Nights are drawing in and temperatures are dropping, and for many of us these seasonal changes mean thinking about one thing: hibernating. The longer and darker evenings are the perfect backdrop for a cosy night in at home: who wouldn’t rather sit in a comfy, warm room watching Strictly when it’s rainy and cold outside?
And, of course, hibernating is about sleeping well through those dark and chilly nights. How to achieve the perfect wintry slumber? We say that the key ingredients of the perfect hibernating hub are: cosy lighting, beautiful bedding, and a little smart sleep tech sprinkled in. With the help of John Lewis & Partners, we guide you through each of these important elements to making your home a hibernating haven.
1. Rethink your bedding
With the change of seasons, comes the need to give your bedding an overhaul. We say: there’s no such thing as all-seasons bedding, really. For the winter, you need your fluffy 10.5-tog down duvet, and heavier weight sheets, such as the beautiful 800-thread-count cotton sheets from John Lewis. And for an even heftier, snugglier feel to your winter bed, top it off with the tactile Boutique Hotel Velvet Stitch Throw.
2. Hibernating doesn’t have to mean dark colours
White bedrooms can feel a little cold and clinical in the winter, but that doesn’t mean that a winter bedroom has to be dark to be cosy. You might find that jewel and earthy tones such as reds, browns, and oranges will help achieve a grounding, calming effect without being too dark. Orange is a surprisingly calming and soothing colour, and the washed linen bedlinen in burnt orange is an easy way to inject this colour into your bedroom without committing to a complete change.
Another way to create a relaxed and calm feel in the bedroom is to swap your regular cotton bedding for textured linen. The 100 per cent linen bedding from John Lewis & Partners has a delightful, soft feel, and comes in the new season's attractive deep colours.
3. Add texture and warmth with cushions and throws
The trick to a bedroom that whispers, ‘forget your troubles and hibernate’ is layering. A textured quilt, fluffy cushions, a nice bedspread... you may not want to get out of bed on weekends at all. Colour-wise, consider adding depth to a neutral bedroom with rich teals and comforting pinks. Green and blue are grounding and relaxing, and will create a focal point in the room.
Show-Wood Upholstered Bed Frame, Double, Topaz Pink, £699 Mongolian Cushion Soft Teal 30x40cm, £45 Hotel Silk Quilt Soft Teal 245 x 260, £280, Boutique Hotel Linear Bedspread, Frost, all John Lewis & Partners
4. Invest in more substantial window treatments
Curtains and blinds have more work to do in winter, keeping out the cold and wind as well as protecting your privacy. Choose heavy fabrics or blackout curtains and blinds. While you don't need their sun blocking properties on winter mornings, they actually double up as an excellent shield against cold weather.
5. Add atmospheric lighting
Choosing the correct lighting is crucial to making your rooms cosy. Side lighting is always better than overhead lighting in a room that’s meant for relaxation and hibernating. Opt for soft pleated lampshades or frosted glass for a diffused and soothing effect. The 3 tier lamp by Design Project (shown below), for instance, has a top tier is smoky grey glass, which makes it perfect for bedrooms.
6. Invest in a great bed frame and mattress
If you’ve been thinking about swapping your old bed frame for a new one, or replacing your old mattress, now is the time to do it. You’re guaranteed to spend more time in your bed in winter, so you’ll appreciate the investment even more. Of course, a neutral bed frame will never go out of fashion, but we’re all for bold, colourful choices this season. The Croft Collection Upholstered Bed Frame in Erin Citrine instantly adds welcoming warmth (and reminds us of sunny Tuscany), while the Natural Collection Swaledale mattress made with 100 per cent natural wool is a dream to sleep on.
7. Ensure perfect sleep with smart bedroom accessories
You've got the bed, mattress, and soft textiles sorted – but how will you wake up in the morning when the clocks go back, and it's pitch black until eight in the morning? Hibernating is great, but most of us still have to go to work, so you might want to invest in a wake up light such as the Lumie Bodyclock. Unlike a regular alarm clock, it'll prepare your body for waking by imitating the sunrise.
And what about the quality of the air in your bedroom? When the weather gets really too cold to have the window open at night, bedrooms can easily get stuffy, especially with the central heating on. An air purifier is your best solution to this problem. Our favourite is Vax 300 Air Purifier – it is very quiet in sleep mode, which means you can leave it on throughout the night.