How to Make Your Living Room Cosy for Autumn and Winter
As evenings draw in, you may find yourself spending more time in the living room. A favourite blanket, a reading lamp and somewhere comfortable to settle can make those evenings more inviting.
You can give the room a seasonal refresh without changing all your furniture. Start with the pieces you already enjoy and make a few adjustments around them.
Bring your evening lighting into the plan
Look at the room after dark, when you’re most likely to be using it during the colder months.
Try a table or floor lamp alongside your main light so you can choose the lighting that suits the evening. Keep a useful reading light beside your usual seat, and check that it doesn’t reflect on the television.
Use bulbs suitable for the fitting and compare their colour appearance if you want a warmer-looking light. You can try one lamp first before changing the lighting throughout the room.
Make a throw part of everyday use
Bring out a blanket you actually like using and keep it within reach. Fold it over an armrest or put it in a basket beside the seating, ready for a film or a quiet evening with a book.
Choose a texture that feels pleasant against your skin and check its care instructions. If it will see regular family use, being easy to look after may matter more than an elaborate pattern.
Keep the throw clear of moving recliner parts when the mechanism is in use.
Try a small seasonal colour change
If you fancy a different look, start with cushion covers or a throw rather than a full redecoration.
For an oatmeal sofa, you could try olive, rust or warm cream. With grey upholstery, consider soft plum, muted green or ochre. A brown leather sofa could sit alongside cream knits, warm wood and a patterned cushion.
These are starting points, so check the colours with your own flooring and curtains. Move items between rooms before deciding whether you need anything new.
For more ways to bring colours, textures and accessories together, see our living room styling ideas, starting with pieces you already own.
Look at the room when the curtains are closed
Windows occupy a large part of many living rooms, and the view changes once the curtains or blinds are shut.
Check how your window furnishings look beside the sofa in lamplight. A colour you like during the day may appear different in the evening.
Make sure you can reach the curtains without squeezing behind furniture. Keep window coverings clear of heaters and follow any required clearances around heat sources.
If you’re considering a new rug, plan where it will sit and make sure it won’t create a trip hazard or interfere with doors.
Give your winter routine a place
Think about what you enjoy doing on a long evening.
For reading, keep a book and lamp beside a comfortable seat. For games, leave a useful surface available and somewhere to put everything away afterwards. For film nights, check that the seats you use have a comfortable view.
A small tray or basket can help keep the things you want nearby together. Leave enough room on tables for drinks, and keep routes through the room clear.
If you’re rearranging the seating, our guide to planning a living room layout that works explains how to compare positions around the activities you enjoy.
Keep the seating comfortable
A seasonal refresh is also a good opportunity to give your sofa the care recommended by its manufacturer.
Clean it using suitable methods, and plump, turn or rotate cushions only where the instructions and cushion design allow. Put decorative cushions where they add comfort without taking up the space you need to sit.
If something about your usual seat feels awkward, our living room comfort guide offers practical checks to try.
Exploring a new sofa for the colder months?
If new seating is part of your plans, visit our Retford or Dinnington showroom to try different designs, or contact our team for help shopping from home.
Share your room photographs and ideas, and we can discuss upholstery, seating options and delivery to your area. Our delivery service covers England and Wales, with selected Scottish postcodes also available subject to confirmation and additional charges.
If you need your sofa for a particular date, ask about the current availability and estimated delivery timeframe for the exact model before ordering.
Retford: 01777 854440
Dinnington: 01909 768205
Email: sales@sofa-emporium.com
What does your ideal evening at home involve: a film, a book or catching up with friends? Start with that, and make the room work for the evenings you enjoy.