6 ways to prepare for cosy Autumn evenings at home

With the days drawing in, and the clocks going back in a couple of weeks, I’ve been giving my home an Autumn refresh. Through the summer we spend more time outside than we do indoors. Sitting in the garden till late, kiddos playing, listening to music, making smores on the firepit, chatting the night away, sipping ice cold cider… it’s bliss. Now though, it’s getting chilly and we find ourselves drawn back indoors, evenings are now spent in the living room, the occasional movie, lots of card and board games, hot chocolates and cosy family evenings. I always find in late Septembre/early October I have the urge to ‘nest’.  Creating a warm, cosy cocoon ready for the coming cold months.

1| Clear out the clutter. I find over the summer the house gets a little messier – we don’t spend much time in there, and certainly not to clean or put things away! I like to give everywhere a proper clean, wash all the cushion covers, put the piles that have collected back into their rightful places, open all the windows wide to air the house and get everywhere back in order.

2| Dig out the throws. Chilly Autumn evenings call for throws – and lots of them. Wool or fleece are our favourites. All of ours have had a wash and line dry ready for snuggling under. We usually have several draped over the backs of the sofas for ease of grabbing, as well as a pile in the ottoman in the living room for those really cold nights.

3| Add some soft lighting. I have four lamps in the living room, as well as fairy lights that run around the picture rail. They give us enough light to see by if we’re crafting or playing games, without being so bright and harsh as the overhead lamp.

4| Cushions! While we usually have a fair few cushions on the sofa all year, come autumn I add even more. Like throws, cushions are a great way to change up the look of a  room for a new season. I love rich, deep colours in beautiful Autumn hues  – burnt orange, plum, deep reds.

5| Light some candles. Cosy Autumn evenings call for candlelight. I have so many lined up along my mantlepiece, they look great there as their light is reflected back from the giant mirror behind them. I usually pop some in the middle of the ottoman too. I love scented candles – especially these ones from Neom Organics as they contain therapeutic essential oils.

6| Decorate with nature.  I love bringing a little of the outdoors inside. From piles of pinecones, mini pumpkins or jars full of branches, nature offers some great props to decorate your house with! My current favourite is a jar full of pussy willow, intertwined with some twinkly fairy lights.