Affordable autumn decorating ideas to make your home feel cosy
Get your home feeling cosy and festive with these easy fall decorating ideas
Have you noticed what all beautiful homes seem to have in common? Look closely at any inspirational interior, whether it’s on the pages of a magazine or your Instagram feed, and you’ll see that all stylish homes do one thing – they shift with the seasons.
It might seem simple, but when autumn arrives, adding a few seasonal accents can completely transform your home into a warm and cosy oasis.
More autumn decor ideas...
From foliage wreaths to scented candles, here are 18 of the best ways to style your home this autumn.
Add chunky blankets
Layering blankets over your sofas, chairs and bedding is a budget-friendly way to amp-up the cosiness in your home. As temperatures begin to fall, think thick, Scandi-style knits and tasselled throws.
Style pumpkins
Nothing says autumn quite like pumpkins. Whether you use the real thing or sophisticated ceramic ornaments, there’s no better way to add an element of fall charm to your home - they look great grouped on a mantelpiece or displayed on the middle of a kitchen island. You'll find plenty of cute pumpkins in our round-up of stylish autumn decorations.
Scatter rich coloured cushions
Dotting autumn-inspired accent cushions around your home will instantly inject it with a fun, seasonal feel. You can be as bold or as subtle as you like – if you’re not a fan of pattern, we love using burnt orange velvet or subdued khaki tones to add texture and warmth!
Light fall-fragranced candles
As the weather outside gets colder and our evenings get longer, filling your room with a flickering glow and season-inspired scent is a tried and tested way of making your home feel snug. Choose candles with warming, autumnal notes like patchouli, amber and musk – we’ve put together a list of our favourite autumn candles to help you get inspired.
Hang wreaths
Once synonymous with Christmas, you can now get wreaths to celebrate every season, and autumnal ones might just be our favourite!
Hang one on your front door to signal a warm welcome or inside your house on a mantelpiece amongst pumpkins and pinecones for a rustic tableau. You can even multiple smaller wreaths to decorate chairs, as pictured above. For some inspiration, check out our roundup of the best autumn wreaths for 2021 here.
Use pinecones
Intertwined with fairy lights in a vase or simply displayed on the mantelpiece, pinecones have a timeless, rustic charm. You can spray them to coordinate with your interior scheme, or attach them to string to make shabby chic bunting!
Add garlands
Just like wreaths, garlands shouldn’t just be reserved for the winter months. Draped over a mantelpiece or around a staircase, they’ll make your home feel warm and welcoming. For a budget-friendly option, choose a plain leaf garland and use thin green wire to attach seasonal faux foliage, flowers, berries and pumpkins. When Christmas arrives, you can simply swap these for pinecones, baubles and fairy lights!
Dress your table
Dressing your table for autumn can be as simple as filling your favourite fruit bowl with some autumn foliage or mini pumpkins - fake or real! If you’re looking to make a big impact, you can add a rich-toned table runner, seasonal coasters or pillar candles.
Choose autumn inspired bathroom accessories
When it comes to autumn décor, there’s no need to stop with the main living areas. Sometimes the little details can have the biggest impact, and that’s why we love swapping out our regular hand wash for a seasonal-scented soap when autumn comes around. Hand towels in seasonal tones like brown or deep red can be an especially nice touch when you have guests to stay.
Try log cabin chic
Even if you don’t own a log burner, stacks of firewood make beautiful seasonal displays. Choose a simple wire log rack or a wicker basket, and just add wood and wire firefly lights. For instant Ralph Lauren vibes, finish the look with some plaid accessories. Traditional tartan blankets and cushions look incredible next to a pile of real wood!
Display dried grasses
Fresh flowers are gorgeous all year round, but there’s something special about a bunch of beautiful dried grasses in the autumn. Opt for a harvest-inspired sheaf or choose a bouquet of on-trend bunny tails - the best thing is that these will last all season, and then you can reuse them next year!
Decorate chalkboards
A chalkboard can be used all year round to display some fun seasonal illustrations and messages à la Pinterest. For a truly autumnal feel, you can even drape a homemade garland around the board.
Set up a seasonal cocktail cart
As the weather outside gets colder, an Art-Deco inspired cocktail cart is the perfect addition to a home. Not only can you fill it with your favourite, in-season cocktail ingredients, but when it’s not in use, it makes a perfect prop for styling trinkets… Cheers!
Put up fairy lights
As any interior enthusiast knows, you can transform any space into somewhere truly magical with just a simple string of twinkling fairy lights. Cover a whole wall with a net of warm white lights, fill a glass jar with sparkling wire lights or simply trail a string over your mantelpiece – your home will be glowing and cosy in no time.
Create a seasonal coffee station
Nothing says autumn quite like a pumpkin spiced latte, but who says you need to leave your home to get your hands on one? Create your own, at-home coffee station with the easy steps below and stock it with your favourite seasonal syrups – we love pumpkin spice, caramel, butterscotch and toffee apple.
Add glass jars filled with cinnamon sticks, nutmeg sprinkles and marshmallows, and you’ll have the perfect autumn drinks station.
Display fresh flower arrangements
If dried grasses aren’t your thing, why not use a beautiful, fresh flower arrangement to add a seasonal touch to your space? Look out for bouquets with rich reds, oranges and yellows, and add your own berries and floristry twigs for a truly show-stopping display. If this sounds too much, try some simple eucalyptus stems in a vase – they look fresh in a hallway and great on a kitchen island.
Fill lanterns
Fireside lanterns look especially chic all year round, but if you don’t already have some, autumn is the time to invest. Even a sworn minimalist has to love the cosy glow they give off when filled with a cluster of pillar candles.
Add vintage glassware
Vintage glassware is easy to come by, and makes a beautiful addition to a sideboard in autumn. This needn’t cost you the earth – head to your local charity shop and you’ll likely find some hidden treasures… keep an eye out for amber or smoked glass.
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