Decorating a Home for Autumn: 10 Low-Cost Ways to Change your Interior with the Season

Updated for 2024

Decorating a home for Autumn doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, there are some really affordable ways to swap out the cool summer vibes for some warmth and cosiness at your place.

I don’t mind a homewares shop, let’s be honest. If you’re a long-time reader of the TLC blog you’ll know I love to rotate smaller decor items from season to season. If you don’t have a box or cupboard for storing old homewares in, can you really call yourself a true decorating junkie?

Of course, we’re not into dropping wads of cash every three months, so budget style tricks are key. Below I want to give you some ideas on how you can approach decorating a home for Autumn with affordability in mind, and link you to some of my fave decor must-haves for the cooler months. Enjoy!

The divine bedding above is via Linen House.

1. New Cushions for Your Sofa

I like to keep the majority of my cushions in neutral tones and then introduce pops of colour in Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer. So, now is the time to ditch those loud, zesty tones and look to cushions in on-trend colours like tan, terracotta, mustard, blush and plum.

If you’d like to know the best places to buy cushions from, I’ve got you covered. Here’s a complete list of our go-to cushion brands that we shop for all the time for client homes.

And if you’re buying just the covers, please do make sure they have the right inserts in them, for the love of the decor gods!

2. Fresh Throws are Essential

An autumnal sofa is not a sofa if it’s not draped with a throw. And in Autumn you want to make sure that the throw screams ‘cuddles’.

Ditch the lightweight materials you used in summer and embrace chunky cable knits or faux furs. Poms poms or tassels are a must too, and add another element of interest and texture.

I’m obsessed with all the Autumnal tones in the throws above from T&W.

3. Add Layers to your Bedscape

I’ve taken you through all the necessary steps to style a bed properly already. But when decorating a home for Autumn, we need to go above and beyond with the layering.

I know in summer you probably kept things very minimal on the bed-styling front, but now is the time to add on a coverlet, a throw, and a medley of cushions at the head of your bed in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Turn your bed into a jumping castle you can sleep in, like in the scene above from Linen House.

4. Introduce Candles in Earthy Scents

Long summer days call for candles burning in fresh citrus tones. But when daylight savings stops and cold nights creep in, you want to burn an earthy, more grounded scent.

I look to fragrances like vanilla, sandalwood, black amber, musk or sage and cedar. These are the ideal fragrances to curl up with on an Autumn evening.

Here’s my roundup of the best Aussie candle brands to shop from.

5. Carve out a Reading Nook

In summer I was out on my balcony soaking up my fave interior mags in the sun. But there’s no chance you get me out there in Autumn.

Instead, I’m all about curling up with a good book in a cosy armchair. If you haven’t got one, now is the time to carve out a reading nook you can escape to.

And if you already have an armchair, here are some tips to make the most of it so your reading nook is firing on all cylinders.

6. Layer up your Dining Table

Sure, in summer tabletops survive completely naked. But when cold weather hits, it’s time to dress it up with some gorgeous materials. You’re probably staying in more, after all, so why not make more of a moment of your everyday dining?

There’s nothing cosier and more inviting then linen on a table, so shop around at places like Lovely Linen, featured above, and take your dinner table styling to new heights.

7. Refresh your Towels

I like to have a base set of neutral towels at home and then look to trend colours I can pop in my bathroom each season. There are some gorgeous new tones on the market right now.

Recently I featured one of my fave local brands to shop from for bathroom towel sets. You should totally check them out. Who doesn’t love to support a small business?

And if you need help making them look fab in your bathroom, check out the tips I included in my how to style bathroom towels blog post.

8. Update your Bath Products

Decorating a home for Autumn isn’t all about the decor. Look to update your bathware. I’m talking about fresh bath bombs, bath salts, body scrubs and other indulgences.

There’s nothing better than a long bath in the colder months, so consider some new products to take the experience in an indulgent direction.

9. Shop for a New Mug

I hate to repeat myself, but I have the same approach to mugs as I do cushions and towels. I have my neutral base sets, and then pop in a quirky one that looks divine and will get me through the season.

It’s the little things like having your own special mug for tea, coffee or hot chocolate, that make a house a home – especially in Autumn. I love the monogram mugs above from West Elm.

10. Update your Vignettes

Last but not least, you might want to explore a few updates to vignettes on shelves, sideboards or coffee tables.

Take out homewares that feel distinctly summer (pineapples, bright colours, books about the beach) and swap them for more Autumnal pieces (twigs, darker tones, a book on Hygge, for example).

Don’t throw the summer items away, of course, just crack them out when the weather is warm again. Love the styling above from OZ Design.

How do you go about decorating a home for Autumn? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.