FEATURE: AUTUMN/WINTER PREP
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE ‘COSYMAXXING’ TREND THIS AUTUMN
F
or interior experts, achieving a genuinely cosy space goes beyond adding a few blankets and cushions. The way
a room is laid out, the balance of textures, colour temperature, and even the scale of furniture can all influence how warm and inviting a space feels.
Cosy interiors are all about creating visual and physical warmth, and there are several design principles you can use to achieve this.
Consider colour The first is colour. Cooler whites and blue-toned greys can make a room feel more expansive, but if you want that cocooning autumnal feeling, introduce warmer undertones. Mushroom, taupe, caramel, chocolate, terracotta, and olive are particularly effective, because they create depth without making a room feel overly dark. You don’t necessarily need to
repaint. In fact, I often recommend introducing warmth through larger soft furnishings first. A rug, sofa, curtains, or occasional chair can have
As temperatures drop and evenings become darker, the living room once again becomes the official cosy hub of the home. And as the ‘cosymaxxing’ trend continues to gather momentum, homeowners are embracing interiors designed to feel warmer, softer, and more comforting throughout the colder months. Andrew White, Home Expert at Harbour Lifestyle, shares how to get the cosymaxxing trend right this autumn and winter.
a much greater impact than adding lots of small accessories. Texture is equally important. If everything in a room has a smooth finish, it can feel quite flat, even if you’ve used warm colours. Layer tactile materials such as boucle, linen, wool, and woven finishes to create cosy contrast.
Scale is another consideration. One of the reasons some rooms never quite achieve that cosy feeling is that the furniture is too small for the space. A generous sofa can actually make a large living room feel more intimate, particularly when paired with an appropriately sized rug that helps bring the seating area together. Furniture placement matters too. Rather than pushing every piece against the walls, try bringing seating slightly inwards and orientating it towards a central point. This creates a more defined social zone and makes
the room feel intentionally designed, rather than simply furnished. If you have a particularly large or open-plan room, you can use furniture to create smaller pockets of comfort. A modular sofa is ideal for this because it can define a lounging zone, whilst still allowing the wider space to function around it.
Lighting in layers Lighting is probably the most underrated part of creating a cosy interior. Think in layers rather than relying on one ceiling light. A combination of floor lamps, table lamps, candles and accent lighting creates pools of light around the room, which naturally makes the space feel more intimate. I’d also recommend choosing bulbs with a warmer colour temperature for living areas. Cooler, brighter light can work well for
FROM DARK AND COCOONING TO SOFT AND GROUNDED: PALETTES FOR COLDER DAYS
Eco paint specialist Thorndown is showing homeowners two very different ways to embrace the darker months, with a pair of carefully curated winter colour edits drawn from the brand’s 57-strong wall paint collection.
The first takes a rich, cocooning
approach, bringing together three deep, brooding shades designed to make interiors feel warm, enveloping and beautifully dramatic as the nights draw in.
Whortleberry is an intense deep purple, while Yew Green brings the depth and calm of a dark forest green. Completing the edit is Cavepool Grey, a moody grey-teal inspired by the mysterious tones of
14 DIY WEEK SEPTEMBER 2026
deep cave pools. Together, the three shades create a sophisticated, immersive palette that works particularly well in spaces designed to feel like a luxurious retreat from the cold. Caroline Thornborough, Design
Director of Thorndown, says: “With this palette, the key is to decide how immersive you want the room to feel. For a really cocooning look, these shades can be taken across all four walls, or even onto woodwork, to create a rich, colour- drenching effect. If that feels too bold, introduce one of the colours on a feature wall, alcove or fitted cabinetry and balance it with softer furnishings, warm lighting and
natural textures such as timber, wool and linen.”
For homeowners drawn to something softer, Thorndown’s second winter edit takes its inspiration from the natural warmth and texture of stone. Earthy, grounded and quietly comforting, the trio of mineral- inspired neutrals creates a calm alternative to the darker, more dramatic shades of the first collection.
es natural Doulting Stone is a light grey-
brown with a gentle honey warmth, while Ebbor Stone is a stronger grey softened by warm brown
soft pu tones tones. Used together, the colours can
create a relaxed, layered scheme that feels warm without being heavy – perfect for bringing a sense of calm and comfort to interiors throughout the winter months. Thorndown’s range of eco- friendly wall paint is available now, priced from £24 for 750ml. Please visit
thorndown.co.uk
to learn more.
www.diyweek.net
undertones. Tor Stone completes the palette with a natural light brown that brings together the warmth of stone with soft putty and earthy truffle
u
S p
li br war
task lighting, but a warmer glow is much better suited to spaces where you want to relax. And finally, don’t confuse cosy with cluttered. The aim is visual softness and warmth, rather than simply adding more things. Choose a smaller number of tactile pieces that serve a purpose, then allow the materials and lighting to do the work. Cosymaxxing works best when
the room feels comfortable from the moment you walk into it. If you can achieve that through your layout, materials, colour and lighting, you won’t need to rely on endless cushions and blankets to create the effect.”
• For more information on Harbour Lifestyle and its collection of indoor furniture, please visit www.harbourlifestyle.
co.uk/pages/indoor.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
