Are you starting to feel the winter chill? Here in Malmö, the temperatures are hovering around a very chilly zero degrees Celsius. BRRRRR! I heard somewhere that like flowers, people bloom at different times. My friend from Greenland comes into her own at this time of the year, while I’ve always been a summer person. When do you bloom?  Winter not your season either? Don’t worry, there’s so much we can do to brighten up the season and make our homes as toasty as possible. And it’s all in the detail! Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan is one step ahead. The Sussex based photographer, stylist and online store owner has transformed her living room into a cosy winter haven. I spotted 11 very cosy, yet very simple and budget friendly ideas to steal. It’s time to batten does the hatches and snuggle up, friends. 

1. Blankets in a basket: if there’s one thing I’ve learned from living in Sweden, it’s to always have blankets on standby! Walk around town and you’ll spot fleece blankets draped over the backs of bistro chairs and just like in Jeska’s home – a wicker basket full of blanket in the sitting room! 

2. Bring out the sheepskins: drape them over chairs or benches or use them on the floor as extra rugs! Haven’t got one? Pick up a bundle of fluffiness here*.  

3. Throw in some extra cushions (preferably in warm autumn colours): Just so that you can really hunker down! 

4. Layer it up! One of your sofa’s not so pretty? Or perhaps it’s just not soft enough? Pick up some super soft fabric (you can buy linen by the metre here*) and chuck it over your least favourite sofa or chair and it might just become your favourite! 

5. Put logs on the fire! Nothing says hygge like a crackling log fire. But hang on, what happens if your fireplace isn’t in working order? Simply fill it with pillar candles in all different sizes. No fireplace at all? Join the club – bah! – and light candles on every surface instead. So cosy, so very Scandi hygge! 

6. Double up on lamps! Hey, it’s a dark time of year, there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to see passed your hand! Rather than going for high voltage over head lighting, do as our Nordic friends (and Jeska!) and dot extra lower level, indirect lighting around for a soft, warm glow. 

7. Bring the outside in: think about activities you love to do in the wild – like shell-seeking on windswept beaches or hiking through silent forests and bring home relics which instantly take you back. Just looking at them will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! 

8. Light ‘feel good’ incense’: tap into all your senses – including smell! Have you noticed just how far home fragrances have come? The Autumn / winter ones are some of my favourites (I’m looking at you HYGGE candle and Eir natural incense). 

9. Lanterns that glow: this year I’ve been loving my oil lamps (there’s one in Jeska’s living room lurking just behind the arm of the sofa!), they last way longer than candles (you just need some lighter fuel handy) – plus you can change the amount of glow according to your mood! Pick up a vintage one here*, or invest in a Klong – it’ll last you a lifetime! 

10. Bring in a touch of the forest: wood immediately adds warmth – even more so if the surface is rich with patina. A low table made from a tree stump like the one in Jeska’s home is like warmth on a stick (or three sticks in this case!). 

11. Hot drinks all round: tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Irish whisky – a cup of something warm and delicious at your fingertips is never wrong I winter! 

Don’t even get me started on the floor! But I did say ‘instant’ cosiness so let’s just sit back and admire it for a few moments and move on! 

What do you reckon? Did you get any new ideas for your own sitting room? Perhaps you’ve got some tips of your own to add in the comment section below? (FYI I’ve been experiencing a few problems with comments disappearing over the last few days and working hard to fix this asap. Sorry for any inconvenience!).  

Or perhaps you just want to pop round to Jeska’s and curl up on her sofa for a while (you might just find me there too!). 

As with all spaces in Jeska’s home (check out her bathroom – such an incredible before and after transformation! – handmade kitchen and bedroom in autumn colours), there are so many other beautiful details to feel inspired by. I particularly like her sofa (from sofa.com), lamp from Olive and the Fox, Flower print by Lucy Auge Art and Invest print by Jai Bess. 

Here are a few other cosy ideas you might like: 

Perhaps we’ll all become winter fiends after all! 

