Autumn and winter home inspiration

Now the clocks have gone back and it's dark by early evening I find it incredibly comforting to transform the home into a welcoming abode. Walking along the cold autumn streets I am drawn to windows filled with a warm glow, flickering candles, lights that twinkle and that feeling of homeliness created by lighting. Achieving that ambiance is easy with some clever use of a range of light fixtures in the various rooms in your house. 

For the living room I like to have different types of light to suit the occasion and what you are doing. Wall and ceiling lights will provide the strongest light for activities but having a table lamp for instance is perfect for when you're sat in an armchair reading a book in a corner of the room. Lighting up corners gives a soft glow to a room; think about combining floor lamps and table lamps to alter the lighting depending on your mood. A mixture of light options such as those available from Lampcommerce  provide excellent options from the aforementioned to floor lamps and recessed spotlights. 

In a sitting room, the ceiling light is often a focal point so chandeliers and pendants work well, illuminating the whole room giving an elegant look. In the autumn I love to layer up the sofa and decorate the room with all kinds of autumnal home accessories, a basket for the firewood, cushions and throws in rich, natural fabrics and a hot water bottle to snuggle up with. This area tends to be the hub of the house where we play games, sit to watch television and the dogs snooze away on the rug. For the colder months I keep a little book shelf in here with my selection of autumn and winter reading to hand so when I get a quiet moment I can nestle down in the chair for a while. For relaxing I buy a lovely collection of fragranced candles for the season - cinnamon, pumpkin, sweet aromas of baking or fresh pine.

Image source; cosy autumn Shutterstock

After autumn family days out we love coming back home, cooking warming food like stews or soups and then eating in our dining room.  I'd love a revamped room with some wooden bench style dining and contemporary lighting over the table such as the Artemide  range to create a Scandinavian designed space - rustic and clean lines. Informal and restful yet accommodating all family activities such as playing board games and my son's homeschool work. 

Two years ago we had a wood burning stove installed and it has been wonderful, aside from saving money on energy bills, it also looks the part for the winter months - logs stacked either side, roaring flames and the hiss and crackle all adds to the effect. It has a feel of the outdoors being brought it, teamed with natural elements and decorations such as stag and bird prints, a vase of winter berried flora and earthy colour palette. 

Image source: Brit+Co

How do you like to cosy up your home for autumn and winter? Do you have different types of lighting in the room too?

*Collaborative post*