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Welcome to the July issue

What to buy and how to decorate for your warmest (and most stylish) winter yet

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By Piet Smedy | June 28, 2022 | Design

Winter is here – and I’m excited. If you’re anything like me, the dwindling daylight and early-morning chills means one thing: it’s time to get cosy.

Out come the thick linens and heavy-knit throws, on go the candles and fireplaces (even when the power isn’t out), hot-water bottles and hot cocoa and, invariably, there’s a pot of minestrone or the like softly bubbling on the stove (if you’re stuck for comfort-food inspiration, turn to page 23). Maybe there are friends coming over, all bundled up, or – better yet – a quiet night in. (The cold does seem to bring with it a free pass to live your best homebody life – and I plan on taking full advantage of it).

This month – and season – we’re pulling focus to the bedroom. There’s a lot of fuss made about it being a sanctuary, which is, at best, quite a nebulous term. So we’ve doubled down on the actionables – the what, the where, the how – to rack up those feel-good points and put them into a handy H&G It Yourself guide on page 39.

There’s also no shortage of winter-ready interior inspiration in the homes we visit, from a romantic farm and family home in Noordhoek by HK Studio founder Megan Hesse, to a quiet heritage home in Cape Town, carefully restored and geared towards a simpler kind of slow living by Master Studio’s Yaniv Chen, and a classic, country-style barn by SA-born, UK-based designer Hubert Zandberg. When it comes to decorating – for the eager, comfort-hungry homemaker – it really is Christmas in July.

There’s a real joy to be found in layering up our interiors to maximise that hygge factor. And it all just looks so good. So cancel those plans, turn up that heater, make another cup of tea and sink into a good book (or this magazine) – it’s time to take it easy.

House and Garden July Issue 2022

Grab your digital copy of House & Garden here or pick up a physical copy now available in-stores nationwide.