Posted on September 08 2021
As the summer weather cools and we move into autumn, we transition from the need for a cool home out of the sun and heat to the need for a warm refuge from the coming winds and rain. Warmth and comfort come not only from the insulating value of your bedding, but from the colours and mood created by your choices of décor. You’ll want to create a cosy place that matches warmth of look to the warmth of the room itself. This is truer of the bedroom than for any other room of your home. Guest room, child’s room, or master suite, you can use an autumn palette to create the ultimate in cosy comfort.
Try these ideas to guide you along the way:
Familiarise Yourself With Autumn Colours
Autumn tones are more muted than summer ones, with subtle contrasts and paler shades. Consider warm colours like rusty orange, vanilla, oatmeal, chestnut – and brighten things up with a buttercup yellow. Look to the treetops for inspiration! Let your eyes rest near the ground and you’ll find inspiration too, with the burgundy of fallen leaves, chocolate and burnt orange of earth and wood.
Add Autumnal Coloured Bed Sheets
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To finish of your bedroom decor, consider choosing some bed sheets that match your autumnal theme. Deep oranges, browns, and reds help to match the changing scenery outside, and give you somewhere nice and cosy to hide in when the wind is blowing. Choose sheets that are 100% cotton, to give yourself the best night's sleep.
Keep Cosy With Throws and Blankets
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Throw blankets are a great way to bring a since of motion and whimsey to a room, all while having a warm and comfortable item to snuggle under. Faux furs are not only rich to the eye, they are soft and warm and resist stains from coffee or tea – many modern ones can even be washed, in case it’s your hot chocolate that slips over the rim of your cup! Another great choice is a cotton or polyester blanket. These will take the chill off of you without overheating. Knit throws and quilts are also great for a traditional touch.
Add Layers with Cushions and Pillows
Adding pillows can take a boring, stark room and add layers of comfort and ease to it. In the right colours and combinations, pillows can really make a room special. Pay attention to the sizes, colours, and textures when choosing pillows, and avoid getting a bunch of the same items. Varying the colours and sizes with items that complement each other will have a much more pleasant effect than a phalanx of identical pillows lined up for inspection. That variety will not only be more comfortable, it will look more inviting and cosier.
Hang a Custom Autumnal Wreath
A little bit of pure décor, with no purpose other than to evoke feelings of the season, a wreath can instantly transport the viewer into the warm feelings of holiday feasts, harvests, and happy times with family. Whether you choose one larger wreath, or a few smaller ones (again, vary the sizes and choose complementary – but different – colours), your wreath decorations will set the tone of your room and can anchor your other items, bringing them all together in a natural way.
Don’t just think dining or living room either; wreaths over a headboard can produce a beautiful and stunning effect.
Extra Stylish Autumn Storage
Storage functions as a place to put all of your smaller items, so they don’t clutter up your home. If you want the full benefit of a storage solution, then, make sure that the storage itself is beautiful. For autumn, woven baskets lined in seasonal colours, crates and boxes reminiscent of harvest times and country cottages, and even chests and wooden boxes will all come together to hide your clutter and amp up your décor, all at the same time.
Use Soft Rugs
Wooden floors are often softened and made more comfortable by the addition of a rug, but even carpeted rooms can benefit from that additional layer of softness and colour. Rugs can also help to define a space. Defining the walking space in a room otherwise dominated by a bed is a great way to open it up to the eye and create a sense of greater space. You’ll also be able to play with pattern and colour, without locking yourself into a permanent floor covering; you can change out your rugs every season if you want to!
Get Cosy with Lighting
Lighting often goes unnoticed, but it can really make your room pop, or it can create a harsh and uninviting space. Brighter isn’t always better, either; look for lighting styles and colours (including bulbs) that intentionally match the mood you’re trying to achieve. For bedrooms, stay below 40 watts at the bedside, and choose a warm tone of soft-light option. They can be more expensive, but they are far better, so the value is there.
Treat Yourself to Scented Candles
For thousands of years, people have been gathered around fires for warmth and security, so lighting a few candles has a deep and positive effect on people. Big, pillar candles add a sense of richness to the décor, while tealights can lighten and soften a room, easing the tension away with subtle flickering. If you prefer to avoid open flames, there are some excellent candles that run on battery power while looking like the real thing. For the scent, of course, the flaming candles are the best option. Place them in hurricane glass or candle-holders to ensure safety and increase visual impact.
Halloween is Perfect for Pumpkins
Want an easy way to say ‘autumn is here!’? Try placing a few small pumpkins or other gourds around, one here and there, or in little clusters. These small items should dry out and last quite a long time, but it is worth keeping an eye on them to prevent them starting to rot. You can purchase pre-dried ones as well.
If you carve a pumpkin for the Halloween festivities, it’s best to display it outside, to prevent it from smelling up your home and attracting insects and other unwanted visitors.
Build Textures
When choosing items for your décor, always keep a though on texture. Variation is the key, with smooth and rough, various depths of fuzzy, and even a few shiny bits in amongst the matt and muted tones of your autumn palette.
Autumn is all about softness, nesting, curling up in a cosy den to rest through the winter storms. Your work and life might be busy and even stressful at times, but keep your bedrooms cosy and relaxing, and that stress can fall away, letting you rest and prepare for days to come.
When Should You Put Up Autumn Decor?
You are the boss of your own home, but if you’re looking for another opinion, our advice is to transition into autumn décor sometime in September or October. This lets you finish the summer season strongly, while giving yourself enough time to enjoy the autumn décor before holiday decorations take over. If you have a special day in those months, a birthday maybe, or an anniversary, why not use that as the marker, setting up your autumn decorations in preparation for it, or starting them just after, to mark the coming season?
You can also let Mother Nature tell you when to switch… keeping in mind she can change her mind often!
Signs That Autumn is Coming
You can keep an eye out for changing colours, pay attention to falling temperatures, migrating birds, and the shortening of days, top let you know when it is time to start your transition to autumn. By the time you need to rake leaves from your garden, or step over them to walk the pavement, then it is time to bring autumn inside your home too.
Interested in other seasonal bedding? We have sets for spring, summer, and winter as well!
