With October finally here, it’s that time of year where I begin transitioning my home from a summer vibe to a cosy autumnal aesthetic. Best of all, it isn’t a major renovation and requires only a few simple tweaks to achieve a whole new look.
How to bring in a new season’s colour to a room…
Autumn is synonymous with shades of fiery red, chestnut brown, burnt orange and deep green. So by simply switching up your colour palette, you can invite autumn into your home. I add these pops of colour using accessories such as pillows, throws, rearranging books on the ottoman, and of course, houseplants and flowers. One of my favourite autumnal centrepieces is our Amandine Fruit Bowl in Pine. It’s always in use when we’re enjoying the fruits of fall, full of juicy apples or pears from the garden (we are lucky enough to have both kinds of trees out there, boughs heavy with fruit!). I also love a good walk in the woods, and I’ll pick up a handful of long branches full of red and orange leaves. Those looks beautiful placed into my Otterley vase, atop the mantle. I usually scatter a few gourds (aka mini pumpkins!) around the base, light a cedar or sandalwood candle, et voila, the room is beginning to feel very different.
How to get cosy…
As temperatures start to plummet, I like to bring warmth to a room by rolling up a few blankets and putting them in a basket next to the sofa. It’s one of my favourite feelings to snuggle up in a blanket with a cup of tea, listening to the rhythmic tapping of the rain, or watching my autumn must-view-movies: You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle! It’s a ritual for me and 50/50 whether I can get Mackenzie to sit down and watch anything so ‘old’! Upstairs, remember to also swap out your summer sheets for high-tog duvets, and I also rearrange my nighties for PJ’s in the drawer.
The dazzling sunlight of summer is dimmed down during autumn so why not channel this in the home too? I like to incorporate the texture of pleated lampshades that generate a romantic and soft glow, and I often use an orange bulb rather than yellow (never white), to create a calm environment.
