How to get your cosy on! #DFSCosyNightsIn

With it getting darker before seven, the nights are all about comfort for the next five months. Turn on the heating, tuck into the autumn TV schedule and get cosy. Once the sun has set and the kids are in bed I am more than happy to be ensconced in my living room all evening! To me, autumn signals the start of the ‘cosy months’ which come after ‘sweltering months’ and before the ‘freezing’ months. Mid-September through to Mid-December is probably my favourite time of year; not so cold outside that you need so many layers that walking is difficult, but warm enough for a cosy cardigan and a scarf at least!

Outside the trees turn slowly from green, to red then onto brown and leave large piles just waiting to be kicked or jumped in, but inside the blankets are coming out of hibernation, the candles are being lit and the slippers are keeping toes toasty. I always find myself reading more at this time of year too, as a nice change of pace from the hectic summer months to the chillier, laid-back autumn months.

We redecorated our living room not that long ago, and after we finished, we realised that our old black beast of a sofa needed to be replaced with something sleeker and lighter!  The decision took weeks and weeks for us to make, which included spending an afternoon bouncing and reclining on almost every sofa in the showroom. We finally decided on two sofas, a three and a two-seater, plus a footstool to enable me to achieve that all important optimal recline position. This was great as it gave the kids plenty of room to curl up beside me! So, this year I’m cosying up in our updated living room for the first time; and with two different sofas now there, it makes all the difference

With a chilly Victorian house, curling up together is something we do a lot in the colder months, as it keeps us warm and it’s the perfect way to relax together- either with a book or a film and ideally a large bowl of popcorn and hot chocolate!

Here are my three must haves for a cosy night in:

Warm Scents

Think heady aromas peppered with cinnamon, fig, cedar and spiced everything. Or perhaps vanilla, honey and appley scents are more to your taste. Either way, a candle or wax burner sending a gorgeous scent around the room is the ideal way to start feeling cosy. My personal favourite scent for this time of year is ‘Winter’ from The White Company; I was sad for days when last year’s candle finally burnt down to nothing!

Blankets and throws

The footstool I bought to match the sofas doubles up as storage for throws and blankets, plus the odd sneaky bar of chocolate that I want to hide from the kids! We have lots of throws, that get progressively thicker as the months get chillier but for Autumn a light woven throw is enough to keep toes warm, though the furry ones will be out by December! I also love to spray my throws with some diluted fabric softener so they have a lovely light fragrance when I use them! Curling up under a throw with a cup of tea and a good book is one of life’s simplest pleasures, though curling up under one with your kids either side and bowl of popcorn is pretty amazing too!

Warm lights

Thanks to having a bulb that can be dimmed or changed from warm to daylight at the touch of an app we’re able to change the mood in the room easily, but having candles and strings of lights with warm bulbs really helps too! Strung over the tops of picture frames, or along shelves, fireplaces and window frames works really well to create a cosy atmosphere – though I’d avoid lights that flash and stick to always-on or a gentle twinkling!

For lots more inspiration, check out DFS for some easy ideas you can put in place to make a difference to your living space, and really make the most of your cosy nights in! I’d love to know if you make any changes to your home when Autumn arrives?