How to decorate for autumn

The soft, slow days of early autumn are upon us, and with them, cosy nights, misty mornings and comfort food. Embrace the new season with layered textiles, rich textures and earthy colours to mirror the changing landscape outside.

As the gloriously long, hot summer fades into cooler, shorter days, all thoughts turn once again to home. Celebrate all that's best about the turning of the season, with clever lighting, natural fabrics and inviting furniture to curl up on. Rich russets, verdant greens, warming mustards and nut browns combine to create a calming sense of place, wherever you call home.

The hallway

Hallway decor sets the tone for the rest of your home. It's the first place your guests will step into and the last they see as they leave, so it's important to make a good first impression. From a homespun autumnal wreath hanging on the door – try eucalyptus, ethereal grasses and the last of the summer dahlias in reds and golds – to vases filled with autumnal foliage, fresh and dried flowers lend a gentle softness to spaces, bringing the outside in even on gloomy days.

On-trend wicker or textured ceramic lamps, a warm oak or richly-painted console, scented candles or large pillars in glass hurricane lamps and bold artwork create a cocooning, welcoming space full of personality and charm.

Discover our collection of hallway and boot room furniture here, from elegant console tables to handy storage, shelving, housekeepers' cupboards and benches.

The kitchen

Custom-painted, free standing kitchen cabinetry in bold shades, from islands to free-standing kitchen units, is a lasting trend. No one wants to go to the disruption or expense of refreshing cabinetry with a new paint colour every season, so choosing an earthy neutral will make it easy to accessorise for both the warmer and cooler months. For autumn and winter, bringing in a bolder shade on a statement wall feels relatively effortless and will totally transform your space.

Prepare for the season of comfort food with wooden olive bowls filled with orchard fruits. Hang richly-coloured artwork, display textured, hand-thrown pottery and fill vases with the last of the flowers from the garden. Ground your space and align with the natural world outside with wooden seating like these Ludlow or Tilbury bar stools and displays of rustic chopping boards. Metallics like copper and brass, in lighting, saucepans and other accessories, add a warm, luxe sheen and work in contemporary and period spaces.

You'll find all of our new Neptune freestanding kitchen cabinetry in our Gallery Showroom, including this Borough Island unit, above, and below, the Suffolk Larder, available in 40 custom paint colours, and this versatile, solid oak Borough Butchers Block.

The dining room

Arguably one of the easiest rooms to transform with accessories season-by-season, the dining room is the scene of rosy-cheeked, post-walk Sunday roasts and cosy dinner parties with your favourite people. Predominantly a night-time space, bold colours work well on both walls and cabinetry.

Segue from a summer of al fresco dining to autumn days indoors with textured, hand-thrown tableware like this rustic Clovelly, above. Pair with natural linen napkins, dinner candles in metallic candle holders and fresh or faux autumnal blooms displayed on the table or sideboard. You'll find them all in our Neptune store-in-store, plus cutlery, glasses, richly-textured woven table mats and linen tablecloths in autumnal colours.

A solid oak dining table is always a timeless choice. The sculpted pedestals of the Stratford round and elliptical tables make a bold, contemporary statement, while the extendable oak Arundel or Moreton dining tables are perfectly at home in formal dining rooms and country kitchens.

Contemporary spaces welcome the Borough dining table and Borough chairs, and Wycombe table. Pair with rush-seated Tilbury or Wycombe dining chairs and benches for a rustic, heritage feel.

Custom-painted oak dining chairs, like the Kenilworth, above, and Suffolk or spindle-backed Wardley – below – make a bold design statement and can be transformed when it's time to refresh your scheme. There are more than 40 paint colours to choose from – just ask our Neptune specialist in-store, where you can buy sample pots of Neptune's emulsion and eggshell, as well as 2.5l tins.

The metallic tones of the Lava extending dining table, paired with this blood-red Sang de Boeuf paint from Edward Bulmer Natural Paints, are natural bedfellows in this opulent period dining room.

The sitting room

Swapping in seasonal cushions, adding cosy throws, lighting candles and layering lighting is an effortless way to transform your sitting room into a cocooning space to embrace the longer nights and chillier days of early autumn.

Scatter cushions in velvets and tweeds, woollen throws, natural rugs, pleated linen lampshades – we love the bespoke designs by Wiltshire-based design house Fermoie – and upholstered footstools or ottomans create layers of texture in a room.

This Hudson sofa, above, in Lenora Latte, is a versatile neutral piece, ready to be dressed for each season to create a totally different look. The Ledbury collection of sofas, love seats and footstools, with classic, turned legs and elegant curves – are timeless.

Contemporary corner sofa Mojo comes in a rich array of fabrics, from velvets to linens, while the Richmond and Leo collections are at home in almost every style of room.

Our new Interiors Room is full of an ever-changing collection of seasonal cushions, rugs, throws, lighting and storage – including these woven wicker log and cushion baskets – to effortlessly transform a space.

The bedroom

A sanctuary. A place of quiet calm, where books are read, sleep restores and rest nurtures. While voiles and linens are natural bedfellows for spring and summer bedrooms, wools and velvets add warmth to an autumnal bedroom scheme. Richly-pattered fabrics echoing the world outside, layers of throws, soft lighting and a woollen rug make a bedroom feel cosy and luxurious in equal measure.

We love the quiet elegance of the Walton, a splendid, contemporary four-poster. Paired with dark oak Frome side tables and a bold rug and dressed with richly-coloured linens and a textured throw, it's the perfect place to embrace the longer nights and slower mornings. The headboard can be upholstered in a huge range of linens, wools and tweeds. You can see it on display in our Gallery Showroom.

Interior Design by Holloways

Looking for inspiration for your autumnal home refresh? Our Interior Design Studio is the perfect starting point. With hundreds of fabric books from the world's biggest design houses, the full collection of Neptune and Edward Bulmer Natural Paints, and our interior design team and curtains and blinds specialist on hand with useful advice, we'll help you create a home you'll love, season by season.

Need more help? Try our Interior Design Service – it's free. Book your initial consultation here and our team will walk through your project with you, helping you choose furniture, fabrics and finishes and will create a mood board so you can visualise your spaces, room by room.

Book a consultation