Your use of lighting can make a huge difference, too. If you only have light coming from one direction - whether it's a single downlighter in the middle of the room, or a window on one side - then you're
doing to get stark, possibly ugly shadows.
For best results, you'll want to include multiple light sources, as well as mirrors. Look for ambient lights, which fill up the space; task lights, which allow you to see what you're doing when you're
performing a particular task; and accent lights, which serve a decorative purpose.
During winter, you might look for a soft, warm glow. This means
favouring bulbs in the lower Kelvin range.
These frequencies tend to approximate firelight and sunlight, which makes them great for making a space feel cosy.
For maximum control, you might look for smart bulbs,
and dimmable lights that can be adjusted to suit the room you're using.