How to style your home for autumn: stylists reveal their decor predictions

That moment just beyond the last day of summer, when you reach to the back of your linen cupboard for a cashmere throw, can induce a mix of emotions.

Interior creatives and happy homemakers are generally excited about any change in season because it provides them with an excuse to adjust their living space.

We asked three such creatives to share with us their own inspirational mood boards for the inevitable shift from summer to autumn, and with them provide personal tips on how you too can layer your home for a more comfortable transition.

Richard Misso, The Stylesmiths

“There’s a definite air of indulgence about this season’s throws, rugs and cushions,” says Richard Misso, creative director at The Stylesmiths. “Plush, strokeable textures seem to be as important as warmth.”

The Stylesmiths.

Misso compiled a mood board of favourite Pantone colours, as well as a plethora of cable knits, including the giant weaves that continue to delight.

As for overexposed looks, Misso suggests carefully storing copper accessories until further notice. “Real metals but also metallic finishes are still at large but avoid copper as it’s had its day; think brass for its aged warm hues paired with inky moody blues, kale or forest green cushions or throws to make for a perfect cosy setting. If you feel like breaking it up, add a pop of yellow or terracotta. I dare you.”

Paige Anderson

Warmth and texture are the buzzwords for autumn; trend forecasters have long been predicting a move towards more tactile surfaces and textiles as an antidote to digitalisation. For stylist, and new mother, Paige Anderson, this has become a particular priority.

“The need to make your home a place of family, love, relaxation and tranquility is becoming important in our world of over-stimulation,” she explains. “So my antidote is to create an environment that’s full of textures and colours to reflect the rich variety of the natural world around us. Welcome warm hues of orange and terracotta then mix them with jewel tones of red, green and fuchsia.”

If you’re in the market for new furniture this season, she suggests choosing pieces that embrace texture such as rattan, weave and roughly hewn timber. “Now more than ever it’s important to connect to the natural world,” says Anderson.

Not ready to invest in the bigger items? Patterned rugs can add an eclectic layer. Anderson likes the pairing of a patterned rug with a blue velvet sofa, the latter’s richness enhancing any pops of blue in the rug.

Another antidote to the speed of modern life can be found in the handcrafted. Make like your parents and invest in a heirloom; you can start small with a ceramic or hand-painted fabric, then save up for a beautifully crafted table or armchair.

Alicia Sciberras

As for Alicia Sciberras, a stylist who’s worked with such high-end brands as Cult Design, her mood board is eclectic and conceptual: “Fauvism meets St. Tropez.”

Her suggestion for autumn is as timeless as it is seasonal: “When it comes to an autumnal interior my approach is casual elegance enhanced with rich textures and a notion of colour play,” she says. “I am predicting rich red-rust colours contrasted with lighter pastel pinks, mauve and a pop of ultramarine. Bring out a textural interior landscape with statement furniture from Dimore Studio, small ceramic [raku-style] pieces by Georgia Harvey and upholstery from Raf Simons.”

If some of these names have you coming out in a budget-breaking rash, Dimore Studio’s look can be recreated using vintage furniture or by upcycling your current furniture in Dimore’s signature velvets; and raku ceramics (hand-shaped Japanese pottery) can be found on eBay. Or, if you love Georgia Harvey’s work then make this your investment piece for autumn: an original, handcrafted work of art by a local maker. That’s bound to warm the cockles of your heart.