Our House in Autumn
In my blog (What happens next?) I showed you a great exercise that might help you to clear your space, your closets and your mind. I did the same exercise, as I do every year around autumn equinox. The exercise this year helped me to say goodbye to the notion that I always have to do better, making space for something different instead: my personal mission to help make people feel at home. As we retreat into our homes, we have more time to reflect upon what makes us happy. A designated space in your home that allows you to do so, supports you in this process
Out with the old, in with the new?
My autumn decluttering helped me letting go of some furniture and accessories we don’t really need. When it was time to put back the furniture, I could have easily gotten carried away. I would love to put all the toys we trip over in the girls rooms and do them up in the process. I would have gladly done up both the living room and dining room with color, fabrics and more layers (but less stuff) . I immediately got to thinking about a saturated green color on the wall behind the couch (what better way to use any of the new Farrow & Ball colors?). I could maybe go for a different bed with drawers underneath, that would provide us with extra storage space that is so much needed. In short I saw a complete reno happening before my eyes.
But autumn is the time for letting go and moving inward, not starting over. I will leave all of that for spring. So I carefully decided what to leave out and what to put back in. A relatively small change like this can already impact the way you experience a space by a lot. I chose for example to only bring back one armchair. Guess what: it is now my favorite seat. Which is strange, because when there were two chairs, I never used to sit on them.
In with autumn
What I did do after decluttering is to get ready for autumn, room by room. Our bedroom is a beautiful pastel blue and I used white and grey bed linen that matches our gray bed, to cover up for the cooler fall nights. I have a bedmate, a special long pillow that supports us while reading in the bed before we go to sleep, that I also dressed in matching colors.
In the living room I put back the white woolen rug that I use in the cold season, in a color that matches the season perfectly. I created a little reading nook next to the ensuite closet. I moved around a plant in that area to create a sense of place . I changed the pillows in the living room to gray (but I also left the basic green ones). The gray pillows are made of the same fabric that was used to reupholster our vintage chairs: take some advice from me, always use some extra fabric if you reupholster anything, it might come in handy later, to blend in with your interior. I also placed some extra sheepskin rugs and blankets for the colder season ahead. I love flowers, and in this season they usually come in more muted tones, so they match quite well with our living room.
In the dining room I set the table with a beautiful gray table cloth and lilac napkins, while still using our earthy colored table ware to balance the energy of the fall colors. Adding candles in both the living room as well as the dining room of course helped making the darker fall afternoons and evening more bearable.
Letting go: how our autumn house helped me to reset
Although seemingly small, I made some significant changes to my house. Cooler colors, but warm places that will support us through the darker months, allowing us to reflect upon what we want to change come springtime. But for now I will just enjoy spending quality time with my family in our ready-for-autumn home.
Do try this in autumn
- Declutter: remove all clutter, accessories or even furniture
- Let go: of things or thoughts you no longer need in your life
- Restyle: use bedlinen or tableware, add accessories in white and grey colors, that match this seasons energy