Niki

Are you starting to feel the winter chill? Here in Malmö, the temperatures are hovering around a very chilly zero degrees Celsius. BRRRRR! I heard somewhere that like flowers, people bloom at different times. My friend from Greenland comes into her own at this time of the year, while I’ve always been a summer person. When do you bloom?  Winter not your season either? Don’t worry, there’s so much we can do to brighten up the season and make our homes as toasty as possible. And it’s all in the detail! Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan is one step ahead. The Sussex based photographer, stylist and online store owner has transformed her living room into a cosy winter haven. I spotted 11 very cosy, yet very simple and budget friendly ideas to steal. It’s time to batten does the hatches and snuggle up, friends. 

1. Blankets in a basket: if there’s one thing I’ve learned from living in Sweden, it’s to always have blankets on standby! Walk around town and you’ll spot fleece blankets draped over the backs of bistro chairs and just like in Jeska’s home – a wicker basket full of blanket in the sitting room! 

2. Bring out the sheepskins: drape them over chairs or benches or use them on the floor as extra rugs! Haven’t got one? Pick up a bundle of fluffiness here*.  

3. Throw in some extra cushions (preferably in warm autumn colours): Just so that you can really hunker down! 

4. Layer it up! One of your sofa’s not so pretty? Or perhaps it’s just not soft enough? Pick up some super soft fabric (you can buy linen by the metre here*) and chuck it over your least favourite sofa or chair and it might just become your favourite! 

5. Put logs on the fire! Nothing says hygge like a crackling log fire. But hang on, what happens if your fireplace isn’t in working order? Simply fill it with pillar candles in all different sizes. No fireplace at all? Join the club – bah! – and light candles on every surface instead. So cosy, so very Scandi hygge! 

6. Double up on lamps! Hey, it’s a dark time of year, there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to see passed your hand! Rather than going for high voltage over head lighting, do as our Nordic friends (and Jeska!) and dot extra lower level, indirect lighting around for a soft, warm glow. 

7. Bring the outside in: think about activities you love to do in the wild – like shell-seeking on windswept beaches or hiking through silent forests and bring home relics which instantly take you back. Just looking at them will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! 

8. Light ‘feel good’ incense’: tap into all your senses – including smell! Have you noticed just how far home fragrances have come? The Autumn / winter ones are some of my favourites (I’m looking at you HYGGE candle and Eir natural incense). 

9. Lanterns that glow: this year I’ve been loving my oil lamps (there’s one in Jeska’s living room lurking just behind the arm of the sofa!), they last way longer than candles (you just need some lighter fuel handy) – plus you can change the amount of glow according to your mood! Pick up a vintage one here*, or invest in a Klong – it’ll last you a lifetime! 

10. Bring in a touch of the forest: wood immediately adds warmth – even more so if the surface is rich with patina. A low table made from a tree stump like the one in Jeska’s home is like warmth on a stick (or three sticks in this case!). 

11. Hot drinks all round: tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Irish whisky – a cup of something warm and delicious at your fingertips is never wrong I winter! 

Don’t even get me started on the floor! But I did say ‘instant’ cosiness so let’s just sit back and admire it for a few moments and move on! 

What do you reckon? Did you get any new ideas for your own sitting room? Perhaps you’ve got some tips of your own to add in the comment section below? (FYI I’ve been experiencing a few problems with comments disappearing over the last few days and working hard to fix this asap. Sorry for any inconvenience!).  

Or perhaps you just want to pop round to Jeska’s and curl up on her sofa for a while (you might just find me there too!). 

As with all spaces in Jeska’s home (check out her bathroom – such an incredible before and after transformation! – handmade kitchen and bedroom in autumn colours), there are so many other beautiful details to feel inspired by. I particularly like her sofa (from sofa.com), lamp from Olive and the Fox, Flower print by Lucy Auge Art and Invest print by Jai Bess. 

Here are a few other cosy ideas you might like: 

Perhaps we’ll all become winter fiends after all! 

Niki