Embrace autumn
Warm up your home with these toasty seasonal touches, says Jessica Salter
We reASSeSS our wardrobes at this time of year, shake out our knits and pack away the flimsy florals. The colours and accessories in our homes can feel similarly out of kilter with the changing seasons.
But you don’t need to do a big overhaul to get in step. ‘Buy one or two seasonal items that will refresh the decor,’ says interior designer Kate Watson-Smyth, author of the book and blog, Mad About The House. ease yourself in with these seasonal updates:
GOLDEN HINTS
We’re not suggesting repainting walls (though Farrow & Ball have just released their new season colours and they include a warm pink called rangwali and a rich shade of red). Instead, refresh your home’s colour palette with accessories.
‘This year the colour of the moment is a soft mustardy yellow,’ says Watson-Smyth. ‘The joy of this colour is that it will fit perfectly into almost all existing schemes, from minimalist greys to whites to dark, rich walls. I am hunting for an old fashioned long bolster to put across the bed and curl up with a cup of coffee.’
Try the Monroe oblong Cushion, Mustard, £55 from sohohome.com, or the lavish george Snuggler in easy Velvet Honey, £ 900, arloandjacob.com.
SOFT TOUCH
STATeMeNT rugs are popular on the design-inspiration website Pinterest, because, as Lisa Mehydene, founder of the homeware brand edit58.com says, ‘rugs are an inexpensive way of adding extra cosiness and warmth’.
‘Those with wooden floors might crave extra warmth in colder months. We’re even seeing people buying rugs and runners for their kitchens and bathrooms,’ she says.
Lisa recommends a vintage kilim-style rug, that is hard-wearing but adds colour and texture. Layering knits is another style perfectly suited to autumn: try the navy knot cushion by Design House Stockholm, £90, trouva.
com, or a chunky knit pouffe (£75, johnlewis.com).
SNUGGLE DOWN
AS YoU pack away your summer duvet, what should you choose for the chillier months? Chrissie rucker, founder of The White Company, recommends investing in a natural-fibre duvet and plumps for the 13.5 Tog Hungarian goose Down Duvet, (£250, thewhitecompany.com).
‘For me, nothing beats the feeling of cocooning yourself under a cosy duvet,’ she says. If that’s too hot, too soon, ‘allseason duvets are a great choice’, says Unna Patel, of John Lewis. ‘They consist of two separate duvets, usually a 9 Tog for autumn, with a lightweight 4.5 Tog, which connect together when you need more warmth in winter.’
Dress your bed with faux fur, throws or an eiderdown by Molly Mahon (£185, edit58.com).
LET THERE BE LIGHT
eVeNINgS are getting darker, so it’s time to look at clever lighting inside. ‘Now is the perfect time to update your lighting,’ says elena Paparozzi, buyer at Heal’s. ‘ Substitute the intense flood from bright ceiling lights with decorative pendants, which introduce a soft, cosy ambience.’ Try clusters of pendants, such as the Kyoto collection from Heal’s, starting at £199, or low table lamps, such as the burnt ombre lamp from French Connection (£160, french connection.com).
PILE IT ON
MAXIMALISM is back and that means bold colours, large prints, luxurious fabrics and patterns. ‘Adding lush autumnal colours to your home is an effective way of getting ready for the season,’ says emily Henson, author of Be Bold: Interiors For The Brave of Heart (£19.99, ryland Peters & Small, out october 23, amazon.co.uk).
‘You can mix and match your patterns, but remember to link them by colour palette to avoid it feeling too chaotic.’
Dip your toe in the trend by adding subtle pattern, such as the Matilda goad for Liberty lampshade with Liberty trim, (£160, libertylondon.com) or try the brass leopard tray from House of Fraser, £18.