20 Autumn Home Décor Ideas That Will Brighten Your Home This Season

Summer is coming to an end and though we’re sad to see the back of the warmer, sunnier weather, we’re also excited to welcome in autumn! Autumn is one of the most beautiful and colourful seasons, full of warm oranges and browns, yellows and reds. We kick through leaves, often splash through puddles, and start spending more time inside.

Autumn can be a sad time for summer lovers, but you can easily brighten your home with fall décor so you feel excited about spending more time inside. Here are 20 autumn décor ideas to help you welcome in the new season and get ready for those cosy, dark evenings.

20 Autumn Décor Ideas to Brighten Your Home

1.     Use Lanterns

Lanterns are a great way of bringing more light into your home without losing that cosy, romantic feel that makes autumn so special. They’re perfect for small flats and spaces because they take up little room, but if you’ve got the space, using three in a row or in a corner makes a beautiful autumnal display. Lanterns allow you to safely burn candles in your home low to the floor, which adds to the cosy atmosphere.

2.     Tiny Gourds and Pumpkins

Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween! Using small gourds and pumpkins for decorations is something that started across the pond and has now—thankfully—reached UK homes. You can use them to add a little note of autumn almost anywhere around your home – a small collection going up the stairs, on your porch, dining table, or by the fireplace.

Don’t forget that they don’t have to be real; shop around and you’ll find glass, ceramic, and woven pumpkin designs in neutral colours that fit in perfectly in any style of home.  

3.     Warm Blankets

There’s nothing quite like snuggling up on the sofa on a dark evening, so switch out those lighter throws for something a little heavier. Put the light-coloured throws into storage and bring in reds and oranges, checks, and other autumnal patterns. 

4.     Add Rugs (or Switch Rugs)

If you don’t have muddy paws to worry about, now is the time to put down another rug or two in autumn colours. Add a runner by the front door, a rug in the kitchen (just not too close to your cooker!), and switch out or layer your rugs in the living room. Switching rugs is a great way to give your home a fresh look each season without having to buy new furniture every time, and layering is extremely on-trend for homes that embrace a bohemian feel.

5.     Adorn Your Front Door

Wreaths and garlands aren’t just for Christmas! Make or buy an autumnal wreath or garland to string across (or pin to) your door. It’s a beautiful way to remind you of all the more positive points of Autumn before you come into your house (much needed on those dark evenings or wet days!) and sets the tone for guests before they enter your home.

6.     Use a Seasonal Doormat

You’ll want to skip this one if your décor is never tongue-in-cheek, but if you like your décor to feel a little playful, consider swapping your doormat for something seasonal. You can find autumnal doormats with witchy and Halloween themes, with a leaf pattern, or another autumnal theme.

7.     Bring Nature Inside

 One of the most quintessential autumn things is the golden leaves! Try bringing in artificial (or real, though be aware they will disintegrate over time) golden leaves and arrange them in vases, as centrepieces, on side tables, and anywhere else you like! Pinecones are another good option that can stick around throughout winter too. Collect (or buy) pinecones, roll them in some glue, and then roll them in gold glitter for a little bit of a sparkle.

Artificial or cut flowers are another good option. The best colours are white, orange, red, and dusky pinks and purples. Also embrace foliage, everything from dark waxy greens to the lighter colours of eucalyptus are a great way to bring more life to your vases and add a touch of autumn. Add some artificial autumnal leaves or artificial ivy around the base of your flower arrangements.

If you find the dark seasons difficult, especially if you usually suffer from SAD, bring in some greenery. Artificial plants are a great way to bring bright green into your home when the world outside is getting brown and dark. Here are some ideas for how to bring some life into your home:

• Embrace large artificial house plants – they don’t need to be huge, but a 3-4 foot artificial ficus tree or artificial palm plant will take up space and ensure you see the foliage from wherever you are in the room. Artificial ficus trees have a versatile shape that works in any style of home in any season, so they can easily be a permanent addition to your home.
• Use trailing artificial plants – Add trailing artificial plants (such as artificial ivy) to your bookshelves and wardrobes.
• Add artificial topiary – Artificial topiary balls (also known as artificial boxwood balls) can be easily styled year-round for table arrangements and side tables and add a pop of green in a small space.

8.     Don’t Like Orange? Bring in Earthy Tones

If you hate orange, don’t panic. It doesn’t work in every space and you can still embrace autumn décor by increasing the earthy tones. Use earthy browns, bronze and gold, and greens.

9.     Use Candles

Candles create a cosy atmosphere but they’re even better when they’re scented! Choose scents like pumpkin and cinnamon, gingerbread, sandalwood, and yew to immerse yourself in the season.

10. Invest in Autumnal Sheets

The bedroom is a space we often decorate once and forget about, other than when we need to buy new bedsheets. Why not spoil yourself with a couple of autumnal bed sheets this season? Choose gingham, orange, red, yellow, or gold depending on what works best for the rest of the décor in your bedroom.

