September feels more like a new year than January to me. As my girls head back to school and the summer has recharged me, I find myself more creative than ever. I like to step into this “new year” in an organised fashion and this often starts with lightly refreshing some corners of my home. These are my go-to tricks to make my home feel “new” and ready to welcome Fall.
Tackle your desk!
My office tends to be the prime place where clutter has collected over time. I set aside time to file away the heap of papers and collect up my loose bits and bobs - I love to use our Splatter Coquillage Dish to stash my paperclips. I tend to switch up the little flower plant I keep on my desk in the summer, which sits in a Pinet Pot, for something more autumnal like a fer and plant the old one in the garden. An easy way to make a space feel new and exciting is to swap out lampshades and I have my eyes on a turmeric-coloured shade from Alice Palmer at the moment - the perfect colour for Autumn. Coffee table books are an invaluable source of inspiration and I like to reshuffle the books I have on my desk - this fall, Near and Far: Interiors I Love, by Lisa Fine, Deborah Needleman and Miguel Flores-Vianna are at the top of my list!
A light kitchen refresh
The kitchen is the heart of the home where we spend most of our time as a family, where we entertain and the girls often play so there’s always quite a lot of organising to do to make it still feel inviting and relaxing.
I have pretty baskets I brought back from LA and little wicker trunks where the girls keep their toys and art supplies. My Welsh dresser stores my table linens and my favourite ceramics and they get often swapped to update the vibe of the room. For a clean, stylish look I like to keep only appliances that I use daily on the countertops and clear everything else. We keep cereals and pasta in glass containers - I like how they add texture and make storage interesting for the eye. Fruit and vegetables, add a colourful touch to the room and are always displayed in a favourite of mine, the Peche bowl
Art Reshuffle
Updating the plates I hang on the wall and our art is definitely my thing. For the kitchen this year, I am on the hunt for some vintage majolica plates and antique lebrillo plates to hang alongside my Pintora plates. An easy way to make a room have a new feel is to swap artwork from other rooms around the house or to just update your frames.
Swap soft furnishings
An easy refresh to your living room or bedroom is to change your soft furnishings, incorporating autumnal colours and soft textures; these earthly green velvet cushions from OKA are simply perfect. I love using corduroy fabric for my curtains in the Fall and Winter; the Needle Corduroy by Rose Uniacke comes in multiple colourways and effortlessly creates a warm and cosy atmosphere, being thick without feeling too heavy. Swapping rugs between rooms within your home is a great way to give a room a new lease of life without any extra costs.
Give new life to vintage finds
The thrill of discovering the perfect vintage find at the flea market is unmatched. These pieces have so much charm, character and endless potential to be given a new lease of life. I came across a small shelving unit that had clearly seen better days, but its beautiful shape caught my eye. It felt like the perfect project to revive with a fresh coat of paint. I chose a warm caramel shade, and now it sits in my daughter’s bedroom as a bookshelf, adding just the right touch to her space.
