Cosy bedroom ideas for 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 in the winter 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 all winter long…

1. Use candlelight to create a warm glow

Since we start and end each day in our bedrooms, it’s essential that they feel warm and inviting, 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

Picking a calming shade can soothe the senses and help us feel more relaxed when it’s time to unwind.

Nothing says calm and cosy like a neutral colour palette. Think creams, beiges, tans, taupes and soft pastels, any of these tones work beautifully in a bedroom design. We love how our Jenkins Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame has been styled here. Its stunning soft woven fabric in the oatmeal shade is complemented by other neutrals around the room, including a matching beige blanket, sage green cushions and wooden furniture. 

A bedroom in soft, neutrals and pastels is easy to put together and instantly creates a bedroom ambience that’s filled with cosy comforts. Just divine!

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!

You may also want to consider Scandi-style furniture, which commonly feature wood as the key material and low-rise shapes, smooth lines and curved edges. Complete the look with neutral colours, thick blankets, and minimal accessories.

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.

Since the bed is the centrepiece of your cosy bedroom, it’s best to find the snuggest one possible. Our Margot Ottoman Bouclé Bed Frame is just the ticket. Featuring a fully upholstered frame in a fuzzy teddy fabric and a contemporary curved headboard design, the Margot is the ultimate bedtime companion.

Alternatively, if you’re not quite ready to invest in a whole new bed, why not consider a plush new headboard instead? This is a great way to add extra cosiness – and comfort – to your space.

7. Cosy up in flannel bed linen

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

One of the simplest ways to warm up your bedroom is by switching up your bedding – and the best news is, it’s cheap and easy to do, too!

Often woven in classic check or plaid, flannel bedding will add a super cosy log cabin vibe to your master suite. Make sure to dress it with thick knitted blankets and as many cushions as your heart desires! A hot water bottle will also keep you extra toasty as you settle down for a peaceful night’s sleep. Snug as a bug…

8. Add some toasty texture

The key to adding both warmth and visual intrigue is through textures.

Tasselled throws, knitted blankets, fluffy cushions, waffle bedding – or all of the above! Whatever your preference, adding textiles, particularly to your bed, adds plenty of texture and toasty warmth to your bedroom.

Just look how we’ve dressed our Hopkins Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame in sumptuous layers of bedding, blankets and plenty of scatter cushions. The trick is to go for matching or complementary colours to create a hotel-worthy bed.

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 want to take things up a notch, why not consider a bed with built-in spotlights, such as our Saffron Upholstered Bed? This stylish bed frame makes for the perfect bedtime reading companion, thanks to its adjustable spotlights above each bedside table.

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: A pretty, striped plant with long curved leaves. It’s best suited to shelves or bedside tables in your bedroom as it requires little sunlight and medium watering.
• Snake plant: This striking plant has straight sword-like leaves with striped edges. 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.

Now, you should be all set to transform your bland bedroom into a snuggly, sleep haven with our cosy bedroom ideas for wintertime. Happy hibernating!