Whether you embrace the changing seasons or dread the darker days, it's the perfect time to hunker down at home. Moving from summer into autumn, with dwindling sunlight and cold, dark nights beckoning, is the time of year Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) sufferers dread most. But it doesn't have to be so.
While psychologists recommend plenty of exercise, spending as much time outdoors in natural light as possible and eating a healthy diet to alleviate SAD symptoms and general low mood, there's much you can do in your home to boost your wellbeing.
So how do you make your spaces more inviting and banish the winter blues? From clever lighting solutions to prepping your garden for the colder months, our designers share their expert tips for injecting a welcome helping of cosiness into your home this autumn.
1. Declutter and clean
It's said a tidy home equals a tidy mind and there's no doubt that clear, clean, decluttered rooms make us feel calmer and more in control of life. The longer evenings are a great excuse to take stock of spaces, sort through possessions and discard anything that isn't useful, or doesn't bring you joy.
Overhaul one room at a time, advises Holloways designer Jo Blackwell. Go through every item and decide a) is it useful or b) is it something you really love – and be honest with yourself. Plenty of storage will help, whatever room you're tackling, she says.
"Getting rid of clutter significantly reduces stress," says Jo. "So in my house, and in every room I design, I factor in lots of storage. That doesn't mean keeping everything, but it does mean everything I need or want to keep has its place.
"Small steps can make a huge difference. In a kitchen, a pantry or larder unit is a game-changer. Free up space in cupboards by moving beautiful glasses or china into a display cabinet in the room you're likely to use them most.
"In sitting rooms and snugs, hide away the TV in an entertainment unit – the custom-painted Henley or Chawton are beautiful pieces of cabinetry in its own right – and stash remotes and cables in the drawers so you know exactly where to find them. Home offices work best if they're organised. The Ardingly – also available in all of Neptune's paint finishes – doubles as a workstation but can also be used as a drinks cabinet or kitchen pantry.
"Ottomans are a great solution for extra throws and pillows in bedrooms. And wardrobes, like the Chichester or Larsson, with plenty of shelving, drawers and hanging space will encourage you to hang up your clothes, rather than abandoning them on a chair."
In hallways or boot rooms, Jo advocates console tables with drawers for keys and dog leads or a storage bench with baskets for shoes and boots, hats and gloves. Neptune's Edinburgh boot room bench and Somerton basket has plenty of room to perch, and lots of storage underneath.
"We all spend too much time indoors, so keeping boots and gloves to hand, yet tucked out of everyday sight, means you're more likely to grab them and get outside," adds Jo.
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2. Prioritise lighting
Light has a huge impact on our body clock. Maximising natural light is a natural mood-booster and regulates our sleep patterns, so it's important to let in as much as you can at this time of year. In rooms where there's not much of it, smart dimmable lighting which mimics daylight helps, and layered lighting is vital.
Victoria Twinberrow is our in-house Neptune design specialist. She creates contemporary country interiors which are serene and ordered, yet full of personality and charm. The right lighting is key, she says, whether it's functional, practical or decorative. One single overhead pendant isn't going to cut it – it'll leave you with a flat, uninviting space. The trick is to create different zones in a room.
"Lighting is hugely important for creating atmosphere,"' she says. "And it needs to be carefully considered right from the start. For example, lots of lamps and candles in a sitting room will give you instant cosiness, which is great at this time of year. But too much low-level lighting can be gloomy, so layering ambient, task, decorative and accent lighting is key for creating depth and dimension in a room."
Victoria recommends using a mixture of dimmable wall lights, decorative lights and table lamps to create pools of ambient light at different heights, especially in living spaces. Balancing this with accent lighting – picture lights over paintings, sconces or wall lights to illuminate favourite pieces of furniture – creates multiple light sources and injects personality.
Practical task lighting – a desk lamp on an occasional table by a bookcase, a series of pendants hung directly above a kitchen island or dining table – allows you to focus on the job in hand, whether that's reading or food prep.
"Once you start thinking about the different types of lighting, you can start balancing the layers to create atmosphere in a room," says Victoria. "Think about the type of bulbs, too – warm white creates cosiness, cool white is great for task lighting.
Texture is so important, particularly for autumnal interiors, advises Victoria. "It doesn't always have to come from cushions and throws," she says. "Neptune's wicker Athena lamp bases and shades are gorgeous, and their new-season wooden lamps with pleated Fermoie shades are a cleverly contemporary take on traditional style.
Visit the new Holloways Lighting Studio for the full range of Neptune's pendant lights and wall lights, plus table lamps, floor lamps and lampshades.
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3. Accessorise softly
"Using textured accessories is a must all year round," says Holloways designer Annie Blackledge. "They create personality and make your home an inviting place to be. But it's especially important at this time of year because introducing tactile pieces to your rooms can make them feel warmer and more comforting."
Natural materials work best. A soft velvet sofa; fine cashmere or knitted throw on a chair; leather footstool; sheepskin or sisal rugs on the floor; wooden picture frames, bowls and lamps; stone flags on the floor. All connect us with the landscape outside and the rhythms of the natural world.
