How to make your home feel cosy in Autumn

While late Summer is showing signs of fading, and the evenings start to draw in slightly, it is time to think of the new season ahead and the magic it brings. When I think of Autumn, I think of the word “cosy”. In this post, let me share ways you can make your home cosy for Autumn. 

Just this week, I was winding down around 8 pm, and I noticed the evenings were starting to become dark. The garden is also on the turn, with the high Summer flowers turning to seed. 

While we still have plenty of time to enjoy the last of the season, I do like to think ahead and refresh my home space coming into Autumn. I love to turn up the cosy dial this time of year! 

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Refresh what you already have

Sometimes we think we have to buy something new each season. However, refreshing and looking after what you already have gives the same joy. 

Here is a list of things I send off to the cleaners or tick off my maintenance list for my home in Autumn. 

• Winter duvets
• Heavy throws or comforters
• Sofa’s professionally cleaned
• Chimney sweep
• Boiler service
• Gutters/windows cleaned

Nothing brings back the cosy feeling to the bed than throwing on the Winter duvet. To revive my duvet, I send mine off for a professional cleaning. 

In Dublin, you can use a laundry pick up services where your laundry is collected and dropped back the next day, depending on the items. 

This week, I got my sofas cleaned for the first time since I got them. I had noticed a stale, musty smell in my living room, so I decided to have them cleaned and deodorised, and it did the trick. 

Over the past year, the sofas have sometimes been my “soft office” and, I have spent more time on them than I want to admit, so a deep clean made them new again. 

Get an extra cosy Autumn feeling with lighting.

Now, I will hold my hand up and admit that there were two light bulbs left in all my downstairs light fittings this Summer. As the Summer days in Ireland are so long, I rarely used a light unless on a dull day. 

I went around my house and counted all of the missing lightbulbs and replaced them, and I was shocked at the amount broken. 

The darker evenings are a great time to play with lighting. I love lamps as I find the lighting is less harsh compared to big spotlights. 

Create a cosy reading corner in your living room with a tall lamp next to your armchair, or light up a dark space with a side table and lamp. 

Do an audit on the lighting in your home, see what needs replacing, repaired, moved or maybe something new added. 

Don’t forget outdoors. In my kitchen, my sink faces out to the garden, and it can look dull in the dark evenings, so add some lighting to your garden to keep it feeling alive in the Autumn months. 

The power of scent

Scent can be an instant mood booster, but I find I have become extra sensitive to some over scented shop-bought candles. However, you can add scent into your home without using loads of chemicals. 

Click here for a recipe on how to make some Autumn wax melts. 

There are some easier ways to add an Autumn scent to your home. 

I use a DIY cleaner that is great for cleaning windows and dusting. Use a dark glass bottle and add 1/2 distilled water and 1/2 white vinegar to it. Then add 8-10 drops of Cinnamon Bark essential oil. 

You can add more oil for a strong scent or play around with adding other essential oils and create your very own blend. 

Oils like Ginger Root, Nutmeg, Organic Clove Bud, and Cinnamon Bark give that warm Autumn scent. 

Before using the DIY cleaner, give the bottle a good shake and use this to clean windows, mirrors and dusting surfaces. For my countertops and bathrooms, I use something a little stronger. This DIY cleaner leaves a lovely scent in the home after you’ve cleaned. 

Also, you can diffuse your favourite oils in a diffuser or an oil burner to create a warm scent in your home. Take care when using essential oils, as some can cause irritation and can be toxic in large quantities to pets.

Create a faux fireplace 

Log burning stoves and open fires heat the bones of a house, but not everyone has the luxury of having one. 

With most people becoming more conscious of the climate and how our decisions impact it, some may be deciding to ditch the open fire. However, you can still create a cosy fireplace but without burning logs and coal. 

I recently purchased an electric stove for my greenhouse, this was around the €170 mark, and it looks like the real deal. It does double up as a heater. However, I mainly wanted it for the way it lights up and looks like a real fire. 

If you have a bare wall in your living room or kitchen, you could use that space to create a faux fireplace. 

Look online for free/used fireplaces and add to the wall, add a hearth and even tile the back panel. Add your electric stove, and it will look like the real deal. 

Some electric stoves start from as little as €100 and go up to €1000. When researching, the Dimplex models seemed to be the most popular. However, do look online and see if you can get a second hand one. 

Add some cosy Autumn accessories to your home

While the homes of Instagram might be doing full-on pumpkin displays on their porches, you can add some subtle Autumn decorations to your home without it being overly themed. 

• Change up your cushion covers to Autumn tones and patterns.
• Add baskets with throws to the living spaces.
• Change your duvet set to warmer Autumn tones for a cosy feel.
• Add rugs to living rooms and bedrooms. 
• Replant Summer annual displays with Chrysanthemums or other Autumn flowers. 
• Add some houseplants to your living areas or do an indoor herb garden. 
• Create a DIY Autumn floral wreath for your front door using materials you foraged from outside. 
• Print off pictures of your Summer holidays or favourite memories. You can use these on a gallery wall or in frames around the home. 

I hope you got inspiration from this post. The changing of seasons is a reminder that not everything can bloom forever. For me, Autumn reminds me to let go of things and get ready for some cosy rest at home. 

Let me know in the comments below what are your favourite ways to make your home feel cosy for Autumn?

Thanks for reading, Chat soon, Catherine.