Getting Your Home Ready for Autumn

As the summer starts to fade, it’s time to savour the sound of leaves crunching under your feet, pull on your comfiest jumper and settle down with a pumpkin spice coffee. The autumn aesthetic is one of cosiness and relaxation, and you’ll want to bring it to the fore as much as possible in your home to really feel at peace with the change of seasons.

But what makes a house feel autumnal? Let’s explore how to capture the energy of the season.

What makes for good autumn décor?

Autumn is the time to turn down the volume on some of the brighter, flashier colours and embrace a softer, more natural aesthetic. The best shade for maintaining some intensity is a nice, full orange, which is well complemented by earthy browns, darker reds and gentle whites, creams and greys. Alternatively, dark blues and mossy greens can be comforting and grounding at this time of year.

In terms of texture, you can’t go wrong with knitted fabrics – they’re perfect for making a room feel cosy.

How to get autumn-ready

• Declutter and freshen up colours – Take the opportunity to clear up clutter where possible to reset the stage for some new decorations. Simple but effective changes can include swapping in or adding new cushions in those rich autumnal colours, which gives you an opportunity to splash in the right palette without requiring time and effort to be spent on repainting a room.
• Get ahead on cleaning – The autumn period is a good time to get the dreaded deep clean out of the way so that you don’t have to worry about it when the Christmas rush comes around. It’s a task best done before the days get too long, dark and cold, particularly in the kitchen. Plus, a warm and cosy autumn vibe is the ideal setting for you to relax after a time-consuming and tedious job.
• Swap out your scents – An immediate way to create a different feeling in a house is to freshen up how things smell, and a scented candle is doubly perfect for autumn thanks to the gentle ambience of a small flame. Some of the best and most popular choices for scents at this time of year are bergamot, cinnamon, ginger and apple.
• Tackle those gutters – It’s nobody’s idea of a good time but autumn is the moment to clear out your gutters. Falling leaves mixed with whatever detritus has been left by summer storms can build up and lead to serious inconvenience if not dealt with – and it’s better to handle it now than wait until things get dark in the winter.

With all of these things ticked off the list, it’s time to cosy up and enjoy the fruits of your labour! There’s nothing quite like kicking back in a comfortable autumn environment, so make the most of it.