The leaves beginning to fall will always feel like a marker to turn our attention towards our homes, with a few seasonal updates to prepare for months spent enjoying time inside. A kitchen can be a forgotten area to spruce up, but one that gets the most amount of action in the winter months.
While preparing for a functional cooking space is key, style and organisation is just as vital to ensure your space is well suited to autumnal months where family roasts, dinner parties, and after-school activities dominate. It truly is the time to hunker down, and as such, the time to treat yourself to a few seasonal upgrades to make your kitchen feel like an inviting, homely space.
1. Focus on creating ambience
Autumn truly is the time to hunker down and enjoy home comforts, but you'll need to set the scene. If, like me, you forbid the big light from being turned on, you'll want to focus on your kitchen lighting ideas.
There are so many dark corners in a kitchen that benefit from a warm glow to welcome in winter evenings. Whether you need extra illumination while cooking or you want to add light to a kitchen island or table, rechargeable lamps will be the perfect addition.
'Layering different light sources also gives you the flexibility needed in the kitchen - whether a bright, functional light for cooking or cleaning, or a softer, more intimate setting for entertaining,' says Massimo Buster Minale, founder of lighting specialists Buster + Punch.
'These functional yet stylish changes not only enhance the way a kitchen works from day to day, but instantly transforms its look and feel for the new season.'
This is a great compact option if you don't have much space to work with.
This bobbin lamp adds the perfect on-trend touch to a kitchen.
This rechargeable lamp from Dunelm has a colour-changing bulb if you want to change the tone or jazz up the colour in your kitchen.
2. Take stock of cupboards
Regardless of whether your life revolves around the academic calendar, September will always feel like somewhat of a new year, making it the perfect time to reassess and reorganise our kitchen storage ideas.
We're about to spend many months enveloped in the comfort of our own homes, so it's the ultimate time to clean out kitchen cupboards and ensure that they're clean, well-organised and nothing has been forgotten about.
While taking everything out and cleaning the shelves is a great place to start, purchasing some new storage solutions will take your declutter to the next level.
Treat yourself to some new cleaning products so that your kitchen smells as good as it looks.
These will hide bits and bobs while adding a rustic touch.
I love this Joseph Joseph fridge organiser for keeping different ingredients tidy.
3. Warm up with textural accessories
I'm a big fan of shopping your own home when it comes to seasonal updates. While a few new purchases are fun, just as much dopamine can be found from redecorating kitchen shelving or propping a few new accessories against a worktop.
Whether you choose to shop new or use what you have, textured natural materials in warm wood tones will be the ultimate autumn pick.
'Textured details are a great way to add a homely feel to the kitchen,' says Al Bruce, founder of kitchen company Olive & Barr. 'Start small by stacking wooden boards on the work surface, add in large seasonal foliage into a vase and replace tired tea towels for fresh linens.'
'If space is available, consider a reclaimed wooden shelf, this adds a real sense of character and contrast to the modern kitchen cabinets,'
4. Swap out soft furnishings
Soft furnishings don't just feature in a living room. They're just as vital a component of a kitchen too, and swapping them out for the seasons is a small change that can make a big difference.
Tea towels are a quick fix that can add so much warmth to a kitchen, and gingham styles are a personal favourite that look super cosy in the autumn months.
On a larger scale, adding a rug will add warmth underfoot, particularly if you have tile floors, and turn a practical cooking space into the heart of your home.
A runner is perfect for adding warmth underfoot when standing at a hob or kitchen island. This Ruggable option is so autumnal.
Jute is the ultimate material for a high-traffic space. You could put this in the centre of a kitchen or under a table.
If you have a round table in your kitchen, match the shape with this jute round rug from John Lewis.
5. Upgrade your small appliances
While style updates will make your kitchen feel on-trend this autumn, it's the practical additions that will make the biggest difference to your daily routine.
As it's nearing time to hunker down with warming, home-cooked meals, upgrading your small appliances to aid cooking them will be money well spent.
A slow cooker is the perfect solution for those who balance busy days with family dinners while a soup maker will have you whipping up easy yet delicious lunches with little to no effort.
This Ninja Foodi Possiblecooker tops the charts for our best slow cooker - the possibilities quite literally are endless.
Whether it's chunky veg or a smooth creamy soup that takes your fancy, this Ninja Foodi blender does it all.
If you don't have space for an extra appliance, consider upgrading your cookware. A cast iron pot will last for years.
Do you have any other autumn winter upgrades you love to make to your kitchen?
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