Blog
Autumn – time for a mini makeover?
Monday, September 11, 2017
September brings a “back to school” chill in the air and with no sign of an Indian summer it’s a great time to give your home a mini makeover, adding warmth and texture to every room. When the days get cooler, small changes, such as heavier fabrics and warm lighting transform your home and now’s also the perfect time to give your garden a tidy up before frosts set in.
In terms of interior décor, forget white and grey and look for rosy blush tones, teal, dark emerald greens and chocolate brown. Colour blocking is on trend; pick several contrasting shades for extra impact. But don’t feel that you have to redecorate every room – you can instantly update a room with soft furnishings and accessories. Add rich, warm colour with vibrant velvet cushions and throws draped over the arm of a chair to snuggle into on chilly autumn nights.
Early autumn is perfect for adding candles and soft lighting to your décor whether you’re indoors or lucky enough to have balmy evenings to eat al fresco. A flickering glow adds warmth on dark days and atmosphere to supper outdoors. Weathered wood accessories add instant impact and even before Halloween, gourds are perfect autumn decorations with their diverse shapes, sizes, and colours.
Coloured crystal glasses and decorative metallic chargers add Mediterranean opulence to a dining table. Indulge your sense of smell with summer herbs and the sweet aromas of autumn from cinnamon to nutmeg and baked apples.
In the garden, it’s time to harvest onions and autumn raspberries, divide perennials, plant spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, crocus and hyacinths and hardy summer-flowering bulbs, such as lilies and alliums. Keep patio plants going by deadheading regularly to encourage further flowering. If September does turn into an Indian summer, keep watering thoroughly once or twice a week. Camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and hydrangeas won’t flower well next season if they get too dry.
Look after your lawn in mid-late September; kill any moss and rake well to remove excess thatch before applying an autumn lawn feed for a lush lawn by spring. If you would like a free appraisal of your property for rental or sale purposes and advice on how to add value indoors or out, contact your local Frost Partnership office.
