Autumn decor is mainly about ‘getting ready for hibernation’ season. At least for me. Once summer is over and I have reluctantly taken out my leather jacket I start thinking about how I can spruce up the flat to be ready for lazinglounging. More than spring cleaning, autumn cleaning is what I take extremely seriously. There is a practical reason for this: DJ and I definitely spend more time at home in autumn and winter so why not make the flat as comfortable and inspiring as possible? Here I talk about the little changes that make my flat ready for autumn – some easy autumn decor tricks.
Now right away I need to mention that my decor style isn’t the feminine, bright, white, Scandinavian style in vogue now. Not because I don’t love it, but just because it’s an impossible standard for me to maintain nor is it a style I can truly relate to. I like the minimalist vibe but also like the slightly luxurious dark look which goes perfectly with autumn. I don’t know if this is something that resonates with you but I think every kind of space is styled to work best for a particular season. My flat is a ‘autumn flat’ – no question. But whatever your decor style, there are small changes you can make which completely change the vibe of space. When Soho Homes, interior decorators for the super cool Soho House member clubs reached out asking us to write about our plans for autumn decor, I was on board. If you take a look at their website, their decor style has the perfect autumn vibe: luxurious, low-key and very sophisticated, which is quite a difficult combination to master.
Now talking grandly about decor style and inspiration is all and well but how exactly do you make your home season appropriate? I want to be clear about something: making your home season appropriate isn’t only about decor and design, it is also about function and ease of use. The same way you need to change your wardrobe up a bit for the new season, so does your home. And this is how I actually do it:
Switching out the carpet: I have a lovely fun summery hand-woven carpet we bought in Rajasthan last year which we use in the summer. But I switch this out once autumn rolls along – maybe its in my head but I feel it looks out-of-place in winter with its darker days. In a week or so, I will replace this with a darker Turkish pattern carpet DJ and I stole fromwere gifted by his mum.
Taking out the comfier cushions and stoles: humankind is divided into people who understand cushions and people who don’t understand cushions. DJ does not understand cushions – till he is drowsy after a good meal on a winter Saturday and wants to curl up on the sofa. I love cushions, kind of see them like a security blanket. In autumn I especially like textured sofa cushions with faux fur or something luxurious in silk or velvet.
Taking out the wine: this is probably my favourite part of autumn cleaning! It sounds odd but once summer is over our drinking habits change as well. Our light summery gins and white wines are put away and we take out the red wines and whiskey for the cold winter days. Trust me when I tell you this is therapeutic – it makes me think of the long winter nights sitting around with friends and having fun conversation and makes me look forward to winter. And most importantly, makes me miss summer less.
My autumn home prep involves taking out our box of wines and putting it out on the wine rack so we know what we have to choose from!
The wardrobe is a part of your home: fortunately or unfortunately, your wardrobe is a part of your home so the summer to autumn wardrobe shift is a major task. I will be the biggest hypocrite if I preach about this but this is the time to clean out your wardrobe. Donate the summary clothes you didn’t bother wearing this summer – you know you are never going to wear them. One thing I always encourage is to take out all the winter coats and jackets you have so you stop wearing the same one all season just because it’s the one closest to the door.
Remember this crazy red faux fur coat I wore last winter? I totally forgot about my other faux fur jacket so have taken this out to wear this year – so watch out for that post!
Last, turn the clocks back! Don’t just wait for March to roll around again so your clock tells the time correctly. Just do this and get it over with on autumn cleaning day for any clocks and watches that don’t switch automatically!
Hope you enjoyed the post and are off to do your autumn cleaning – or maybe that was too much to hope for. In the meantime make sure to follow us on Instagram. We also post on Instagram stories a lot. It’s so much fun, and we post all day about what we are up to. Follow us so we can follow you back! You can also subscribe to our emails for regular updates very time we post, and do like us on Facebook! Till next time 🙂!
This post was sponsored by Soho Homes.
– Anisha
I always have a throw, blanket type thing that I have on the sofa during winter as I always get cold. The boots will be coming out soon as will the scarf and hats. I don’t like the cold but I do like Christmas and the the decorations. I prefer carpet to wood during the winter months as it feels more cosy. I do like cushions but not too many.
My boots and hat is already out! For winter carpet is really nice – I agree. But I keep thinking about the dust that settles on carpets and that scares me. After almost 5 years here I maybe finally getting used to the cold!
I liked the teal rug and the table. Enjoyed reading on drinking habits. Wine in winter seems the best one. And oh yes, it’s too easy to keep wearing one jacket the whole season and guilty for it. A different take to the post liked it.
Isa A. Blogger
https://www.lifestyleprism.com/
Oh thank you so much! Do you do the same for your place or make changes once the seasons change?
Thanks for sharing how you prepare for autumn! I love it. And I think switching out wines and jackets are essential for autumn.
Valerie | https://avecvalerie.com