairy lights bring a charming touch, and nightlights can help you feel at ease during midnight trips to the toilet.

If you suffer with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) it could be worth trying out a light-therapy lamp, also known as a SAD lamp. The bright light in these enter the retina in your eye and send nerve signals to the brain to positively affect the chemical and hormonal levels. In turn, this can improve your mood and ease your SAD symptoms. We also stock bed frames with built-in lighting features, such as the Owen.

10. Place some air purifying plants in your room

It’s a good cosy design idea to keep your bedroom ventilated so that oxygen levels do not drop.

However, throwing open the windows and getting some air into your bedroom isn’t often a thrilling prospect in winter, so try placing some purifying plants on windowsills and bedside tables instead. Natural greenery has been proven to purify the air in bedrooms, and it also helps to remove harmful substances such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds, which can be present in paint and carpets) from the atmosphere. Here are our top 3 recommended air-purifying plants:

• Spider plant: This plant was popular in homes during the ‘70s but it’s making a comeback thanks to its toxin-absorbing qualities and its ability to increase oxygen levels in the air. It’s a pretty plant with striped long leaves that curve outwards from the centre. It’s best suited to shelves or bedside tables in your bedroom as it requires little sunlight and medium watering.
• Snake plant (also known as ‘Mother-in-Law’s Tongue’!): This striking plant has straight sword-like leaves with striped edges. It’s known for being tough as nails and cleansing away formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene from the air. It’s best suited to indirect sunlight with little watering – especially during winter.
• Chamomile: Often drank as a form of herbal tea, this daisy-like plant is also great for placing in your bedroom. Chamomile is said to aid relaxation, induce sleep, and reduce stress and anxiety. Keep it on the windowsill for moderate sunlight and water regularly – especially during the summer months.

You can read more about bedroom plants in this article: 11 Bedroom Plants to Help You Sleep Better. Now you should be all set to turn your bedroom into a perfect sleep haven with our cosy bedroom ideas. For more information learn how to turn your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary.