Autumn makeover time is here, but there’s no need to splash out. Arriving from Hollywood is the Gucci-meets-Gap look.
Based on the ‘spending designs’ of interior decorator to Gwyneth Paltrow, Brigette Romanek, you shell out for a major piece such as a sofa, but scrimp on cushions, throws and accessories from the High Street.
These quick fixes can make your home chicer and cosier…
Happy colours: A patchwork velvet bedspread from Oliver Bonas, £165
Colour and light
Muted tones work well in strong summer sunlight, but can be too drab in the darker winter months.
Designer Katharine Pooley says: ‘I like to add additional colour in artworks, armchairs, decorative cushions and throws.’
She suggests cheery cobalt blue and orange. Graham & Green has velvet cushions in jewel colours for £45. H&M Home’s velvet orange cushion covers start at £9.99.
Lighting can also banish gloom. Tom Sullivan, of Habitat, says: ‘Switch from bright overhead lighting to table lamps, string lights and candles.’
Lights4fun has ivory and orange string lights and LED candles. A nine-candle set is £64.99.
Rechargeable lamps can be moved around the home. The Dunelm Keko in black, grey and green (£20) and the M&S Colby in pink would suit a city flat (£59). Pooky’s Amelia and Walter lamps (from £110) are ideal for formal spaces.
A warm welcome
Make a hallway more elegant with a console table topped with a lamp.
The Orleans art deco-style console from The Range has gold geometric detailing (£124.99). The B&M oak and metal Tromso console is ideal for contemporary interiors (£42.50). And the Habitat Turner clothes rail and shoe rack can help you reduce clutter (£70).
A mirror will make any room look brighter. M&S has the Madrid full-length gilt frame mirror for £169, while B&Q’s Ayla red Persian runner will add opulence (£30). Dunelm sells its Novis Herringbone rug for £139.
Bedroom bliss
Layering with heavier-weight duvets and throws is key to an autumn bedroom refresh. John Lewis says its £195 cashmere throws in camel and grey are best sellers.
Oliver Bonas’s vibrant patchwork quilt will add colour and interest to a room (£165).
William Morris Arts & Crafts prints are also in vogue. M&S’s William Morris duvet covers start at £65. And the covers in bold blues, greens and ochres in its Fired Earth collaboration start at £37.50.
A sofa or armchair turns a bedroom into a retreat. Examples include John Lewis’s Pebble sofa in ivory, now £489, down from £699; Dunelm’s Eliza velvet chair in green, grey, gold or navy at £129; or the Archie loveseat at M&S in grey or peach for £349.
A sheepskin throw is on trend, too. Try Ikea’s Ullerslev (£35) and The Dartmoor Shepherd’s Herdwick fleece (£130).
