3 Tips for Creating the Perfect Autumn Dining Room

3 Tips for Creating the Perfect Autumn Dining Room

It’s on its way here. It starts with a crisp breeze at the end of a warm, clear day; a little shower of rain and overcast skies before the sun gets high enough in the sky to burn it off; that smell of October – you know the one – of chilly air and mulch, just like it always was.

We love summer. We love the heat, the colour, the long days, and long nights – but we also love the fact that it lasts for three months topics, and then it makes room for its perfect complement: autumn.

Autumn has a unique aesthetic, and one that we all find hard to resist; even if you’re the sort to cling to the last of the summer days, it’s hard to deny that watching the world turn golden, sensing that prickle in the air, and enjoying the tastes, smells, and feelings of autumn. Roaring fires, warming spices, steaming drinks – it’s all worth the seasonal cold.

The big, sit-down family meal is a big highlight of Autumn. It’s the time of year to reinstate the roast as a Sunday staple, the hearty weeknight stew, tomato and root vegetable soups, and the more decadent kinds of pudding. Here’s how to turn the table into something magical.

1. Create a rich, warm colour palette

The obvious colours – those shades that, really, need no formal introduction – are the deep pumpkins and forest greens. We would never tell you to steer away from them or try to ‘reinvent’ autumn, but creating a complete colour palette gives you the opportunity to introduce complementary colours.

Rich, deep colours are complemented very well by lighter tones and pastels, so your palette might incorporate a blush pink, a gentle shade of mint, or a buttery yellow. Also, a bright maroon or warm purple can make everything feel complete.

You can incorporate these colours into your tableware, your flowers – even your food and candles. The more you can ‘make seasonal’, the more immersive and welcoming the space will feel.

2. Use your lighting to create that warm, autumnal glow

Cold weather, runny noses, numb fingers, and sodden clothes might have you wishing for summer in the moment, but everything is made very worthwhile when you have the joy of tramping through the doorway, shedding those outer layers, and enjoying the warm welcome of a cosy house. Even walking up the garden path, that rich, honeyed glow from the windows is enough to put you in a better state of mind.

Warm-toned lighting is key here, for obvious reasons, but it’s not just about the bulbs that you screw-in. It’s also about how you create that glow.

Overheads will give you that bright, enveloping warmth, but they’re definitely not ideal for transitioning into the evening – making the home feel a world away from the frost, wind, and rain.

Instead, we’d always recommend you focus on layering your lighting. Introducing two or three decorative lamps into the dining room will create a much better and more versatile ambience – one that will warm the windowpanes with a lovely, inviting glow without you needing to keep the main lights on late into the evening.

3. Focus on sumptuous textiles (and plenty of them)

In the summer, a light, linen tablecloth is ideal for creating that relaxed, bohemian atmosphere in the dining table or, even better, al fresco. In the Autumn, you should take advantage of the fact that layering those heavier textiles across your table is definitely, decidedly in.

Choose table linen that fits with your colour palette, and make sure you have enough on-hand to layer; start, obviously, with the tablecloth, and top with a runner down the table’s centre, place settings, mats for steaming pots of casserole or platters of biscuits, and napkins.

To make the space more inviting, have a few seat cushions sewn up in a complementary fabric. Something like our Buriam print in orange captures the very essence of autumn with that rich, cinder toffee hue. As a weave, it also offers that strong, robust texture that just seems to go hand in hand with home décor for the cooler months.

We adore autumn. Any season that brings a colour palette as beautiful and warming as this one deserves a grand reception in the home. The autumn table is so important as we retreat into the homes and focus on those long gatherings around the dinner table, over steaming food and drinks. Embrace colour, light, and rich texture for a beautiful gathering space.