As temperatures begin to drop and autumn approaches, the way your home feels can suddenly seem more important. Is it cosy enough? Does it feel a little chilly – or perhaps more cramped than it did during summer? Things that are easy to overlook during the warmer months often become more noticeable as the seasons change.
Space is one of them. If you want your home to feel more open and spacious before autumn sets in, now is a good time to make a few simple changes.
'Autumn is when our homes naturally start to feel smaller. We close the doors, lose daylight earlier and begin layering in heavier fabrics, deeper colours and more stuff. The trick is to prepare your home for that seasonal shift before it happens,' says Kunal Trehan, interior designer & founder of Touched Interiors.
Think this means splashing out on an expensive renovation or knocking down walls? Lisa Hensby, founder & creative director of Lisa Hensby Design & Build Studio, says that this doesn't have to be the case.
'Most people assume feeling bigger means going bigger, and start pricing up a wall coming down. As someone who both designs and builds, I would tell you to spend a weekend and a couple of hundred pounds first. Nine times out of ten, that does the job.'
With this in mind, we asked experts for their top tips on how to make your home feel bigger this autumn. From moving mirrors to painting skirting boards, they gave us their advice on what changes to make before the month ends.
1. Raise and widen your curtain poles for bigger windows and more light
For a change that makes your home feel bigger and brighter, Lisa recommends moving your curtain poles. 'Most sit tight to the window frame, which makes the window look small and blocks light when the curtains are open,' she says.
'Lift the pole towards the ceiling and extend it 20cm past the frame on each side, so the fabric stacks against the wall rather than the glass. You gain height, width and daylight, and daylight matters more every week from here.'
2. Paint your joinery for a more seamless look
'Paint your skirting, architrave and doors the same colour as the walls,' says Lisa. 'That white band at floor level is what tells your eye where the room stops. Take it away, and the walls read taller and the corners soften. It is the cheapest change with the biggest return, and Dulux will match almost any shade across the different finishes you need.'
3. Move your mirrors to reflect more light
Mirrors are another clever way to create the illusion of more space. And you don't even need to buy a new one — simply move mirrors from one wall to another for a space-saving effect.
'Position mirrors opposite or adjacent to windows and light sources to bounce natural and artificial light around the room. A large mirror can also reflect another part of the room, effectively doubling the visual space,' says Alison Westaby, head of interior design at Barker & Stonehouse.
4. Reposition your furniture to improve the flow
Kellie Wyles, head of upholstery and brands at DFS, recommends playing with the layout of your furniture. 'Consider shifting your sofa to give the room a new lease of life. In open-plan spaces, placing the sofa facing into a corner subtly zones the area, creating the opportunity for a cosy corner within a more expansive space,' she says.
'In more structured rooms, use the sofa to reinforce the room’s natural architecture – align it with a fireplace or window, or position it to frame a central coffee table and create a clear, inviting focal point while maintaining clear walkways.'
5. Layer your lighting to open up the room
'One of the most effective ways to make your home feel bigger this autumn is to rethink your lighting. Rather than relying on a single central ceiling light, layer different sources such as pendants, wall lights, floor lamps and table lamps to draw the eye around the room and create a greater sense of depth,' says Mara Rypacek Miller, founder of Industville.
6. Edit your belongings before autumn layering begins
'Before the throws, cushions, candles and autumn accessories come back out, remove something first. I like to think of it as creating a luxury edit rather than a declutter,' says Kunal. 'Clear overcrowded surfaces, reduce smaller accessories and give your favourite objects room to be noticed. Then introduce autumnal texture selectively.'
7. Choose scale over clutter with larger furniture
And finally, if time and finances allow, swap lots of little pieces for fewer, larger ones.
'A small room doesn't necessarily need small furniture. Too many petite chairs, tables and accessories create visual noise and can make you more aware of the room's limited dimensions,' says Kunal.
'Instead, choose fewer pieces with confidence: one generous sofa, one beautiful oversized artwork or one substantial coffee table. It sounds counterintuitive, but larger-scale pieces can make the architecture around them feel grander.'
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