Inspiration

This one’s only really possible in certain rooms, but if you can rejig your room’s layout to put two sofas back to back, it doubles the level of softness in one glance. Like with lots of things, gathering rather than spreading out is sometimes much more appealing. Think of a thin layer of feathers versus scooping them into one big pile – which would you rather jump into? Place your settees on top of a rug as well and you’ll have a third element of soft textile joining the party. The effect ups the cosy ante compared to if the rug were in the centre of the room and the sofas against two of the walls.

You can’t talk about sofas and cosiness without mentioning cushions and blankets. They’re the cuddly elephant in the room. Creating different layers of textile makes things cosier for a few reasons. It emphasises the use of fabric so that when you walk into a room and look at your sofa, you’re reading softness, softness, softness. Even if you don’t immediately recognise it, when you look at a cushion-laden sofa, you’ll think about leaning back in them, or resting your head on them, or having one on your lap and letting your arms sink down into their feathery depths. Not every cushion needs to be different. If you choose a few in the same fabric, it can look like one big, tempting cushion. Just make sure you add in one or two others though, otherwise you’ll have no definition. Contrasting throws are much better than having two of the same. They act as a foil against one another so they both get noticed, which is exactly what you want if cosiness is the goal.

Don’t leave all of the cosy work down to your sofa. Look at what’s immediately surrounding it and think about what they can do to help highlight your sofa’s appeal. We’re not talking about the whole room here, but things like your footstool or coffee table – pieces of furniture that are connected to your seating. Styling doesn’t have to mean staged. A slightly crumpled blanket on your footstool shows that it’s been curled up under not long before and left there for when you return. An open book on a sofa’s side table is another example. Books are a brilliant tool for making a room feel cosier, so if there’s a way to put your sofa close to a full-to-the-brim bookcase, then try it and you’ll see what we mean. Signs of life are a form of styling, and the ones that show cosy activities will say ‘this is what my sofa does best’.

The other thing to say about cushions on a sofa, is that you might want to have some that you bring out in spring and summer, and a few stashed away for when the colder months creep in. Why? Because while the likes of wool and linen and bold and muted colours work all year round, some fabrics and tones simply speak to us more at certain times of the year. A cushion with a woollen check or plaid nestled next to a jewel-like velvet is capital-lettered cosy. And if your sofa’s upholstered in velvet, don’t feel you can’t keep going with more and more velvet, just change up the colour for a sofa that’s decadently rich and comforting. Neutrals can be just as effective as deeper shades too. Rest assured, the layers of different textures and tones across and around your sofa will bring out their seasonal snug side.

The power of a lamp is pretty huge when it comes to creating ambience. If you put a table lamp right at the side of your sofa, or a reading floor light like Chetham that tucks under the base of your sofa and brings the light in closer to you, it creates a moth-and-flame result. You won’t be able to help but be drawn towards your cosy, cuddly sofa.