So, the children are back at school, most summer holidays are done and dusted and each day is becoming a little shorter than the last. The Great British Bake Off and Strictly Come Dancing are back on our screens, all signalling that it’s time to eschew summer salad recipes for warming winter stews and hunker down with family for cosy nights.
Creating a more autumnal look in the home can help to usher in the cooler days and darker afternoons and help to make them more comfortable. Moving on from last year’s desert vibes, autumn/winter 2019 is more about embracing natural materials in all their forms and this can work particularly well in kitchen diners.
If you prefer warming tones then look for textured terracotta and rich earthy ochre springing up on everything from soft furnishings to ceramic tiles. Pattern is everywhere, particularly for splashbacks and flooring and the latest offerings from Ca’Pietra – the makers of those fabulous hexagonal lilypad tiles you’ve surely seen all over Instagram – feature bold orange stripes, yellow and terracotta ‘fish scale’ tiles and Moroccan inspired designs.
Despite Scandi design’s everlasting appeal – there’s still plenty of it out there if you want it – the trend for deliciously dark maximalism is spreading and has morphed the summer’s fascination for tropical birds into something richer and more luxurious. The Amelie print from Marks & Spencer, with its dark emerald green background and bold coloured bird and foliage prints is a case in point – just add an embellished cushion here and a decorative candle there and you’ll be winter ready in a flash.
This year saw the 50th anniversary of the first man on the moon and, perhaps in celebration of this, all things celestial are shining bright right now. Whether it’s a cheeky spaceman ornament or a starburst pendant light over an island, we’re definitely starting to look to the stars for inspiration. Add a twinkly aubergine velvet Galaxy cushion from A by Amara or a heavenly outer-space wall mural from Murals Wallpaper to add a sense of other-worldliness to a kitchen diner.
