One thing I learned growing up in Cyprus was all about preparing your home for winter. Despite Cyprus still having milder winters compared to the rest of Europe, the houses aren’t built for colder weather. High ceilings, stone flooring and often single-glazing and lack of central heating means that it’s difficult to stay warm indoors.
My mum, however, is Polish – and the Poles know a thing or two about keeping warm in winter! Every Autumn we went through the ritual of rolling out rugs to cover the marble floors, shaking out thick goose-down duvets, stocking up on wood for the fireplace and cosying up with soft throws.
My mum now lives in the UK and rarely turns on the central heating in winter because her home is so cosy. So here are my mum’s tips for preparing your home for winter:
Add rugs to your home in winter for extra insulation, cosiness and a touch of style – here are a selection of my favourites. My tip when choosing a winter rug is to opt for natural fibres such as wool. In fact I’d always advise to opt for natural fibres as the natural crimp trap bubbles of air and help to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
1. Missoni Home Liuwa rug from Amara £2512 | 2. Blue Cimkent large handwoven rug from OKA Direct £1385 | 3. Graphic Kilim rug from M&S from £99 | 4. Blue and black Origins rug from Barker & Stonehouse £149 reduced from £195
Adding a cosy winter blanket to your sofa is perfect for wrapping up in on colder nights. They also look great folded neatly or draped across a sofa arm and so not just a functional accessory. Larger blankets and throws are a great addition to the bedroom too and help to keep you nice and toasty while you sleep. Natural fibres are always better as synthetic materials don’t breathe as well and make you sweaty – not nice!
1. Two-tone grey reversible cashmere throw from Black £375 | 2. Orange knitted wool mix throw from Scapa Home £364.50 | 3. 100% Lambs wool check throw from Fortnum & Mason £120 | 4. Yellow domino throw from John Lewis £50 | 5. Grey chevron throw from Oliver Bonas £49 | 6. Checked tweed throw from Dunelm £39.99
Create a cosy atmosphere with a wood burning stove or bio ethanol fireplace. Bio ethanol fireplaces have no need for a chimney as they’re smoke free and also carbon neutral. Both options are a great way to heat your house without huge costs and impact to the environment.
1. Imagin white Globus bio ethanol fireplace from Homebase £499 | 2. Invicta Olsson 6 kW wood burning stove from Gr8 Fires £2686.56 | 3. La Hacienda Carina bio-ethanol fireplace from Homebase £99.99 | 4. Mazona Aston 5.5 kW multi-fuel stove from Gr8 Fires £283 | 5. La Hacienda white bioethanol fire from B&Q £199
And of course, no fireplace is complete without some accessories. Even bio ethanol fires need a surround to protect children and pets!
1. Cavendish fire screen from Cast in Style £35 | 2. Hand forged Jacobean log basket from Cast in Style £264 | 3. Deluxe fireside set from Ancestral Collection £59.95 from £99.95
*Prices are correct at time of writing but please check individual sites for changes to pricing
