Oh baby it’s cold outside!

As temperatures drop and we start to spend more and more time indoors, ensuring our homes are as cosy and inviting as possible becomes a top priority. Whilst many of us took the time to revamp different parts of our homes during lockdown, what better time than now to focus on making our interiors as comfortable and fabulous as possible? Especially as we begin to add some festive touches to the mix!

Classic winter interiors are all about incorporating seasonal colours and rich textures that reflect the festive season. Colour palettes are warmer and easier to work with, appealing to all types of interior design tastes. Whether you’re looking to achieve a rustic farm-like vibe, or keeping it nice and simple, we have something for everyone. From cosy textiles with warm wooden elements, to eye-catching fireplaces and festive chic décor, we’ve put together a selection of fantastic HIP Hotels that will inspire you to recreate some serious design ideas for a truly winter-themed interior.

Cosy Textiles

Choosing the right fabrics and textures in our homes is crucial to creating a cosy environment, and can make the world of difference. Depending on the style you’re looking to achieve, textiles are a key element to making a space more appealing and inviting, not to mention they’re seriously on-trend at the moment. From knitted rugs and woolly throws, to plaid cushions and soft cashmere blankets, adding textural variation to rooms not only injects vibrancy into certain areas, but helps make our homes complete, whilst adding touches of our own personality!

The rich and warming materials in HUUS Gstaad give a real feeling of warmth and relaxation. Its cosy interiors feature plaid cushions and throws, as well as crushed velvet rugs, unearthing optimal levels of cosiness at this chic chalet. The family-run boutique, Lesar Hotel Angel, is another wonderful hotel to draw inspiration from for cosy textiles. Their mix n’ match patterned pillows and fluffy blankets add pops of colour complimenting the surrounding neutral palette and modern features. If you’re looking for something a little more minimalistic, be inspired by Hurley House. A former pub in the heart of the British countryside, the chic homely style of their rooms feature neutral coloured textiles that beautifully compliment the dark leather chairs and plaid-patterned headboards.

Festive Chic

‘Tis the season to find that festive inspiration you’ve been looking for!

Whilst most of us get excited about Christmas Day, decking out our homes with decorations really does set the mood – not to mention all the fun spent doing it - with hot chocolates and Baileys on standby! Choosing the theme to decorate usually depends on what best reflects our existing interior style. Whether you’re into the classic red and green, or gold and silver colour schemes, or prefer all the colours of the rainbow on the tree and around your home, there are many sophisticated and stylish ways to deck out your own halls for the festive season. Christmas colour schemes come in a myriad of festive palettes: Winter whites, frosted blues, opulent reds, timeless gold, earthy greens and glints of silver are just a few of the different vibes to choose from. Keeping to one colour scheme is usually a lot simpler and makes the environment feel less cluttered. However, adding a pop of different colour can really add a touch of magic!

Whilst the tree is usually the main focal point during the festive season, there are many other ways to decorate your home. Spruce up your surfaces with decorated garlands or light up your staircase with some fairy lights. Set your table with gorgeous tall candlesticks and a burlap runner or coordinate your gift wrapping with your colour scheme whilst hanging some DIY wall tapestries for a wintery touch. The list really does go on! Solea Boutique & Spa Hotel opted for a more classical colour scheme this winter, keeping in line with their red and silver theme on the inside, and gold and green on the outside, complimenting its snowy mountain surroundings. They also added reindeer and tree-like decorations around the hotel, tying big red ribbons and bows to the tree, and matching the Christmas tree skirt to the rest of the theme. Gorvalns Slott stuck to a more rustic vibe, using natural elements to decorate the hotel – tree branches are scattered everywhere, from fireplaces to table trays, and springs of holly were included for a pop of colour. Whilst you’re decorating the inside of the house, why not add a little festive cheer to the outside of your home too? Hotel Eden, a stunning hotel in the heart of Rome, added stunning garlands around their doors and windows, and warm fairy lights to highlight the entrance. This is an easy way to create a grand entrance without having to go over the top.

