With the return of autumn and the turning of a new leaf, you might be looking for a way to make your space better suited to the season. Here are a few tips to give your home a cosier look.
COVER ME
When it comes to sofa and pillow coverings, designers predict that textured and nubby fabrics will be the winning horses in the race for comfortable and luxurious upholstery.
When you visit Scout & Nimble’s website, a home décor e-retailer, they highlight the latest trends and offer a selection of stylish pieces. For instance, they affirm that: “Bouclé is the perfect mix of cosy and durable and its ‘nubby’ textured appearance is highly tactile and adds a plush, modern visual interest to any room.” The company also recommends shearling or ‘teddy bear material’ as well as corduroy, adding: “Corduroy is making a comeback and not just in fashion. It’s taking on a different iteration in interior design, with upholstery channelling — when fabrics feature equally-spaced, vertical or horizontal channels for a plush visual effect. Growing in popularity, corduroy lends itself well to autumn-inspired designs. Its soft structure and channelled texture make it a compelling choice for use on sofas, chairs, even throw pillows.”
Many interior designers use blogs to share their tips and valuable insights. Jane at Home – a home and lifestyle blog – also argues that nubby textured fabrics are big in this year’s interior design. It says that choosing natural fabrics with weight and texture, like chunky cotton and wool throws, bouclé, velvet, leather and linen, instantly makes your home feel warmer. Even if you don’t want to go through the hassle of altering your furniture’s upholstery, simply swap your throw pillows, bedding and rugs for these thicker and cosier versions. Introducing decadent velvet pillows is an easy way to instantly add a touch of warmth. The blog concludes: “Textured fabrics mix well with all other materials, bringing a grounding and timeless quality to a space that will continue to resonate with our lifestyles in this season and beyond.”
WALL DESIGN
When it comes to wallpaper or paint, we often get bogged down over what would best suit the room it covers. With the advent of slightly cooler weather coming our way, a little upgrade could do no harm and put us in that warm and snuggly mood in preparation for winter.
Interesting wall textures from the Italian company De Castelli, specialised in surfaces, include Copycat by Cino Zucchi, an edgy but elegant hexagonal tile mosaic made of brass, copper and stainless steel pre-assembled on fibreglass. Another is Circle Wall by R&D, which boasts bold circular fittings made of satin oxidised and brushed metal with autumn hues. The look presents both cool and warm tones, cool because of the metallic element and warm because of the rich auburn and gold colours that perfectly represent the season.
For those who prefer a more laid-back and calmer look, simply changing the wall colours with paint does just the trick. Scout & Nimble recommend: “Warm beiges, browns, creams, and greens have a calming, comforting effect and complement the use of other natural materials and interior design elements such as wood tones and greenery.”
They also contend that modernised or ‘muddy’ primary colours — such as rich, darker reds and light, muted blues — maintain a natural look while reflecting the season’s changing light through deep, shadowy undertones and create a warm, intimate space that encapsulates the relaxed and inviting feel of autumn.
ACCESSORISE
Once you have your furniture, fabrics and wall textures sorted, you can look at adding some accessories for that essential cherry on the cake to complete the vibe.
Common accessories include wreaths, candles and fairy lights. Though they may be a bit cliché, they could nevertheless add a particularly aesthetic and warm feeling to your home. You can even collect dried branches from your garden and place them in a vase on your mantle. This easy trick adds a highly decorative touch to your décor. Natural elements are unique and a great alternative to simply purchasing fake decorations.
A commemoration of the season would not be complete with one of the most beautiful parts of nature: flowers. They add freshness and light fragrance to your home and are simply lovely to have, especially on the dining table. Common flowers of this season include sunflowers, African daisies and coneflowers. You can also go for other greenery, including sage and lavender, which emanate an exceptionally cosy scent.