We sat down with Former The Block contestant, and interior stylist Kara Demmrich and got her hot tips for making your home cosy in the depths of winter.

Are there particular classic items in styling a home for winter that you can’t live without?
I love investing in timeless, functional pieces that transcend current trends. Styling pieces that can
be pulled out each winter and will work with any colour palette. For me, a Moroccan wool blanket is one of these pieces. The woollen heirloom textiles are natural, hefty in weight and add a beautiful texture to the end of a bed or sofa.

We love a winter fire – including an outdoor fire pit. Such a great way to gather friends and family and create a space to sit around chat. Built-in fire pits are obviously amazing, but we have found the cost-effective cast iron or steel fire pits from Bunnings to be just as effective.

What are your top 5 tips to transition a home from Summer to Winter?

1. Add a heavier weighted blanket to the end of your bed. Not only is this super practical, but stylistically, the extra layers add dimension, colour, and texture.
2. In the living room, add a chunky knit or faux fur throw to the sofa or lounge chairs.
3. Keep overhead lighting to a minimum and use lamps, pendants, and candles to create a cosy winter vibe indoors. Generally speaking, our weekends are spent entertaining with the kids running about, so I also use battery operated candles and long-lasting batteries such as Energizer’s MAX PLUS range. Battery operated candles are super cost effective and a much safer option with little ones running about or for subdued lighting inside.
4. Add a timber or weaved tray to the coffee table for styling books, candles and some dried or fresh winter foliage. At our house, this tray doubles as the perfect way to serve tea, coffee or wine when we’re entertaining in the cooler months.
5. Rearrange furniture to focus on inside entertaining, with living room sofas and armchairs focuses internally – as opposed to focused on looking out to the outside living areas which is something we love about summer entertaining.

How would you recommend people style a cosy space on a limited budget?
My big philosophy is quality over quantity. I’d rather spend a little more on a good quality throw (as an example) that I know will last me for years to come, than spend the same amount of money on a whole new suite of cushions and throws. I love using tablecloths in winter to style a table – it doesn’t need to be an actual tablecloth – it can be a sheet of a Turkish towel used as a runner. The extra layer adds warmth and creates a layered tablescape for guests to enjoy.

When thinking about creating a warm and inviting space, look for ways to get creative with lighting. I recently styled the Energizer Battery Tiny Home and was amazed to find out how many battery-operated items are available when it comes to styling. I used a linen lantern as a pendant next to the bed and used a battery-operated globe and some sisal rope to create the light. Using battery operated items is a great way to bring lighting in the room without the power-cord clutter or when you don’t have a PowerPoint nearby. And you’ll rarely have to change the batteries if you use Energizer’s MAX range, as they are 100% longer lasting than other carbon zinc batteries – so much more sustainable.