Eye-catching Fireplaces

The lounge tends to be the room where families congregate to spend most of their Christmas celebrations, with the tree holding court as the centerpiece. But why not make your fireplace just as eye-catching. Having a striking mantel is not only something to have all year round, but what better than the festive season to make it even more spectacular! Lighting the fireplace not only enhances a cosy atmosphere, but also makes cold winter evenings more enjoyable. Spend a little time decorating around the hearth with some festive pieces - perhaps some seasonal foliage entwined with glittering lights, or decorative garlands, and don’t forget the soon-to-be-filled Christmas stockings!

Don’t be afraid to get creative when you’re decorating the mantelpiece. Take a look at Hotel & Chalet Aurelio - this alpine hideaway has a wintery theme all year round! From comforting interiors to cosy furnishings, Aurelio has even placed large antlers on top of their fireplaces to give off that true chalet atmosphere which works in perfect harmony with its rustic wooden interiors. If you’re looking for something a little more extravagant, take some inspiration from Cowley Manor. This Grade II listed villa has used personalised gift sacks and highlighted their fireplaces with spectacular lighting garlands for a truly extraordinary décor! However, if you prefer to keep things simpler, the stunning fireplaces at The Pinnacle Athens are a true highlight of their rooms. Accented with gold and silver stars, antique books and eclectic artwork and mirrors, these fireplaces add a spectacular accent all year round.

Warm Wood Elements

Wooden elements in homes have been a popular trend for centuries now. Not only do they compliment neutral colour palettes, and invoke a natural and earthy feel to a room, but they fill a home with warmth and cosiness. Its versatility, from the different textures to shades, make it ideal for a variety of design quests – especially during the winter months! Warm wooden elements create an environment that is both effortlessly stylish and just as importantly, sustainable. Adding wood to your interiors gives you the ability to create an ambiance of nature, comfort and rustic chic.

Many of the HIP Hotels collections have jumped onto this interior design trend which continues to inspire each and every one of their guests that step foot inside. Hotel Platz, which is set amongst the unspoiled landscapes of the Dolomites, incorporates wooden features with a minimalistic design. From dark wooden ceilings, walls and floors, to a lighter shade of wooden furnishings and accessories, the natural, alpine materials combine to make this hotel a dreamy mountain chalet. The organic farm of Los Poblanos in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, USA, is another great place to draw inspiration from. Their wooden beams on the ceiling, rustic wood burning fireplaces, hardwood floors and earthy toned furniture all combine to create a space that is both comfortable and undeniably intimate and romantic. Another way to incorporate warm wooden elements into your home is quite simply to bring wooden logs in to decorate the space. Hotel & Restaurant Bad Schorgau in South Tyrol has done just this, incorporating wooden features throughout the whole hotel. Not only have they got distinctive wooden elements adorning the ceilings, doors, floors and furniture, but they also used wooden logs decoratively by stacking them up walls and under the fireplace, to add a little extra warmth and rustic flair to their spaces.

Atmospheric Lighting

A lot of people overlook the importance of lighting when it comes to styling the perfect winter home interior. Lighting is possibly one of the most important factors within this whole process. Whilst cosy textiles, festive decorations, eye-catching fireplaces and warm wooden elements can help set the mood of a space, the right lighting will help achieve the full magical effect, accentuating corners of rooms as you play with light and shadows. Whether its classic LED fairy lights twinkling around staircases and trees, candlelights giving a calming glow to your dining tables and window sills (not to mention adding gorgeous aromatic scents too), or warm lighting coming straight from the fireplace, incorporating atmospheric lighting to your winter home interiors really does set the scene.

The stylish candles and candle holders in L’Albiousse not only add a touch of extravagance to the dining table, but they also give a more classic festive feel to the room. During Christmas, Palazzina’s restaurant turns into a magical setting for guests to enjoy; from waterfall fairy lights adorning the walls, to warm table lamps that highlight the magic of the season. For a little extra glamour, how about opting for a glittering chandelier and cosy lamps to set the mood? Bomans Hotell not only shouts luxury from every corner, but the owner’s concept of “more is more, less is a bore” is a great motto to follow when you're searching for the perfect atmospheric lighting for your home during the winter months.