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Keeping warm in style: How to make your indoors a more inviting place
Matthew Hague
Special to The Globe and Mail

This article was published more than 10 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

It's only January. Already there have been record cold temperatures (Winnipeg was as frosty as Mars), ice storms, power blackouts and more ice storms. All of that followed by, in some areas, a hideous thaw that's turned any remaining snow black and all the sidewalks gunky.

The problem is, solutions are limited. There might only be two ways to take solace (well three, if moving to Jamaica counts). One involves nights of copious hot toddies and mornings with copious Tylenols. The other, less hangover prone approach, involves embracing the warm and fuzzy. Not pleasant, loving thoughts – although those obviously couldn't hurt – but rather cuddly things. The kinds of pillows and blankets and beds and chairs that are so snuggly and cuddly that leaving the bedroom or living room, let alone the front door, will seem like frigid lunacy.

Fortunately, designers are offering incredibly toasty items. Stuff that not only helps to prevent the onset of SAD with its sheer adorability, but that just looks really cool (even when winter is long over). Here, six of the most luxuriously cozy.

Heady petting

Sleeping in the Cipria bed is like taking a slumber in the mitt of a massive stuffed animal. Designed by Brazil’s Campana brothers for Italian manufacturer Edra, the four bulbous pillows are stuffed with a cloud-like wadding and covered in faux fur that begs to be petted. Price upon request. Through antonella.figliolino@edra.com; www.edra.com.

Killer cable

Naturally, winter is the perfect time to pull out the knits, but it’s not just mitts and scarves that evoke a sense of warmth. The Wave bowls, by British ceramicist Annette Bugansky, have an intricately stitched texture. Although they look like they are sheathed in a real textile, they’re slip-cast porcelain so they won’t stain or leak. $108 (£60). Through enquiries@annettebuganskydesign.com; annettebuganskydesign.com.

The hot seat

Irish-born designer Claire Anne O’Brien has created a woolen tuft to warm cold buns. The ash wood legs are starkly modern, but the hand-knit, plush upholstered top is the furniture equivalent of a comfy, Sunday-perfect sweater. Price upon request. Through gan-rugs.com.

Frosty fun

The sleigh bench, by Quebec City’s Six Point Un, is for people who like the idea of winter, but not necessarily the reality. Those who can picture themselves effortlessly gliding down a hill in a beautiful toboggan, wearing a Nordic sweater and a smile, but who know better than to brave the cold for fear of frost bite. $1,995. Through sixpointun.ca.

Beaver fever

Samare, a Montreal-and-Milan-based studio, was inspired by an old fur traders’ curative for its Trappeur armchair. The minimal, powder-coated frame is upholstered in beaver pelts because trappers used to believe that lying on a hide was an important way of relaxing and rejuvenating after a long day on the hunt. Price upon request. Through info@samare.ca; samarestudio.com.

Wild and woolly

Rockett St. George’s wild, tendril-covered, pink pillow is a salve for red, chill-bitten cheeks and noses. Just bury your head into the explosion of Mongolian sheep’s wool and forget all about the four-letter word that is winter. $135 (£75). Through rockettstgeorge.co.uk.
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