Fill the house with candlelight – whether glowing tealights, tall elegant pillars or seasonally scented candles – to lift your spirits as well as your rooms. My favourite notes include cinnamon, clove, orange and myrrh, eucalyptus, pine, cognac and smoked woods.

Restyle coffee tables, surfaces and shelves and clear clutter. One brilliant stylist taught me, when you are arranging surfaces, keep it “simple but strong”, such as a bowl of winter clementines, which looks so beautiful and impactful.

Add extra-warm layers so your home feels beautifully dressed for winter. Pile soft velvets and faux furs, as well as warm sheepskins and super-soft textural knits, on sofas, benches, chairs and beds.

Bring the outside in. At this time of year, I love everything from potted heathers, winter pine needles and rustic wintry branches to white ranunculus, hyacinths and tall sculptural amaryllis. Small pots of trailing ivy are also wonderful for table centre displays.

Make bedrooms comfortable for visitors. For guest bedrooms, my checklist always includes a pretty water carafe and glass, sleep pillow spray and a sprig of flowers beside the bed. A hot water bottle and a soft throw on a beautifully made bed make guests feel special, and I always add recent magazines, a robe and a hairdryer.

Add extra comfort. Every bed will benefit from the luxury of a sheepskin mattress topper. They lend warmth and blissful comfort. In our guest bathrooms, I add piles of soft towels and a scented candle, along with a basket of might-need essentials (often collected from hotel stays).

From The Art of Living with White: A Year in Inspiration by Chrissie Rucker & The White Company.