The Autominal Home.

[sheddie]

I have been busy this afternoon going for my Autominal look in my home. this means I have put my cosy red chenile tablecloth on my pine table, red or gold cushion covers on, knitted or tartan rugs here and there over the back of chairs, china candlesticks swopped for bright brass ones, cosy lamp shades, door curtain at the back door and a water bottle hung on every bedroom door, I do love my hot water bottle, don't you? I have yet to do my entrance, I must tell you about that in another post.Do you swop your decor items at the beginning of each season?

[dinger]

Did you get the tartan rugs from Brigadoon or did Rod give you them

[sheddie]

Now that would be telling -all I'm saying is my bag was a bit heavier when I left brigadon, but shhhhhh.

[dinger]

Thats cos you shoved poor Rrrr in it

[jazzactivist]

I change some of my decor to suit the seasons. Today I have put a cosy red knitted throw and cushions on the sofa, and swapped a couple of summer scenes paintings for wintery ones. I have also filled up the log basket. I will also put my toffee coloured tablecloth on the dining room table and swap my light coloured raffia covered plant pots for darker ones. That's it. It is amazing what a different just swapping a few things makes to the atmosphere in a room.

[Crocus]

No, not really. What you've done sounds lovely Sheddie. I love the tartan rugs. Regarding the door curtain. Our old front door's wooden threshhold is so worn out with many feet crossing over it through the last 100 or so years, it caused quite a dent. Which means that there's an opening between the bottom of the door and the threshhold. Perfect for the wind to blow through! When we purchased the door from the antique shop, the owner wanted to replace the wooden threshhold, but of course I refused. To me it adds a lot of character to this door and to the atmosphere we were looking for. I think a nice thick velvety door curtain may keep out the draught.

[sheddie]

It does crocus and I love the cosy look and feel of one, although I live in the town once in I could be in the heart of the country or anywhere.I also hang a hot water bottle on each bedroom door, I love to cuddle a bottle!!

[Crocus]

Now I know why there were fewer rugs in my bedroom! Couldn't understand when getting out of bed, I stepped onto the bare floor! Next year, on the anniversary party in Brigadoon you'd better take it back eh?

Love your avatar - it resembles our mail box!

[franbee]

Crocus, do you not have a draught excluder for your door? That's either a bought thing or a hand made sausage shaped roll that sits against the door. They are really good at keeping draughts at bay, easy to make and good for recycling.
I'm busy making a seasonal change, a pair of fabric blinds to pull over the front window behind the curtains to keep the east winds out. Fran.

[Oola]

We don't really change our decor for the seasons, only during the festive period. The only changes that tend to take place are a couple of blankets hang around the place and the log basket fills up, and the fire goes on.

[Katelb]

We don't change much either,but the fire goes on and an imitation fur fleece lined throw goes on the bed,but that's about it. Actually,sheddie, my husband uses a tartan rug to put over his legs when he falls asleep in his chair,and come to think of it,we are awash with them,5 in all,I had never really thought about them before,we have two in the car and no,I didn't pinch them from Brigadoon!!! although there were some really lovely ones there weren't there.

[keepersdaughter]

Hello Sheddie, your home sounds so lovely; cosy, warm and inviting. I love the idea of hanging a hot water bottle on the bedroom door! I hope you don't mind if I take a page from your book and copy your clever idea! I didn't get a say, unfortunately, in the pick of the house we live in at present. My husband came over to the states where he had to do some training and had only five days to find a house. It's VERY open plan, not my style at all, just one door to the downstairs loo - everything else is just kind of one interconnected space. Lots of windows and hardly any integral walls, so we have pictures, etc. stuck gathering dust in the basement garage. (Obviously doors to bedrooms, baththroom, etc.) It's hard to create a feeling of warmth and cosyness though. I love the feeling as the nights draw in, of open fires, blankets to cuddle up in on a chair when the air takes on a chill, and a hot water bottle to snuggle and take the chill off the sheets. Got any more warm and inviting home tips?

[Redstart]

We change our bedspread - from a cream cotton one to Welsh tapestry one. Bowls of quinces and ornamental pumpkins replace flowers in the "non-business" end of the kitchen. We now pull the curtains on at night to shut the dark out.

The flowers on the dining table change according to season and we still have flowers in the garden that we can cut (currently they are cosmos and michaelmas daisies); come November these will be replaced by a dried flower/dried seedheads,etc. arrangement, and candles. That will stay until December 6th and will then be replaced with an advent decoration, which will be revamped for Christmas and then there will be something else after New Year; the candles get put away and living flowers return round about the spring equinox with the spring blossom and bulbs as they appear: witchhazel, catkins, forsythia; primroses, snowdrops, scilla, tulips and narcissus.

I like the house to reflect the seasons of the year

[Crocus]

Hi Franbee, no I don't have one of those, perhaps I can make one. At the moment I just put a cushion against the door. Thanks for the idea!

[sunflower]

Now, I learnt this from my Gran. She also used to change the living room twice a year. Come Spring she would put up light flowery curtains and the three peices suite would be covered in pale yellows, green and grey covers, also the cushions. In winter there would be deep coloured velvet curtains and warm textered fabric on the sofas. I think also it must be good for our sense of wellbeing. It;s like moving home without the hassle. Something fresh, dynamic. My lavendar tartan and home knitted covers come out during winter, and I make sure the fireplace and mantelpiece reflects the seasons. LOVE the idea of the hot water bottles hanging on each bedroom door. I never have a cover on mine, but last year, my best friend gave me a water bottle with a cover she had knitted for Christmas. Lovely to cuddle when reading in bed.

[sheddie]

Always handy too to have the odd candle holder around with candle and a box of matches handy in case of power cuts, also a torch.In the summer I buy winter things like fire irons, fireguards,red cushions and winter buy things for spring. This way you can buy cheaply.

[eleanor2]

that does it all this talk of table cloths.i 'll scrub my pine table and put my holly table cloth on. last night heard my daughters coming for two weeks. she will be taking me christmas shopping here there and everywhere.so i will have to make my house christmasy a bit early in her honour.

[Healing Hands]

How cosy sheddie, I do not really change my house around for the Autumn/Winter the only thing I do do and that is get my chimney swept and the logs ready to go onto the fire.

[gothfairy]

The only concession I make to the changing seasons, is that when autumn comes along I change the bedlinen. I don't mean I never change it, but that I change colours. From about May to late October it is pretty pastels, with a patchwork bedcover in pale pinks, greens and creams (all old Laura Ashley fabrics), and just one lightweight summerweight duvet in a pale cover. The autumnal look is darker shades, deep burgundy and navy blue, a handmade (again) throw of crocheted fluffy squares in deep shades to chuck over the whole lot. And the winter weight duvet goes in a dark cover.

[Crocus]

Goodness Redstart, I love the Welsh tapestry bedspread!!! I can imagine how lovely it must look. I've got a tartan tablecloth (not original of course) but it looks quite nice with gothicy candle holders, and during the Christmas season I use pine cones, heather, etc. to enhance the atmosphere, even if it's high summer!
In summer I use a white embroidered cotton tablecoth as a bedspread, and in winter also white, but a candlewicky type bedspread. That's about all I change from one season to another. But there's so many examples here of what can be done, I might just steal a few! Problem is with our winter not as cold as the UK's and a scorching summer........decor pretty much stay the same, apart from a few things.

[dinger]

talking of rugs I have one my dad brought me 40 years ago .It is a bit threadbare but I won't part with it.

[sheddie]

I have brought some copper leaves in and they look lovely.