It's official, summer is over. The weather may still be pleasant enough for no coats, but autumn is making itself known and it's time to think about blankets, scented candles and switching back to a winter duvet. As for decorating, of course that is not seasonal as we don't repaint every spring and autumn, but if you're currently renovating or thinking of changing things up and find autumn your favourite time of year (who doesn't with its golden hues, low sunsets and the excuse to rewatch Gilmore Girls in its entirety?), then these decorating ideas from autumnal rooms may just prove inspiring.
An elegant sitting room by Berkeley Hawkes
While we'll never fall out of love with strong colour, we're increasingly charmed these days by a more neutral, soothing backdrop where the colours come through in the textiles and art. This sitting room in a Cotswold barn belonging to mother and daughter design duo Berkeley Hawkes is the perfect illustration. The background colour is a perfect warm white – ‘Canvas III’ by Paint & Paper Library, which allows the various tones of ochre in the furniture to sing. On the left is an ‘Elmstead Sofa’ by Lorfords Contemporary, covered in ‘Rivoli’ in camel from Manuel Canovas, with cushions in Fortuny's ‘Barberini’ design. The centre sofa is a George Smith design covered in Rose Uniacke's ‘Cotton Velvet’ in gingerbread, with a cushion in ‘Tresco’ by Watts 1874. The simple lines of the furniture allow these plain fabrics to sing, and while texture comes through in the cushions and the sisal carpeting (in Alternative Flooring's ‘Sisal Bubbleweave’). The raw wood of the bespoke coffee table and the beams also helps to add character and patina.
A dressing room by Pandora Taylor
The colours and patterns in this dressing room in a Herne Hill house by Pandora Taylor are pure autumn, from the glossy green wardrobes to the light oak flooring and ‘Maidenhair’ by Living Quarters wallpaper. It's a beautiful space and one whose design ideas could easily translate to a bedroom, living room or even a small bathroom or study. The use of ‘Bancha’ by Farrow & Ball on the wardrobes is wonderful, but painting them in a high gloss takes it up a level. “The dressing room ended up being my favourite space in the house,” Pandora admits, adding that “the glossy green…make[s] it a really pleasing area.” This could work well on joinery in another room and if wallpaper is a step too far in a larger space, you could switch to a similar fabric for curtains and upholstery to keep the feel of this lovely space.
The amount of light this space receives makes it work well too, as the different sources of light from adjoining rooms with windows gives great shadow to the dressing area and allows the gloss paint to shine in some areas and be more subtle in others. That's why this translates so well to autumn, especially in a room where you would draw the curtains at night, light some candles, turn on some lamps and allow the room to come alive in the dark. One thing not to miss is the hit of pink in the runner (a discontinued Birdie Fortescue design), which freshens the space up and stops it from feeling too murky in tone in daylight.
A plaid-clad bedroom by Bodil Blain
In this Victorian countryside farmhouse, Norwegian-born interior designer Bodil Blain added a lot of cosiness and nowhere is this more evident or appealing than in one of the bedrooms, where she used a tartan fabric on the walls. “One thing about old English houses is that they need an extra layer of padding,” Bodil notes, “so I suggested to the clients that we upholster some of the walls.” The tactile walls are a clever way to dampen any residual coldness in an old house and to create an even more cocooning effect that we look for in autumn and further into winter. It's a brilliant idea, and even better against colder elements such as a wooden floor and tiles around the hearth.
In this bedroom, Bodil used brushed ‘Lowish Plaid’ (teal) from Colefax and Fowler on the walls and made a bolster cushion in the same fabric for the bed. Three of the walls are plaid-clad, while one (which the bed sits against) is wood panelled, as is the ceiling. The combination of tartan and panelling creates a warm, Scottish effect, while each balances out the heaviness and softness of the other. The entire house feels like being inside a ship and is incredibly inviting as a place to relax – what more could you want in autumn?
