BLOG: Winter Interior Design: Top 5 Tips

Refresh Your Space: Top 5 Interior Design Tips for Winter 2025

As we settle into the space between Christmas and the New Year, looking ahead to the winter months of January and February, our homes become havens of warmth, light and comfort against the darker days.

At CCID, we believe winter interiors should do more than simply look beautiful - they should actively support your well-being during the season when we spend the most time indoors. 

With the festive celebrations behind us and the quiet months of winter stretching ahead, your home can evolve to meet the unique needs of this reflective season. Winter 2025 is about creating spaces that balance post-festive calm with lasting comfort.

These are thoughtful design choices that will serve you well throughout the entire season and beyond. Please find below our top 5 interior design tips for transforming your home this winter.

1. Lighting - Master the art of ambient lighting:

The shorter days in winter make lighting the most critical element of interior design during this season. Now that the festive lights have come down, your lighting scheme needs to work harder than ever to create warmth, atmosphere and support your well-being through January and February’s darkest days.

Top Tips:

• Create multiple lighting zones throughout each room, allowing you to adjust ambiance for different times of day and activities.

• Invest in dimmable warm LED bulbs (2200K-2700K) that mimic candlelight and create intimate, cosy atmospheres.

• Layer lighting at various heights - overhead, table level and floor level - to eliminate harsh shadows and create depth.

• Use uplighting to bounce light off ceilings, making spaces feel larger and more welcoming during dark evenings.

• Consider smart lighting systems that can adjust colour temperature throughout the day, supporting your natural circadian rhythms.

• Don’t underestimate the power of candles - real flame creates an incomparable sense of warmth and gathering.

Remember that winter lighting isn’t about brightness. Rather, it is about creating pools of warm, inviting light that draw people together. Your permanent lighting scheme should provide that essential sense of warmth and comfort throughout the winter months.

2. Layering - Layer for ultimate thermal and visual comfort:

Winter demands a more substantial approach to layering than autumn. This isn’t just about adding warmth - it’s about creating visual richness and tactile comfort that makes your home feel like a true sanctuary from the cold.

Top Tips:

• Introduce heavier textiles, such as velvet, wool and faux fur alongside your existing linen and cotton pieces.

• Layer rugs over hard flooring. For example, a sheepskin or thick wool rug over sisal or jute creates both insulation and visual interest.

• Add thermal-backed curtains or roman blinds that provide insulation whilst maintaining your aesthetic.

• Consider window dressings in rich, deep colours or luxurious fabrics that feel appropriate for winter.

• Create textile focal points with quilted throws, knitted blankets and an abundance of cushions in varying textures.

• Don’t forget practical layers like draught excluders that can be beautiful design elements in their own right.

The key is creating enough visual and physical warmth that your spaces feel enveloping without becoming cluttered. Each layer should have both aesthetic and functional purpose.

3. Hygge - Embrace Hygge principles for well-being: 

The Danish concept of Hygge - creating cosy contentment and well-being through simple pleasures - feels particularly relevant during the British winter months. As we move into the New Year and through January and February, which can feel long and challenging, your home should actively support your mental and physical well-being.

Top Tips:

• Create dedicated cosy zones with comfortable seating, good lighting and everything you need for activities, such as reading or crafting within easy reach.

• Display beautiful everyday objects, such as handmade ceramics, quality wooden items, natural materials, that bring joy through daily use.

• Establish rituals that make the most of winter - a reading corner for long evenings, a window seat for watching the weather, a dining area set for leisurely weekend breakfasts.

• Incorporate elements that engage multiple senses - soft textures to touch, candles or essential oils for scent, perhaps a small water feature for gentle sound.

• Consider the temperature and air quality of your spaces - plants, humidifiers and proper heating all contribute to physical comfort.

Winter well-being isn’t about grand gestures. Rather, it is about creating an environment where the simple act of being at home feels nurturing and restorative.

4. Nature - Celebrate natural winter beauty:

Following our commitment to biophilic design, winter offers unique opportunities to connect with the season’s stark, dramatic beauty. Rather than fighting against the season, embrace what makes winter distinctive throughout these months ahead.

Top Tips:

• Bring in winter branches - bare birch, twisted willow or berried holly - displayed in large vessels as sculptural elements.

• Create evergreen arrangements using pine, eucalyptus and rosemary that bring life and scent to your spaces.

• Display winter fruits, such as pomegranates and clementines in beautiful bowls, adding natural colour accents.

• Incorporate winter-flowering plants, such as winter jasmine for living colour, as well as natural materials, such as pinecones and bare branches to create texture and interest.

• Open curtains fully during daylight hours to maximise precious winter light and maintain connection with the outside world.

The goal is to create a dialogue between your interior and winter’s unique character - celebrating its beauty.

5. Colour - Create a colour palette of deep, restorative tones:

Winter invites us to embrace richer, deeper colours than we might use during brighter seasons. This isn’t about making spaces dark and gloomy, but about creating cocooning environments that feel intentional and sophisticated.

Top Tips:

• Consider deeper accent walls in colours, such as midnight blue or sage green that create intimate, enveloping spaces.

• Layer neutrals with depth - think stone, mushroom, mole, warm grey and soft black rather than stark white.

• Add jewel-tone accents through cushions, throws and artwork - emerald, sapphire, ruby and amber all reflect winter’s richness.

• Balance deeper tones with warm metallics, such as brass, copper and gold that reflect and amplify light.

• Use colour strategically - perhaps keeping living areas lighter whilst embracing deeper tones in bedrooms and offices.

• Remember that darker colours can actually make small spaces feel more intimate and comfortable rather than cramped.

Pay attention to how colours make you feel during different phases of winter. Use easily changeable elements, such as textiles for your deepest tones, allowing flexibility as the season progresses.

Summary: Bringing it all together

Winter design is fundamentally about creating homes that actively support you through the season’s unique challenges and opportunities. As we move through the New Year and into the quieter, more introspective months of January and February, your space should evolve to meet your changing needs.

The beauty of these principles is that they work together to create environments that feel both special and sustainable. By investing in quality lighting, thoughtful layering, natural elements and considered colour, you’re not just decorating for winter - you’re creating lasting improvements to how your home functions and feels.

As with all our design philosophy at CCID, sustainability remains paramount. Choose quality pieces that will serve you well beyond this season, invest in energy-efficient solutions that reduce your environmental impact, and consider how your choices support both your well-being and the planet.

Take time to observe how you actually use your spaces during winter, then make gradual adjustments that genuinely enhance your daily experience of home. By thoughtfully incorporating these winter design principles, you’ll create spaces that not only look beautiful but genuinely nurture you through the darkest months of the year.

If you need interior design advice or would like to discuss how these principles might work in your space, we would love to help. Book your design consultation by emailing hello@c-c-i-d.com.

Wishing you a very wonderful winter and a happy healthy New Year.

Happy Winter & Happy Designing