Sofa cocoons are the cosy trend we love this autumn, thanks to Mrs Hinch

It's raining, it's pouring, and we have two words for you: sofa cocoon.

Thanks to the inimitable Mrs Hinch (and her dog Henry), we're desperate to recreate the cosiest of cosy living room ideas in our own homes. Like, right now. This very second.

But wait, we've gotten ahead of ourselves: you're no doubt wondering what a sofa cocoon actually is, right? And why it should be on your list of must-try living room trends? Don't worry, we've got you.

All hail the sofa cocoon!

The one and only Mrs Hinch left us craving a snuggly sofa cocoon of our very own when she shared a video of herself and her beloved dog, Henry, settling down to watch 101 Dalmatians together.

Rather than simply plonk herself on the couch, though, the cleaning guru took the time to first create a... well, a very hygge vibe for herself and her furry pal.

Check it out:

The candles! The warm lighting! The impossibly fluffy blankets and cushions! THE DOG!

Naturally, plenty of Mrs Hinch fans rushed to the comments section to wax lyrical about Henry (who can blame them, eh?).

There were also, though, plenty who wanted to know where they could source the ingredients for their own sofa cocoon. And so, with that in mind, we've created a little guide for you to add to your list of cosy living room ideas this autumn...

'Sofa cocoons are the way forward to turn a chilly evening into a masterclass in cosy,' says Thea Babington-Stitt, aka Ideal Home's Assistant Editor.

'As our fave Mrs Hinch demos, you'll want to lay your softest throw (nothing worse than a scratchy base) over your sofa, either along the length (if L-shaped), or onto an ottoman, footstool, or stack of floor cushions,' she explains. 

'Then sit down, with a plump cushion on either side of your body to tuck you in, and one more throw over the top. For the best experience, I'd recommend using a reading cushion (it's a game changer, trust me), and opting for a lighter throw over the top so you don't overheat. You can always add more layers if you need.'

Shop the sofa cocoon trend

Of course, you don't have to stick to the neutral colour palette beloved by Mrs Hinch when it comes to crafting your own sofa cocoon; rich reds, golds, plums, and greens all scream autumn to us, quite frankly. We also love a retro mustard colourway, as we've seen with Fred Sirieix's sofa.

If you don't have a chaise longue sofa, too, you can recreate the vibe with a squidgy pouffe like this one from Dunelm.

And don't feel you have to retire your sofa cocoon when the seasons shift, either; as Ideal Home editor Heather Young explains, you can make yours work for you all year round.

'I'm a bit ashamed of how much time I spend on my spot on the sofa (my seat's on the chaise side so I can stretch my legs out, obviously), but I love nothing more than settling myself down for an evening in front of the TV,' says Heather. 

'A blanket is a must for me, and because I'm so into snuggling under one, I switch it up depending on the season. In the winter it's my favourite wool blanket from Arket, and then for the warmer months I have a cotton throw on-hand for all but the hottest heatwave evenings.'

Luckily for Heather, her husband hates any extra cushions on the sofa, 'so I can steal them from his end to create the comfiest nest going. And finally, the arm of my sofa is wide enough for a coaster to live on, ready for my mug of tea (or glass of wine!)'

Cheers to that, quite frankly! If you need us, we'll be sandwiched between two outrageously fluffy blankets, with a hot chocolate in hand...