It is time to get cosy and wrap up as the temperature starts to drop and the days get darker. With the Autumn Equinox just around the corner, now is the ideal time to start decorating and changing up your home furnishings ready for the festive season ahead. Create your own haven at home and make it the perfect place to settle down and relax whilst still being inviting for your guests. Whether you are wanting to prepare for the colder nights or hosting Halloween parties, we have a series of areas to focus on that will help you get ready for the autumn and winter seasons ahead.
Image: @novarehomes
Light it up
With the days getting darker and nights starting earlier, looking after our internal 24 hour clock is more important than ever. Reducing disruption to our circadian rhythms helps us sleep better and feel more energised during the day. A big part of this comes from natural lighting, and how we can manipulate artificial lighting, to ensure we give our bodies and minds a healthy schedule.
During the day, increase your exposure to natural light. Open the curtains, go out for a walk, or use a day light if necessary. This will help the changes into the evening take on a real effect as you cosy up and settle down. You want your mind to switch off from the stresses of work and chores in the evening, so having that change in lighting will trigger your mind to know it is time for relaxation.
When it is time, close the curtains and give yourself a gradual change to darkness by using warm lighting. Dimmable light fittings, and having the option to change colour, are excellent ways to create an easy and fluid change. Use strip lights and LEDs that use a remote or phone app to adapt to your preference. Place these lights behind headboards, televisions, or along shelving to create an uplift effect that will highlight the textures of your materials whilst offering you a cosy atmosphere.
Image: @raspberryinteriordesign
Image: @ournorthwesthome
Bring nature home for autumn
Decorating for the autumn season is often overlooked and overshadowed by the need to decorate for Christmas, and the various festivities throughout the Winter months. Instead, changing up your décor now is an excellent opportunity to bring some new life into your house and instigate the cosiness we need in these later months.
Moving into this time of year can often be stressful with back to school times, temperature changes, all the gifting we have to do on the horizon. That is all before any Nationwide news that is rolled out and the uncontrollable changes that we see in day-to-day life. Your decoration can help reduce these feelings, making your mental health and well-being a priority.
Introduce a biophilic ethos into your interior designs. The principle of biophilic design is based on our innate attraction to nature and everything it holds. Bring nature into your home with pinecones, twigs, logs, and various greenery. Not only do these make lovely focal points for tables, mantle pieces and shelving, they add varying texture and intrigue to your home.
If you are planning on doing more renovations ready for entertaining guests, introduce wooden wall panelling to your living spaces for a unique and contemporary design. Wood has been proven to reduce blood pressure and increase comfort making it ideal for your cosy evenings.
Image: @rminteriors22
Warm up by the fire
Fire has always been a constant throughout history; whether for warmth, cooking or protection. However, an open fire is not always the best option due to the pollutants it emits into your air. Instead, you want to create the illusion of fire through your senses.
Lighting some candles is the most simple way to do this. Not only will you get the calming sounds of flicking, your room will smell beautiful. Enhance this by choosing your favourite autumnal scents. Find ones that remind you of happy memories walking through the woods or drinking your favourite hot drink. Perhaps that is something sweet or something similar to crisp fallen leaves. The flicker of the light will also mimic the effects of a fire. Boost this atmosphere with a fire on your TV and sounds effects on in the background. Alternatively, using a wood-burning stove is a much more energy efficient way to create warmth and ambience.
Image: @zoeoliviaev
Finally, wrap up warm. Short and simple. Settle down with a good book or your favourite tv show, and get yourself a lovely hot drink. Pile on the blankets and wear your most snug jumpers and pyjamas. Being cosy is about finding those things that make you feel like you and receiving a big hug and the best way to do that is with your soft furnishings. You can continue the textures, patterns and colours of nature into these. Using a warm range of colours from dark greens to burnt oranges. These are the colours of sunsets that remind us now is the time to switch off, relax, and get cosy.