Autumn Home Decor – Seasonal Styling for the Home

For a few days after the summer ends, I am a little lost as to where to begin first in the home. Of course spiders must be returned to the garden from ceilings which truthfully have been neglected for some time and windows should gleam to filter in Autumn’s glory; Once chores are complete however, what then for Autumn home decor? Particularly difficult to decide when we experience intermittent bright days of cool sunshine swiftly followed by dull grey mists. I am always reluctant to kiss summer goodbye in its entirety yet find I yearn for early evening fluffy socks and warm blankets. Personally, I prefer a gradual change. A nod to a summer where a small garden gave so much joy coupled with autumnal shades and textures of all things cosy. Today I will show you how I have chosen to decorate my home for this betwixt stage, inexpensively, thoughtfully and with a few style tips I feel sure will work well in your own homes…

We are in our north facing sitting room for today’s autumn home decor where natural light is an issue. Key to any success in this room is the use of three large wall mirrors strategically placed to bounce around what little light there is. Let’s start with the wall opposite the window. This houses the first mirror which I tend to hang only small decorations on, if anything. This year I decided on a homemade hydrangea wreath. I see now why these are on the more expensive side to buy. You need a fair few hydrangeas, a long afternoon and a great deal of patience. All three were in short supply when I attempted this wreath. I attached florist wire to the stems and then tied this to the wire wreath base, trimming the stem appropriately. Top Tip: pack lots of heads in tightly.

The purple variety did not dry at all well, although quite unnoticeable from a distance. Distance together with a rag ribbon also helped to draw the eye away from the odd shape I ended up with. The final addition of twinkling fairy lights ensured no one was any the wiser to the fact I had indeed produced an imperfect circle. Kudos to the hydrangea wreath experts out there.

The fireplace and mantle wall is subject to much change throughout the year. I pack away glass candlesticks and bright votives in favour of eBay bargain brass candlesticks to marry well with the mirror surround. I never move the mirror. It’s too heavy, hides the soot stained wall and draws the eye away from the ever-increasing gap behind the fire surround and wall. This bungalow will fall down before it’s knocked down.

For this autumn home decor scheme, a simple £5 oil canvas is placed in front of the mirror depicting a dark autumnal scene. This auction find canvas comes out each year and is a real favourite of mine. At this stage it becomes the focal point, yet overall looks cold and bare. Not the look I’m going for so we need more depth. I’ve added a small empty brass frame and now our look becomes a little warmer; we still need more though.

I add in the candlesticks and votives symmetrically placed. I’ve tried non symmetrical looks before. Doesn’t sit well with my mild OCD. Nor Mr M’s for that matter. I am still finding this look too stark for me. The whole appearance needs softening.

Flora and foliage hold the key. Little Miss and the boyfriend gifted me these beautiful snowberries recently and together with these spectacularly dried allium heads from this year’s Cottage Garden, we have our floral contribution. Focus on the floral, not the gap which I just know your eyes have wandered to.

Oh and books. Tatty, beautiful books. One found in a skip, you can read that funny tale here. A few heirlooms, mostly tuppence though from charity shops and thrift stores. Books add height – just as important as depth and layering in your scheme.

And with the addition of a final few pieces and the candles all aglow here is the finished look. I suppose it is only fair The Spotty One takes centre stage, since he is always by my side in the design process.

Predominantly grey and pink, this room allows for rich purples to be added at this time of year. I picked these two vases up on a recent charity shop visit; £1 for the tall one and £3 for its partner. Together with a pretty drinking glass and simple bottle, they sit side by side in a favourite freebie Bolly box darling. My greenish hydrangeas dried beautifully, the purple variety less so. No matter, they look grand enough for me with a few poppy seed and nigella heads again from this year’s Cottage Garden. Add in a couple of tonal books and this completes the look for the large window. I prefer simplicity for this windowsill decor; the woodland view is more than enough to be grateful for.

And so, to the final wall complete with it’s £10 chippy painted sideboard. Here I have added two beautiful dried flower garlands simply made by hot gluing a variety of summer flower heads onto thin fishing wire saved from my interior design days. If using rudbeckia do not fiddle once it’s head is glued tight. The long thin yellow petals are temperamental and won’t thank you for faffing. This fishing wire is invaluable for minimising the visibility of thread when necessary. Here’s a lesser known fact about me: My Desert Island Disc luxury item is a toss up between a hot glue gun (I feel sure I could generate my own electricity) and invisible fishing wire. I have decided should I ever take part in the show the presenter and I may come to blows when I insist on taking them both.

Again, with warmth and depth in mind I added a final piece to the mirror with a second wreath. This time I used a previously fashioned willow heart usually found at Belle’s and built up layers of dried leaves, flowers and beautiful seed heads wiring and hot gluing each delicate piece into place. An off-cut of purple ribbon finishes the look.

And there you have this year’s Autumn Home Decor in my tricky sitting room…

Here is my best Top Tip: shop your home before anywhere else. Then apply a few simple rules. Choose a metal and a wood. I generally don’t tend to mix these, except at Christmas when both silver and gold look spectacular together. Address colour and texture and lighting and form. And always try to add a little floral affair be it fresh or faux. Use glass and mirrors especially where light is poor for sparkle and reflection and don’t forget layers, depth and height. Use these as your guide and then bend the rules to suit the look you like most. Look to any decor scheme you admire and you will usually find some or all of these tips.

For as little as a day invested in craft time and a shop around your own home, you too could create a similar look. Now is the perfect time to fashion garden pretties into a summers end delight. And if you have little or no dried flowers of your own, nature will provide in the form of jewel coloured berries, earthy pine cones and leaves. Hundreds of leaves. Take advantage of the glorious golds and russets to be found just about everywhere right now. Right, Belle’s turn next. Join me next week for a few simple and somewhat rustic touches for my happy place. Until then…x