Sit back and relax. Every home needs at least one properly comfortable armchair — the kind you sink into and don't want to leave. Whether you've got a piece that needs reupholstering or you're starting from scratch, Danbury Upholsterers are worth knowing — an Essex-based upholsterer trusted by some of the UK's leading design studios (and, reportedly, a few palaces).

Layer it up. Warmth is about texture, tone and light as much as heating. Rugs, wool throws, soft cushions, and the gentle glow of a lamp do more for a room's atmosphere than almost anything else — and banishing the overhead "big light" in favour of table lamps and dimmable wall lights is one of the simplest changes you can make. For rugs specifically, Rug & Carpet Studio in Long Melford, right on the Essex-Suffolk border, has an excellent range of antique carpets you can try at home before committing.

Light the fire. Not every home has one, but if yours does, make it the heart of the room — and resist mounting a television above it. A fireplace deserves to stay a screen-free space, somewhere for reading and conversation rather than another screen to sit in front of. If you're restoring or installing one, Essex Stoves and Chimneys, a third-generation family business now based in Cheshunt, is a good place to start.

This January, give yourself permission to hibernate a little. Light the fire, dim the lamps, and enjoy the slower pace of home — while quietly starting to dream up your renovation plans for the year ahead.

This piece originally appeared in Alicia's monthly interior design column for Essex Life, January 2026.

Alicia Mellish leads Studio Forty Seven, an interior design studio working across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.