Beat the chill this winter with cosy candles ideas that can transform your home and help you make the most of the season.
Winter and candles are the perfect combination; when the temperatures cool, the nights draw in, and we all spend more time at home, using ambient candlelight to create a comforting, cosy space can make all the difference. As well as providing warmth, candles can also set you up for the day or help you relax in the evenings, with scented varieties especially effective at changing the atmosphere. I love the way that a lit candle can lift your mood, no matter what the weather looks like outside.
If you’re looking to warm up your winter, here are a few ways that you can introduce candles into your seasonal décor:
1.Create a festive shelf scene
Whether you have a shelf, mantlepiece, or console table available to decorate, you can use candles to create a stunning festive scene. I like to use candles to create a focal point, and then surrounding them with seasonal foliage and home accessories to build a cosy Christmas display. Consider combining two or three mixed sized candles with faux fir stems, pine cones, dried orange slices, and ceramic trees and houses. To make it feel even more festive, you could place tealights or pillar candles inside a frosted glass container or on a brass candle votive that reflects the light with a golden glow.
2.Enhance your winter tablescapes
Winter is a great time to entertain at home, whether it’s hosting a dinner party or inviting friends and family over to enjoy mulled wine and mince pies. I think candles can form part of your tablescape year-round, but they look incredible on dark winter nights, creating a warm and welcoming setting for your guests.
You can use candles in a variety of different ways on your dining table; choose two or three pillar candles to create a luminous centrepiece or display single tapered candles at set intervals to cast of rays of light evenly across the table. Whether neutral toned or in festive shades of red and green, tapered candles are also a fantastic way to add height to your tablescape, but make sure you don’t choose a size that is so high it gets in the way of conversation.
3.Capture the scents of the season
This time of year comes with some of the most evocative scents; warm cinnamon, gingerbread, evergreen fir, peppermint, and sweet vanilla are all distinctive winter fragrances. Personally, I’m drawn to seasonal scents that are fresh yet comforting, which is why we chose to feature a mix of pine and winter berries for our first The Suffolk Nest candle. Hand poured in the UK and crafted from high quality soy wax, our scented candle is the perfect blend of sugar and spice, combining intense notes of clove with the sparkling scent of fresh pine and vibrant orange zest. As soon as I trim the wick and light a fresh candle, I’m instantly transported to a winter wonderland.
4.Make your evenings extra-cosy
One of our favourite evening activities as a family in the colder months is to settle down on the sofa with cosy blankets and a festive film. Adding candles (especially scented candles) takes these peaceful evenings in to the next level, instantly setting the mood and making our space feel soothing. Whenever I light a candle and turn down our electric lights, it’s a clear signal to my mind and body that it’s time to relax. If you don’t want to place a candle straight onto your coffee table, I suggest placing it on a marble tray to protect your furniture and make it even more of a feature piece.
