A cosy home in winter: 10 ideas with handmade pieces

By Tiago Reis, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile

About a 6 minute read

To make your home cosier in winter, bring together four things: wool to wrap up in and wear, low warm light, a table where food slowly cooks and natural materials you can touch, such as wood, clay and plant fibres. You do not need to redecorate. A thick blanket on the sofa, a natural fibre lamp and a clay pot in the middle of the table can change the feel of a room in a single afternoon.

A cosy winter home in short

• Wool first: blankets on the sofa and bed help you feel less cold.
• Low, warm light: natural fibre lamps instead of white ceiling light.
• Slow cooked meals: clay that goes from the stove to the table.
• Natural materials: wood, clay, linen and plant fibres add texture and calm.
• Evenings with busy hands: spinning, knitting or reading under a blanket.

How to make your home cosier in winter: 10 ideas

1. A proper wool blanket on the sofa

The starting point of any winter decor is a heavy blanket within reach. The Cobertor de Papa (Shepherd's Blanket) (€198.10) is woven in Maçainhas, near Guarda, on hand looms, with thick, compact wool. For the bed, the Ecolã Wool Blanket (€114.00) comes from a small family business in Manteigas, in the Serra da Estrela. The differences between the types are explained in Portuguese blankets: cobertor de papa, manta lobeira and shepherd's blanket.

2. Warm, low, filtered light

Switch off the ceiling light in the evening and light the room at eye level. The Bulrush Lamp (€94.70), braided by hand by Helena Novelletto, filters the bulb through the fibre and casts soft shadows on the wall. Learn more about this wetland plant in Bulrush.

3. Wool to wear at home

Comfort is also about what you wear. The Fingerless Wool Gloves (€50.40), crocheted by Alice Aranha, leave your fingers free to read, write or stir your coffee. A Madeiran earflap hat or a wool scarf from As Capuchinhas completes the look. To choose your wool well, read Portuguese wool: breeds, burel, Ecolã and how to choose.

4. A clay table and one pot meals

Winter calls for slow cooking: bean stews, roast kid, thick soups. The Black Clay Pot (€46.20), from Gondar, gets its colour in the soenga fire and goes from the stove to the table. It needs to be cured before its first use; we explain how in Black clay from Gondar.

5. A warm drink ritual in the evening

Herbal tea, hot chocolate or a coffee after dinner marks the shift from day to night. For those who enjoy it, a small glass of traditional liqueur is also part of Portuguese winter evenings, always in moderation; there is more in Traditional Portuguese liqueurs.

6. Baskets for blankets and firewood

Blankets scattered around the living room look good in a large basket by the sofa, and the same works for pine cones and logs by the fire. The Sewn Basket (€153.80), by Musaz, is made from banana fibre sewn by hand. Palm from the Algarve also makes lidded baskets, handy for storing yarn. The story of the fibre is in Banana fibre.

7. Natural wood on show

Wood warms the eye. The Bayan Bowl (€132.20), by Vago, is carved by Luca from wood that survived the fires in the Serra da Estrela. Use it for chestnuts, oranges or simply as a centrepiece on the coffee table. We visited the workshop in The bowl born from fire.

8. Textures and layers

A cosy home is rarely smooth. Mix a long pile blanket with a bulrush cushion, a linen cloth with a wool rug, matt clay with waxed wood. Layers of natural fabrics on the sofa and bed help you feel less cold and give the room depth. Dense, matt burel pairs well with soft carded wool.

9. A calming scent

Scent makes a home too. The Lavender Pouch (€32.79), in linen with Guimarães embroidery, scents drawers and wardrobes and helps keep moths away from wool blankets. Placed by the pillow, it leaves a light fragrance through the night.

10. A handcraft for long evenings

Long evenings call for busy hands. Spinning wool with a drop spindle is easy to learn, quiet and can be done on the sofa under a blanket. Start with our beginner's guide to spinning wool with a spindle.

What hygge is and how to bring it home

Hygge is a Danish word for the feeling of comfort and wellbeing at home, with soft light, simple things and good company. In Portugal we have had our own version for a long time: evenings by the fire, grandmother's blanket, a pot on the stove. Bringing hygge home is not about buying new decor; it is about choosing fewer, longer lasting pieces made from materials that age well.

Where to buy handmade pieces to warm up your home

Every piece in this article is available at Ra-Ro, made by Portuguese artisans. If you would rather give a gift or start with a set, see the Ra-Ro packs, which bring together pieces from the same workshop at a lower price than buying them separately.

Frequently asked questions

How can I make my home cosier in winter?

Use wool blankets on the sofa and bed, swap ceiling light for warm lamps, add natural materials such as wood, clay and linen, and create simple evening rituals.

What winter decor makes a home feel warmer?

Wool blankets, natural fibre baskets, lamps with filtered light, visible wood and layered textures. They are pieces you use all winter, not just over the holidays.

What is hygge?

It is a Danish word for the feeling of comfort and wellbeing at home, with soft light, simple things and good company.

Do wool blankets help you feel less cold at home?

Yes. Natural wool holds in body heat, so a thick blanket on the sofa or an extra one on the bed helps you feel less cold.

Where can I buy handmade winter blankets and homeware from Portugal?

At Ra-Ro, which brings together cobertores de papa, Ecolã blankets, basketry, black clay and wood by Portuguese artisans, shipping to Portugal and abroad.