11. Use Books as Decoration

Your idea of the perfect autumn evening may involve being at the pub or in a restaurant, but autumn is the perfect month to embrace reading. Even if you don’t see yourself kicking back with a good book this autumn, head to the secondhand book store or browse charity shops for old, cloth-covered books from the 1960s or older. You’d be surprised how affordable some of these books are, provided you don’t care about the contents, and how good they look stacked on your coffee table, bookshelves, or side table. The antique look embodies autumn and you’ll find yourself skimming the pages.

If you’re a book lover and you’ve already got more than you need, consider turning them around so the pages face out, rather than the spines. This may be a step too far for some bibliophiles, but it gives your home such a cosy feel that it’s worth a try!

12. Switch Your Artwork

Try shopping for new art pieces to freshen up your home and invite in more autumnal scenes and colours. You can keep this as classy or silly as you like, but it’s a surprisingly easy and cost-effective way to bring new life to a room.

13. Display Other Vegetables

If you normally have a fruit bowl for a display, try replacing the fruits with harvest-time vegetables. Carrots, zucchinis, corn on the cob, aubergine, radishes, and kale are all good choices. Cook with them regularly to make sure they don’t go bad!

14. Add Some Citrus

If you aren’t keen on inviting pumpkins and other vegetables to be on display in your home, how do you feel about citrus fruits? Use lemons, oranges, and limes in your fruit bowl and invest in an artificial lemon tree or two for a pop of colour and life that is a far cry from the wintery scenes outside.

15. Invest in New Mugs

If you love a good cup of coffee or cocoa, you probably have a pretty extensive mug collection. Instead of using the entire collection year-round, pack away your Christmas mugs in January and have a rotation of mugs throughout the year. If you’ve not got any autumn or Halloween-inspired mugs or glasses yet, this is your excuse to find some! Starting your morning with an autumn-themed mug of coffee will help you get into the spirit of the season.

16. Use Natural Fabrics

Autumn reminds us to return to nature and the fabrics we use in our homes can work with or against that feeling. You’ll see a lot of burlap used in autumnal displays, so consider making or buying a burlap table runner to accent your centrepiece and wrap the base of your artificial ficus tree and other plants in burlap for an on-season finish.

Other fabrics you can consider using are sheepswool (opt for artificial if you’re looking at sheepskin and want to be cruelty-free), alpaca fibre, poplin, and other fabrics with fur, hair, or a thick weave.

17. Use Natural Wood Tones

Autumn is also the perfect time to bring more natural wood tones into your home. Consider using cut natural wooden circles for coasters (though slate works well too), use small wooden stumps to add height to table arrangements, tea lights, and lanterns.

Also look for wood-toned bowls, wooden incense holders, soap dishes, trays, and more. These wooden objects are hard-wearing and will last for decades, especially if you only use them seasonally.

18. Make Pomanders

Did you ever make pomanders at church or school as a child? These are oranges studded with dried cloves in decorative patterns, and not only are they a great project to do one weekend with your kids, but they’ve got a beautiful fragrance and are generally much cheaper (and less dangerous) than scented candles that will do the same job. All you need to do is buy some oranges and dried cloves and push them through the skin to stud the orange and arrange them in a dish – you can also add natural twine or ribbon.

19. Use Garlands

String conkers, acorns, pinecones, and even leaves on natural twine and hang it across your mantel, shelves, and over the top of mirrors and doorways. You can head to Etsy to find handmade felt garlands with pumpkins, toadstools, and other autumn-inspired shapes. If you don’t like things to be too cutesy but find the dark evenings a little depressing, make a gratitude garland. This is where you take a piece of natural twine, print words and/or phrases that represent good feelings for you, and glue them on the string. (Fold the paper over the string and glue the paper to itself rather than trying to attach it to the string itself, or use clothes pegs.) This allows you to see all the things you have to feel happy about whenever you need a little pick me up.

If you love the gratitude idea but not the garland, try hanging or pegging gratitude cards to one of your large artificial plants. A plant like an artificial ficus tree will work best because it has lots of little branches rather than long fronds like an artificial palm tree. Place your gratitude tree in your living room where you can see it at all times, in your dining room, or a high-traffic hallway so you glance at it frequently.  

20. Make or Buy an Artificial Terrarium

If you live in an urban area or travel to work each day, you probably don’t get a chance to get out in nature often in the autumn and winter months. This can leave us feeling detached and when we’re leaving the house and returning when it’s dark, it’s difficult not to feel a little stir-crazy. A terrarium, real or artificial (just be aware that a real one is expensive to buy and requires certain conditions to maintain it!), will help you feel more at peace when you come home. Opt for forest scenes, with plenty of moss and ferns for a peaceful, autumn feel, but if you spend all winter dreaming of summer, a rocky or sandy terrarium of succulents and cacti may help you feel more at ease.

Autumn isn’t the easiest season for everyone, but it’s a great opportunity to decorate your home and make it somewhere you really love spending time. Make sure you bring in natural elements to keep the dark out and embrace the fun of the season. To browse our full range of artificial plants to help you brighten your home even when everything outside is getting dark, click here.