For many people, bedrooms look at their best when they provide a cosy environment that you just want to snuggle up in. Because we enjoy such long, hot summers in much of Australia, you could be forgiven for thinking that the cosy, winter-inspired bedroom won't work. However, unless you live in the tropical north of the country, nothing could be further from the truth. Winter, in all of its bleak glory, makes the perfect inspiration for many home decorating projects and nowhere is this more in evident than the bedroom. How do you get the wintry look?

Colder Colours

Although choosing bright and reflective white might be your idea of creating a snowy blanket of a canvas as the background to rest of your tonal palette, it is better to go for an off white instead. Choose a white smoke, coral or even an old lace paint for your ceilings and skirting boards. Pale blues and eggshells will work very well against this base. You can feature such tones in your choice of carpets and upholstery. If you are adding new bedroom furniture, then plain white is the way to go.

Fairy Lighting

One of the many things that make a winter-inspired bedroom sparkle and shimmer with delight is the use of lighting. Opt for multiple light fittings that don't flood the room with light when they are turned on. Twinkling fairy lights are great when suspended around your headboard or over the window sill. Faux candle tea lights are another good option to have spread over your dressing table, too.

Rugs, Duvets and Throws

A cosy bedroom should be full of soft textures and places you feel you could curl up in with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate. Create a textural interplay in your bedroom by covering sections of the floor with deep rugs and have matching throws placed over the foot of the bed or on occasional chairs. Use fluffier duvets with a higher tog rating for that all important snuggled-up look.

Window Perspectives

Your choice of window treatment is essential for a winter look in your bedroom. Light blocking roller blinds are out. Instead, opt for plush curtains with a pelmet to create the right look. Trapping more heat inside, heavier drapes and curtains will give your window designs the visual appeal that you really don't get with summery blinds and shutters. For the best results, use tie backs so that your curtains will partially hang over the windows even when they are drawn back during the daytime.