Autumn’s here – how to get your house hunker-down ready!
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love summer and boy, this one’s been a cracker, hasn’t it! But there’s something really special about the beginning of autumn. I think the routine of school terms are forever ingrained in me, making September always feel like a fresh start… Way more so than January 1st. But whereas I got giddy about new stationery and school shoes when I was a kid, now it’s all about getting organised, getting new stuff for the house and getting it ready for the chilly months ahead.
I’m not talking a whole re-vamp of course **drifts off into a little fantasy world where I have the cash to splurge on an AW and SS look for my house each year** just a few nice touches here and there to help us enjoy our homes during autumn and winter. And to get those DIY jobs done that were shunned in favour of relaxing in the sun with a glass or two of rosé! And I PROMISE not to use the word Hygge.
Spice up your life
Now I’m not suggesting for one minute that because September’s here you should whip our your brush and paint your house in Autumnal hues. Interestingly though, Dulux have just announced that their colour of the year for 2019 is Spiced Honey, a warm caramel colour. Apparently it”reflects our new sense of optimism and resilience in 2019″ and “is a way to re-energise our homes in the year ahead”. I’m proposing some much more subtle ideas that are quick and easy to do.
Image Credit Dulux
Summer days drifting away…
…to-o uh-oh those summer nights, wella wella wella, huh! Sadly for us, those summer days that drift into balmy (and let’s be honest, sometimes barmy) summer nights are well and truly numbered. The light nights and mornings mean it’s been a doddle to get in and out of our houses without scrabbling around for a phone torch to find the blinking keyhole. So as the darkness draws in it’s time to start thinking about outdoor lighting. I’m not talking runway-style lighting that brings the national grid to its knees – no one needs to see your house from space. But wouldn’t it be nice to arrive home to a house that has such a lovely glow that you can actually see the front door? Meet the Bulkheads…
It’s a cracking collection of lights that are perfect for outdoor use. All of them, bar none, are gorgeous which makes it difficult to choose. If it’s easier, just go for your favourite name – I went for the Steve because I’m married to one!
Get the glow
Just as the light nights affect our external spaces, their impact on the inside of our houses is huge. Having been reliant on the sun to bring light and warmth into our rooms in the evening, it’s at this time of year that we start to realise we just don’t have enough lighting in our living spaces. This means it’s a great time to re-evaluate internal lighting. It might just be little tweaks, like adding a floor or table lamp to bring a warm glow to a corner. I realised that my dining area could do with a bit of oomph in the lighting department, so I’m fitting two Peg lights to up the ambience levels. If you need a bit more guidance on what kind of lighting to put where, then head over our Get it Right with Colour and Light blog for the full lowdown.
Warm your cockles
Introducing warming tones into your interiors isn’t just about colour – so much of it is about texture too. Think leather and metal. Now I know that metal’s not a material that instantly conjures up feelings of warmth, but our tarnished copper is a whole different kettle of fish. The colours running through the finish are sublime. Rich oranges and browns shot through with the occasional streak of charcoal and violet. It’s incredibly tactile too – not a cold, shiny surface in sight. And paired with warming leather, it’s a superb combination. By replacing some of your switches, sockets and handles, not only will they look great, they’ll give you a little frisson of excitement every time you touch them. And that really is the best type of cockle-warming!
I’ve cherry-picked my current favourites; the Copper Double Dimmer Switch, the Magni Large Leather Handle in Chestnut Brown and the Mezzaluna Metal Pull Handle in Tarnished Copper. All seriously stylish.
Sort your shizzle out!
Autumn’s a great time to get organised. Again, think of it as a grown-up version of getting a new school bag and pencil case. We’re talking brand new places to put your stuff. Simple things like putting up some shelves to give you another surface to pop your bits and bobs on. Or fixing some hooks onto a wall to hang your coats, bags and jewellery on.
It’s these little additions and tweaks to our homes that make them easier to live in. This in turn makes our lives a little less stressful and allows us to brace ourselves for winter. It goes without saying that blankets, rugs, candles and open fires are all excellent ideas to help defrost your home… But you all know that already, right? And, I’m pretty sure this falls into the Hygge category anyway, and I did promise NOT to go there!
Show us yours…
So it’s over to you – all you need to do is crack on and get on with it! We’d love to see photos of how you’ve made your house hunker down-ready, so don’t forget to tag us on Instagram #dowsingandreynolds
