Autumn decorating ideas to bring warmth, comfort and creativity to your home

Autumn decorating ideas offer the perfect antidote to the cold, wet weather and darker evenings.

Up the cosy with rich, warm colour schemes and dress the space with soft lighting, pumpkins and other autumnal decor.

Autumn decorating ideas are one of the best ways to welcome the season into your home. With the addition of a few, carefully selected pieces you can transform your home from a summer oasis to a cosy, autumn den.

1. Dress doors with a wreath

Who doesn't love an autumnal wreath? It's one of the easiest ways to give your home an autumnal refresh and it is surprisingly simple to make an autumn wreath to celebrate the season's natural beauty.

'Start with a ready-made willow wreath and add lengths of grapevine to create a base, teasing the twigs out for a rustic look. Add bendy foliage branches around the wreath in curves, threading in and out of the twigs and securing with florist wire. Finally, push in berry, flower and seedhead cuttings, then hang up with a ribbon,' explains stylist Sara Bird.

Once you've made your wreath ensure you know how to hang a wreath on a front door so that your autumn decorating ideas can shine for all to see.

Alternatively, there are plenty of ready-made designs that will bring the same beauty to your home – why not use both inside and out for extra autumn decorating points?

2. Introduce autumnal colours

‘Walking through woodland is so inspirational, with leaves falling and crunching underfoot in rust, terracotta, and ochre. An autumnal colour palette gives interiors a calmness and a feeling of serenity. They sit back in a room and don’t jump out at you,’ explains fabric designer Vanessa Arbuthnott.

When bringing autumnal shades into a cosy living room can be as easy as dressing a sofa with cushions and blankets in these cosy hues or could be more of a commitment with wall colours or upholstery.

‘Natural colours go beyond the neutral palette of off-whites and soft browns – autumn presents us with an array of glorious rusty reds, dusty pinks and ochre yellows that naturally pair well together,’ adds Sue Jones, creative director and co-founder of Oka.

3. A classy take on a carved pumpkin

From flower pumpkins to beautiful no-carve pumpkin ideas, no autumnal decorating ideas are complete without a decorative pumpkin (or six).

These decoupage designs offer a more elegant alternative to carved pumpkin ideas and will stay fresh and wonderful throughout the season. For these Autumn decorating ideas, simply paint a layer of decoupage glue onto the pumpkin, before carefully pressing the dried leaves onto the surface. Then seal it with another coat of glue.

4. Opt for cosy lighting and candles

Up the cosy by swapping bright ceiling lights for softer lighting. Layer floor and table lamps to create gentle illumination and then accent with gently flickering candlelight.

When decorating for warmth and comfort, colour is a transformative tool, but be sure to introduce plenty of texture and lighting, too, says Oka's Sue Jones. ‘When autumn rolls around, I get excited about making my home cosy. The secret is layering – dotting different types of lighting around the room at various heights.'

'I love to incorporate a variety of lamp bases with sculptural features, shades with nature-inspired patterns, and, of course, candlelight. When it comes to soft furnishings, texture is your friend, so think about mixing materials like jute, velvet and linen to add depth.’

5. Greet guests with a rustic pumpkin display

Natural decor is a must when it comes to autumn decorating ideas – and they look stunning on a patio or porch.

'Use humble terracotta pots to hold pumpkins, foliage and flowers to dress up doorways and entrances. Place on a crate to elevate and add height, with more foliage and lanterns arranged on the floor. A lantern and candle will give an inviting glow come the evening,' advises stylist Sara Bird.

For the ultimate in sustainable decorating, why not grow your own pumpkin for next year and harvest for halloween?

6. Try your hand at autumnal tablescaping

Whether entertaining or just wanting to give your table a hint of seasonal charm, autumn tablescaping tips are a must.

'Create a striking centrepiece with seasonal pumpkins and foliage. We’ve used a mix of dried and fresh blooms,' says stylist Marie Nichols, who designed this space.

'Use a drill to create holes in the pumpkin through which you can push the stems of your flowers. Start with your dried flowers, then add the fresh blooms at the last minute.'

7. Don't forget home fragrance

Scent is a powerful tool – it can transport you to a different place or create a specific atmosphere. Introducing some of the best-scented candles for autumn into your autumn decorating ideas will help the whole scheme to sing.

'Cosy fragrances can help to set the mood when we head into autumn and winter – this could be a classic spicy scent of clove & cinnamon, a smoky fireside wood, or a gorgeous deep scent of freshly cut pine,' recommends home fragrance buyer and scent expert at Next. There is a wide range of different fragrances that are perfect for autumn including citrus.

'Place your diffusers and candles somewhere central within the room, above mid-level height and in an open area if possible, so you can utilise any airflow to fill the room with the scent. Using surfaces like sideboards or nests of tables to place them close to seating areas helps you to feel the full impact of the scent when using the room.'

Not only do scented candles release beautiful fragrances but candlelight is also a clever way of lighting your home to create warmth and atmosphere.

8. Introduce autumnal-inspired wallpaper prints

Elevate the best window seats to curl up on this autumn or to create a cosy banquette seating area, by dressing walls with autumn-inspired wallpaper prints.

'Cosy corners papered in whimsical natural prints make perfect escapes when the weather starts to turn,' says stylist Pippa Blenkinsop. 'Based on a handpainted design that celebrates the seasonal changes of an apple tree, from blossom to ripening fruit, this Ingrid Marie paper from Boråstapeter at Wallpaperdirect will rekindle magical memories of summer in the countryside.'

9. Update artwork

Rather than thinking of your artwork as fixed pieces, view them as something more fluid. This gives you the freedom to update your gallery wall ideas in response to the seasons and instantly refresh a room's look and feel.

For autumn decorating ideas, look to nature and choose artwork that depicts changing leaves and foraged finds or select pieces that are rich in autumnal hues such as reds and mustards.

10. Bring a hint of autumn into the bedroom

The bedroom naturally lends itself to autumn decorating ideas – both are all about being warm and cosy.

Updates can be as simple as dressing your bed with bedlinen in an autumnal print or colourway – or if you're a fan of the all white-look, adding throws and cushions in those quintessential autumn hues.

Add autumn bedroom decor such as quaint velvet pumpkins or faux foraged branches with berries to complete the look.

FAQs

How to decorate your home for autumn?

The easiest way to decorate your home for autumn is by putting up a wreath. It will brighten your front door and instantly lift the exterior of your home. Adding a accessories in autumn hues is also a surefire way to up the cosy as part of autumn decorating ideas.

When to put up autumn decorations in the UK?

Technically Autumn starts at the autumn equinox – this year its 22 Sept 2024 – but this doesn't mean you have to wait until then to decorate. Instead of looking for a concrete date take your guidance from the weather – once it starts to get colder and you need something to brighten your day, then it's time to get started with the autumn decorating ideas.