One of our favourite things about living in the UK is getting to enjoy the full mix of seasons and all the wonderful things they have to offer. We were blessed with a pretty glorious summer this year which we embraced whole-heartedly by welcoming in all the natural light and sunshine-inspired colours we possibly could, but now autumn is here we’re ready to change things up! Autumn conjures up images of vibrant red and orange leaves carpeting the ground, yellow trees and rich brown conkers. It is a beautiful and cosy time of year which deserves to be celebrated, and not just because of Halloween.

It’s becoming a popular trend to update your home’s interior to reflect each season. We’re not talking changing all the furniture, or re-painting walls, but simply adding a few little touches to celebrate and reflect the time of year. The kitchen is a great place to do this as it’s the heart of the home and a place where we all spend plenty of time. Plus there tends to be ample opportunity for displaying things.

If you’re not sure how to bring the autumnal vibes into your kitchen, allow us to help. Here are some quick and easy suggestions for embracing the year’s most naturally colourful season. You may end up loving it so much that you want to keep it all year round.

1. Add autumnal touches to the focal point of your room

Most rooms have a focal point in them, whether you realise it or not. In a sitting room for example it is often a fireplace or media wall, but it’s essentially whichever part of the room your eye is drawn to first. In your kitchen this may be an island, the cooker and extractor, the dining table, or even a door if you have a long galley style kitchen. Whatever your kitchen focal point is, this is where we would recommend focussing any autumn inspired changes if you want maximum impact.

Depending on how permanent you want your autumn look to be you could look at adding warm orange lighting around your island, or switching your extractor fan to a warm copper version. If you want a more seasonal option then simply choose these areas to focus your autumn decorations on as they are the locations that will have the most visual impact.

2. Use your kitchen worktops to display rustic accessories

One of our favourite things about autumn is how many natural wonders show themselves at this time of year. Our love of conkers was established in childhood and is still very much alive today. School harvest festivals bring back memories of a glorious array of weird and wonderful vegetables which are not only great to eat, but look great on display too. Mother nature provides in abundance during the autumn months, so let’s celebrate all she has to offer.

This can be achieved very simply and inexpensively. Why not use those conkers you’ve collected by pouring them into a vase? Interspersed with fairy lights they can look truly striking. Alternatively you could place autumnal fruits like apples into an open mason jar or bowl, or arrange pumpkins, squashes and marrows on wooden boards. This creates a really hearty, homely feel which makes you want to snuggle up and get cosy with a hot drink.

Another really simple way to add autumnal decorative touches to your worksurfaces is with things such as new tea towels and oven gloves. These are really inexpensive but are a great way to add colour and texture in keeping with the season to your home.

3. Place subtle autumn touches throughout your kitchen

If you don’t feel your kitchen has a focal point, or if it does but it’s heavily utilised and unsuitable for carrying the bulk of your autumn décor, then instead we’d recommend placing subtle autumnal items throughout the kitchen, everywhere except the focal point.

A great way of adding a subtle autumn vibe is through brickwork or orange-toned tiles. Quarry tiles have a gorgeous orange colour which look lovely on a floor, but also work really well individually as coasters. Exposed brick walls are absolutely stunning, but did you know you can also create the effect through wallpaper? Much quicker and less expensive to implement but the effect is great!

Bringing in wood and other natural textures is another great, subtle way to give a nod to autumn. Spice racks and wooden crates are useful but decorative items that invoke the time of year.
Placing decorative items on shelving is also a really effective way of adding autumnal touches without it dominating your kitchen.

4.Introduce seasonal foliage for softness and interest

There are lots of beautiful plants that thrive at this time of year which can be brought into the home for a touch of autumn. Cyclamen are fantastic for adding colour with their large, heart-shaped leaves and pretty flowers. The silver vine, Satin Pothos is another beautiful plant which thrives in autumn, with its silverly leaves almost glittering in the late afternoon sunshine.

If caring for living plants isn’t your forte then take a look at some of the fantastic faux plants and flowers available now. Pampas grass and orange/gold foliage are striking and fashionable, while berries give a very seasonally appropriate look. The advantages of faux flowers are not only that they require no maintenance, but typically spring/summer flowering varieties such as peonies are available all year round in an array of gorgeous, autumnal colours.

5. Reorganise your kitchen for the new season

When designing an autumn-inspired kitchen much of the focus is on the aesthetics, but as we all know, the most important thing for a kitchen is for it to be well functioning. Therefore as the seasons change it is a great idea to reorganise your kitchen to suit your needs. Just as we pack away our summer wardrobes until next year, the same should be done in the kitchen.

If you’re unlikely to need your ice cream maker or barbeque utensils until the warmer weather reappears, pack them away to a less prominent location to make way for their autumn/winter counterparts.

Autumn is all about soups, roast dinners and stews, so make way for your slow cooker, dig out those roasting dishes and reacquaint yourself with the hand blender. Having a good reorganise at the start of the season will make cooking so much calmer and easier as you’ll be able to locate all the appliances and utensils you need with ease.

If you’re feeling inspired by the change in season, why not get in touch with us to discuss how we could make your autumn kitchen dreams a reality. At Kitchenroom we cover the entire Oxfordshire area and beyond, including Didcot, Oxford, Abingdon, Wantage, Wallingford, Grove, Newbury, Henley on Thames.

With over 30 different kitchen styles available, we can help you find the perfect one to make your dream a reality. What’s more, with Kitchenroom you can always be assured of:

• First class personal service from start to finish
• 18 mm Rigid (assembled) wall and base units with doors already fitted
• 8 cabinet colour options (so not just white / ivory or oak) to match the colour of the kitchen
• 2 mm ABS edged cabinets
• Soft close Blum doors & drawers that come with a lifetime guarantee
• 25 year guarantee on our units / 10 years on Solid wood kitchens / 7 years on MDF kitchens
• A typical lead time of 3 – 4 weeks

We can supply only or supply and arrange the fit of your new kitchen where we will take care of the whole project from start to finish

Want to know more?

Why not take a look at some of our recently completed kitchen installations?

Click here to see our range of fitted kitchens.