Interior blogger Caroline Hassett’s 5 tips for creating a cosy home this Christmas 

Blogger Caroline Hassett self built her gorgeous home in Tipperary, incorporating ancestral details with modern design. Here, she joins forces with BIC to share her top tips for transforming your home into a cosy space this Christmas.

With the holiday season comes colder months and darker days, forcing many of us to spend the majority of our time indoors.

That’s why interior blogger Caroline Hassett (@ahousebythetrees) prioritises creating a welcoming, cheerful space at home, filled with festive details.

From setting the right lighting to perfectly placing plush throws and cushions, she shares simple and effective decorating and style ideas that make all the difference.

Here are her top five tips for having a cosy Christmas at home this year.

1. Light the Fire 

“The warm crackling of an open fire is the very essence of hygge for me. Lighting the stove is part of my daily routine in winter. The smell of the turf and the crackling of the fire immediately evokes a cosy, relaxing feeling. 

“If you don’t have a real fire in your home adding pillar candles of varying heights or logs with fairy lights wrapped around a faux fireplace can have a similar effect. Another great option is to recreate the flame effect on your television. There are plenty of YouTube videos available complete with crackling logs and realistic flame effects.”

2. Blankets and Throws 

“I love to dress a room for each season. Adding subtle, seasonal changes can immediately change the feeling of a space without any great expense. In winter linen throws are switched out for chunky knits, tweeds, velvets and faux furs. 

“In our home I always leave two throws on the sofa and more in a basket in the corner. There is nothing like sitting curled up on the sofa reading a book or watching a Christmas movie together wrapped up in a warm blanket. A cashmere blanket or a faux fur throw laid across a bed immediately brings a cosy, wintery look to a bedroom. 

“Sheepskin or faux sheepskin rugs added to the back of a dining chair or bench in the kitchen can help add a lovely warmth to your dining area along with helping with sound absorption.”

3. Lighting – Candlelight and Lamps

“Lighting is so important when it comes to creating an atmosphere or mood in the home, and the lower the lighting, the greater the hygge in my opinion. Turning off or dimming down main lighting in the evenings immediately helps me relax and unwind. 

“If you can’t dim your lights use lamps instead to immediately create a cosy setting. There is nothing like that warm yellow glow created from lighting real candles to create an atmosphere. Add pillar candles of various heights to your lanterns to add warmth and drama. Pop some tea lights into jam jars and use on your dining table along with some fresh foliage such as eucalyptus to create a very inexpensive yet effective tablescape.

“ I love to light tapered candles on my mantle, placing them in candle stick holders of varying heights for drama and depth. Candles always give an overwhelming feeling of relaxation especially when safely lighting candles with a BIC Megalighter – it’s 6cm wand ensures your fingers are kept a safe distance from the flame, great for lighting deeper candles.”

4. Cushions

“Adding a variety of different sized and textured cushions across your home is another way to achieve a cosy feel this winter. On our sofa I use a mix of knitted, tweed and velvet cushions all in a variety of sizes to add depth and texture. Plumping cushions daily will help them keep their shape.”

5. Scents

“For me, Christmas is as much about the scents as anything else, that smell of a real tree, gingerbread, cinnamon sticks, and mulled wine. I can still remember the smell of my mother’s Christmas cake in the oven when I was little and the smell of the cloved ham on Christmas Eve. I love to bring that smell of Christmas to our home. 

“Why not get a real Christmas tree or perhaps make your own fresh garland this year to bring that lovely pine scent into your house. Eucalyptus, holly, and ivy dry really well and last for weeks. Another lovely Christmas tradition is to dry orange slices in the oven, the beautiful Christmas scent lasts for days after and really helps to create a cosy feeling around the home.” 

‘Home is Where the Hearth is’ is brought to you by BIC Megalighter, which comes in a selection of colours including blue, black, red, pink, yellow, orange, and green. Delivering up to 750 lights, it is guaranteed to live far beyond the first flame of the festive season – perfect for lighting fires and candles safely this Christmas. BIC’s Megalighter range can be found in Dunnes, Supervalu, Woodies and other major retailers nationwide.

BIC’s Megalighter range can be found in Dunnes Stores nationwide, currently on offer for €3.30. For more information, as well as tips and useful product information, please visit the BIC Lighters website: http://www.mybiclighter.com/.

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