Inspired by the seasons: easing into autumn

Interior styling ideas for when the new season starts to creep in, but the weather still feels warm.

We tend to consider late August as a time for practical planning in preparation for the new season ahead. The garden needs to be tended to, thicker blankets need to be taken out of storage and school uniforms needs to be brought. Of course, we’re not quite ready for wood burning fires, woollen coats and fruit crumbles in the oven just yet. However, it’s easy to appreciate that refreshing change in the air when you have a garden room or orangery and you’re constantly surrounded by nature. 

If you are looking to gently transition your home into autumn, then you can easily update your décor to celebrate the change. Use earthy, autumnal colours, woven textiles, fresh flowers and displays using natural materials to make your interiors feel cosy and bright.

Open plan spaces that can be gently altered using small, key pieces

Embrace the modern approach to relaxed dining and entertaining with an open-plan space. A farmhouse-style, scrub-top wooden table is teamed with contemporary, cream chairs to create a laid-back feel. Create a social eating space with a modern country aesthetic by combining soothing cream accents, pale stone flooring, neutral curtains, woven rugs, warm woods and delicate joinery detailing. 

The space can be kept tidy and organised with deep cabinets; choose units and colours that complement or match the shades in the main room. Style a simple, seasonal table and choose delicate dinnerware, perhaps with natural, botanical patterns. A tall, structural flower arrangement and decorative display of pumpkins picked from the garden patch make welcoming, autumnal touches. 

Place the pumpkins in cooler areas of the room will help to keep them looking their best. If you choose to carve them to make vases for flowers or candles, spritz the insides with lemon to help preserve your centrepiece.

This open-plan dining and living space leads on from the kitchen, giving the whole house an open feel with plenty of flow. If you fancy baking something traditional, a loaf of pumpkin bread uses up the insides of any pumpkins or squashes, and also fills the whole house with a mouth-watering smell.

In August and September, the weather is still fine enough to host alfresco suppers. Arrange lanterns if you don’t have outdoor lighting to create an alluring atmosphere as the sun goes down. Keep the French doors open so the house and the garden feel connected. Soft-knit throws and oversized scarfs in classic cheque patterns can be brought out with the coffee if temperatures start to feel a little cool. 

Smarten up a slouchy sofa with decorative printed cushions inspired by natural shapes and textures. A fusion of stripes and geometric patterns in cool blues, creams and whites keeps one foot firmly in summer mode. Using the right kind of glazing in the roof lantern can help protect fabric colours from fading in the sunlight. 

This rustic brown armchair brings an autumnal warmth to the room with its soft velvet and rich shade. It’s perfect for snuggling up by the window and injects a timeless feel to the room. The orange embroidered cushion adds a pop of colour, and shows how a quick accessory change can instantly alter the look of a room to make it more compatible with the season. 

Formal flower beds planted in purples and whites create a calming feel, and helps to break up the contemporary hard landscaping. Terracotta pots adorn the French doors leading into the orangery.  

Many of us like to get out into the garden to cut back the borders and plant bulbs for next spring. Spring-flowering bulbs like tulips can look lovely in pots, which are easy to plant and keep to one side while your late summer planters are still going strong. If your gardening gloves and boots have seen better days, now is a good time to replace them before they are needed during the colder months.

Wandering in the fresh air is high on the agenda, and now is a good opportunity to take a stroll around the house to see if any maintenance needs arranging before the winter sets in. We always recommend that our clients do a little maintenance on their timber garden room or orangery twice a year, as this is easier and more cost effective. For more information, see our autumn garden room maintenance check list, which you can find here!