YOU might think Stacey Solomon invented autumn-scaping, but we’ve been decorating our homes to reflect the changing seasons since the dawn of time.
Although our caveman ancestors might have been horrified by today’s flashing plastic ghosts and tacky “Happy autumn” signs.
GettyWe’ve been decorating our homes to reflect the changing seasons since the dawn of time[/caption]
Laurence-Llewelyn Bowen has some rules to make your home overflow with autumnal elegance
Instead, they gathered nature’s rich bounty to tastefully bring colour to their dark and dingy dwellings.
I think anything that makes your treasured home a little bit special and a little bit holy is great, whether that is wreaths and garlands or candles and blankets.
I also love the fact we have the opportunity to bring the seasons inside in Britain.
When I worked in Asia and Australia, I really missed watching nature change the way it changes in this country.
It’s also a fantastic trend for town dwellers who don’t have the luxury of looking outside their windows and seeing the countryside evolve.
Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of the richness and maximalism that autumn offers — and it’s a really easy option if you want to give seasonal-scaping a go.
You’ve got the vivid leaves, the curvy squashes and the shiny conkers to play with, as well as cosy fabrics and twinkling lights to create atmosphere.
But for this trend to work, beware of blurring it with Halloween — pumpkin-shaped cushions are not what you want, especially at the start of October.
These are my key rules to make your home to overflow with autumnal elegance . . .
BANISH MRS HINCH’S ‘GREIGE’
GettyPeople are suddenly beginning to rediscover orange[/caption]
COLOURS such as orange, russet and ruby make a room feel so much more comforting than paler options.
People are suddenly beginning to rediscover orange, in particular, as a colour that works really well in the British home.
Embracing autumn decor is the perfect way to try out these bold shades.
I think people are craving colour after years of dreary Mrs Hinch-influenced greige.
If you are living in a very pared back way, autumn-scaping lets you inject some colour into your space and not feel entirely committed for the rest of the year.
A temporary Changing Rooms, if you will. But ideally, if I had my way, you’d decide to keep it permanently.
THINK STILL LIFE, NOT FRIGHT NIGHT
IF you want autumn-scaping to look stylish, go for “abundant nature”.
We’ve been holding harvest festivals for hundreds of years to celebrate the bounty of this season.
That’s the look you want.
Think of your decorations as the background to an autumnal feast for Henry VIII.
Make it feel big and not too whimsical.
That’s the thing that I struggle with — when you get the mini ghost figures, the little pumpkin patch signs and the slogans.
You need it to be like a Renaissance still- life on your mantlepiece.
FAKE IS FINE
THERE is nothing wrong with investing in some decorations that can be brought out time and time again to jazz up the mantlepiece, staircase and dining table.
I’m buying into the whole fake thing with plants, flowers, and even candles. I think they’re getting terribly good these days.
Plus fake candles mean you don’t have a fire hazard or have to put them in anything.
Get those pillar candles and dress around that with your autumnal leaf scaping.
And a couple of gourds, either fake or real. Oh my gourd, as they say.
GET FORAGING
GettySee what you can find outside[/caption]
YOU don’t need to spend a fortune — in fact, you don’t need to spend a thing.
Just scrump leaves, pine cones and fallen branches. Get out there with the kids and see what you can find.
There are plenty of great, affordable bits online and in all the bargain stores, too.
I’m into garlands, particularly in autumn. But if you are opting for fake, add a few real, foraged items to lift it.
Autumn leaves are essentially dried flowers, so they’re not going to rot and will stay looking nice all season.
You can even add a few bits of real holly into garlands at Christmas for a more natural look.
HOLD OFF ON HALLOWEEN
GettyBe careful not to get the Halloween stuff out too early[/caption]
AUTUMN-scaping isn’t the same as Halloween decorating.
Be careful not to get the carved pumpkins and skeletons out too early.
Only add in the spooky bits when it comes round on October 31, and take them away again straight after.
What I do love — and you can embrace it any time — is gothic. It’s a massive look right now and no longer weird or niche.
Think theatrical candles, taxidermy and dark antique bits and pieces, ideally Victorian, that you can pick up for a song at a car boot sale.
I thought I’d said goodbye to gothic in my youth at art school, but it seems to be the new maximalism, if my second series of Outrageous Homes is anything to go by.
TAKE IT OUTSIDE
WREATHS are no longer just for Christmas.
We have become a nation of wreath-ateers, with people putting them on doors to celebrate more or less anything.
So extend your autumn-scaping outside, providing it is tasteful.
A couple of lanterns, a couple of whole pumpkins and a wreath on the door is delightful.
Or try this little trick — carve the back of the pumpkin ready to turn it round for Halloween itself.
In the old days, this sort of thing was a welcome for visitors. It was hospitable.
But now I think it is for us, too. The outside world is a scary place and it’s nice to feel relief at getting home, to be greeted like a special guest.
KEEP CALENDARS FOR CHRISTMAS
THE latest attempt to turn Halloween into Christmas has come in the form of tacky advent calendars counting down the 13 days to 31 October.
It is so unnecessary and naff.
For me, this is yet another thing for mums to worry about, and the commercialisation of a festival that I simply associate with bobbing apples from a bucket of water.
Don’t let the pester power win. Do some seasonal crafting with the kids instead, which will look much nicer in your home.
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