September always feels like the start of a new year to me. It’s this time of year that I like to make big changes - organising my wardrobe, cutting my hair, and making updates to my home. That back-to-school feeling never fades as you age, and combined with the lure of a new season, it provides the incentive for making changes.

This year it feels even more important to create a cosy ambience in our homes, with the threat of a second wave of Covid-19 forcing us to spend more time at home this winter. Here are a few subtle changes I will be making to my own home over the coming months, along with suggestions for how to make your own place more autumnal.

One of the simplest ways to welcome the new season into your home is to store away lightweight summer textiles such as linen and cotton, updating with heavier, cosier fabrics to snuggle up with during the colder months. Your bedspread, sofa cushions, blankets, throws, rugs and curtains can all easily be swapped for autumnal hues and warm materials to instantly give your home a seasonal update.

Fresh blooms always feel welcome in summer but when autumn arrives, dried and preserved flowers and grasses just feel more seasonal. Inject a burst of autumnal colour into your home with Shida’s Gatsby, Roma or Manhattan bouquets, mimicking the colours of the leaves outdoors. You could also create your own wreath to display on the wall, using a wire ring and an assortment of dried flowers and grasses.

If you want to give a room a fresh new look, try repositioning your furniture to see if there is a way to use the space more efficiently. Think about the differences between how you use a room in summer and in autumn – perhaps your favourite armchair could be brought closer to the fire or could be moved up into your bedroom to create a cosy reading nook? You’ll be surprised at how different your home can look by just moving a few things around.

If you want to make a more permanent change, now is the perfect time to give your walls a fresh lick of paint. Whether you’re refreshing white walls or braving colour, painting will make your home feel clean and fresh. Try using a limewash paint such as Bauwerk to create a textured look or embrace the seasonal landscape and paint a feature wall in a bold autumnal hue such as rust or forest green.

Bright overhead lights can feel cold and unwelcoming, so turn off the ‘big’ lights and embrace a softer, warmer glow in your home. Invest in beautiful table lamps to place in corners around the room, light candles and enjoy the glow of their flickering flames, and when the temperatures drop allow the roar of an open fire to be the main light source in the room.