The much-vaunted post-lockdown summer of love is officially behind us, and thoughts are turning once again to staying in. If you’re counting down the days until you can hole up indoors with season three of Succession, there are simple ways to make your home even more inviting as the days get shorter.
According to Candy Murray, interior style manager at Soho Home (the interiors collection spawned by the wild popularity of the Soho House aesthetic beloved by fans including the Duchess of Sussex, who reportedly tapped in-house interior designer Vicky Charles to deck out Frogmore Cottage when she and Prince Harry were based in Windsor after their wedding), clever use of lighting, colour and texture is often all that’s required to make a room as cosy as possible.
An autumn refresh needn’t involve copious amounts of burnt orange, either, she says. “If you have a minimal Scandi aesthetic that you want to take into autumn, look to introduce texture rather than another colour,” Candy suggests. “Bouclé, for example, has a warming effect.”
Read Candy’s simple tips for making your home ultra-cosy for autumn, below.
Start with some inspiring visuals
Before enthusiastically picking cushions, perhaps start with Pinterest. “Carve out time to be inspired,” says Murray. “I would always start by looking at imagery. This needn’t be exclusive to interiors, it might be artwork, a building, or a colour scheme in a picture that starts the creative process. This serves as a great moodboard to return to further down the line… and provides a base to then introduce your textures and fabric swatches to suit the vibe,” she adds.
Don’t be confined to conventional “autumn” shades
“The change of season into autumn doesn’t mean you need to automatically acquire all things rust and gold or do a huge overhaul,” Murray points out. “We use a lot of muted tones in the Houses that can then take on different lives with accessories and different textures. Blue is a key colour for us, as well as olive. It’s important to be discerning in your colour choices.”
Lighting is key…
“Key components to snug spaces are lighting and texture,” says Murray. “Keep the lighting low by using wall lights and table lamps versus anything too stark overhead – it’s so important to keep things cosy and warm. Opt for lamp shades for a diffused light, versus glass and exposed bulbs.”
… As are texture and scent
“Introducing home fragrance is also key, there’s nothing quite like flickering candlelight in a cosy space,” says Murray, who recommends using vessels that serve as beautiful objects over standalone candles – look for marble, alabaster, or antique brass. “Don’t forget about the floor as this can hugely soften a space,” she says. “A deep pile delivers instant cosiness and is sumptuous underfoot.”
Shop some cosy homeware picks as the nights draw in, below.