Like stroking a favourite pet, when we touch something soft, our brains release dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters linked to pleasure and happiness. And these feelings of comfort can help combat low mood – particularly in the autumn and winter months.
"Lighting candles, turning on the lamps and a roaring fire spell instant cosiness for the darker autumnal nights," says Annie. "But when you marry those with soft wool throws, textured rugs, lots of plumped-up scatter cushions in tactile materials like velvet or fur and natural hide rugs, your interior becomes a sanctuary, and you feel cocooned and safe."
Annie recommends Anta's rug collection – handwoven woollen rugs in patterns and colours inspired by the Scottish Highlands, where they are made. They come in standard and bespoke sizes, and with heavyweight linen or leather trims, to suit any interior.
"We love Neptune's new-season tableware, too – scalloped serving dishes, tactile, hand-thrown vases, decorative glasses and linen napkins in deep plums and russets," she adds.
"The great thing about changing up small accessories like this every season is that they make a huge difference to the look and feel of your home. Yet you can pack them away come spring, and brighten your living spaces with fresh new pieces to welcome the new season without a major redesign."
The right window treatments play a huge part, too, at this time of year. Pippa Burns is Holloways curtains and blinds specialist.
"If budget allows, having two sets of curtains and blinds is absolutely transformative," she says. "They're a major design statement and alter totally the look and feel of a living space. So if you can, and privacy allows, opt for a heavier, more dressed set of curtains or blinds for the autumn and winter months – think velvets, decorative linens and tweeds – and switch them to lighter linens and voiles for summer."
The Holloways Interior Design Studio is home to a vast collection of fabric books from all the major design houses, from Romo to Warwick, Iliv to Jane Churchill and GP & J Baker.
Show me curtains and blinds
Need some inspiration? Book an appointment with Pippa or one of the design team, and they'll be delighted to guide you through the fabric collections. You can read how to choose the right curtains and blinds for your home in our Journal here.
4. Create a cosy nook
Even if space is at a premium, it's possible to create a cosy nook somewhere in your home where you can curl up and read, or just take a moment to unwind.
"We have a huge collection of accent chairs and occasional tables in our showrooms," says Joanne Storer, interior sales adviser. "Whether you go for a traditional wing-back or a mid-century design armchair, fabric choices are almost endless, from lived-in leathers to rich velvets, tweeds to faux fur. Place them in a cosy corner, with a decorative occasional table and a desk lamp like the Brompton, which works in contemporary and traditional interiors."
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5. Paint the season
Unlike wallpaper, paint colours are relatively easy to change. And nothing refreshes a living space like a new coat of paint. Colour psychology plays a huge part in our emotional response to our living spaces, so think about introducing warm, bright colours to counteract the grey days outside. Yellows and oranges spell happiness while olives, russets and plums are rooted in the natural world.
From accent walls to whole rooms, Neptune's new-season paint shade, Bracken, is a glorious homage to autumn. And it's fiery copper hues, softened with brown and mustard, sits beautifully in contemporary and traditional interiors alike. Redolent of autumn sunshine, roaring fires, country walks and the plumpest Halloween pumpkins, it's fabulous in cosy sitting rooms and boot rooms.
We stock the full range of Neptune emulsions and eggshells, and Edward Bulmer Natural Paints in our Neptune store-in-store and Interior Design Studio.
Take me to paint
6. Bring the outside in
As inclement weather and falling temperatures mean we spend more time indoors than out, we need a nature fix more than ever at this time of year. As well as getting outside as much as possible, soaking up Vitamin D from natural daylight, bringing the outside in has a positive effect on wellbeing.
Flowers will always boost your mood, but even at this time of the year, the garden and woodlands are full of treasures. From deep green fir to the gnarled branches of hazel, the silvery pebble-shaped leaves of Eucalyptus to fiery hues of oak and sycamore branches, a simple vase of greenery is often enough to lift a scheme.
Our Neptune store-in-store and Gift Shop is full of beautiful vases and pots, plus seasonal faux flowers to brighten your interior.
7. Use your outdoor space
Just because the weather outside isn't warm and sunny, doesn't mean you shouldn't use your outdoor space. While it's difficult to resist the urge to hibernate inside in autumn and winter, the occasional cup of coffee in the garden is a delight on misty mornings.
"Most of the garden furniture we sell will happily sit outside year-round," says Annie. "From solid teak tables, which weather to a gorgeous silvery grey given time, to our outdoor wicker sets with covers, they're built to withstand all seasons.
"And while you won't necessarily want to linger outdoors for too long, there's a real beauty in the winter garden, and an antique statue or a vintage or modern bench placed in a favourite spot is the perfect place to wrap up warm, take a moment and appreciate the changing season."
The courtyards surrounding the Holloways furniture showrooms are full of garden antiques including staddle stones, bird baths, stone troughs, sundials and vintage benches, and handmade Italian terracotta pots in all shapes and sizes. From huge citrus planters to decorative pots, come spring, they will look stunning planted up with a display of bulbs.
Want to know when and what to plant in your terracotta pots and planters? RHS Gold medal-winning garden designer Kate Durr shares her expert tips in our Journal here.
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