Decor Accessories That Make Your Home Smell & Feel Like Autumn
As the days shorten and a crisp chill winds its way into the air, your home should feel like a warm hug from the inside. Autumn isn’t just a change in weather — it’s a sensorial experience. Beyond cosy throws and rich colour palettes, the secret lies in the scents, textures, and carefully chosen accessories that evoke harvest warmth.
Below, you’ll find inspiration and practical tips (with links to your luxe pieces) to make your space feel — and smell — like fall.
Why Smell Matters in Seasonal Styling
We often think of décor in terms of looks and textures — but scent is one of the fastest routes to nostalgia and atmosphere. One of the easiest yet most impactful fall upgrades is swapping out floral or summery candles for fall-scented ones (think woods, spice, pumpkin, apple) as soon as September rolls in.
Similarly, lifestyle blogs on styling home fragrance stress that placing a candle or diffuser without considering its base or surroundings can make it feel like an afterthought. Instead, treat scented objects as integral to your styling — anchor them on a base, surround them with seasonal accents, or integrate them into your vignettes.
Key Autumnal Decor Accessories (Your Product Pairings & Styling)
Here are a few hero pieces you can use as the backbone of your autumn refresh — along with styling ideas to appeal to all senses.
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Broste Copenhagen Edith Rug in Camel Beige
This warm, neutral rug with camel tones is a perfect foundation for layering. It exudes that rich, slightly earthy base you want in fall. Place it in your living room or dining area to ground richer accent colours and plush throws. -
Broste Copenhagen Edith Rug
If this version has a variant in deeper or warmer tones, it's a beautiful alternative. Use it to anchor seating arrangements or under a reading nook for extra tactile comfort. -
Lamp Small Round Gesso
Lighting transforms mood. With this lamp, use a warm bulb (2700K–3000K) to cast amber light that enhances autumn shades. Consider switching the lampshade to a deep rust, terracotta, or olive hue for seasonal impact. -
Kefena White Pouffe
This pouffe is a lovely neutral accent that invites tactile engagement. Drape a soft throw over it or use it beside your scented elements (candles, diffusers) to soften the area visually. -
Teak Root 1.3m Round Dining Table with Glass Top
The natural teak root base has rustic, organic texture that aligns beautifully with autumn. On the glass top, you can style a candle vignette, seasonal décor (pinecones, gourds), or a diffuser tray without covering the sculptural base.
Use these pieces as anchors. Around them, layer in textured throws, velvet cushions, dried foliage, seasonal ceramics, and warm metallic accents (copper, brass) to create that hearth-like quality. House Beautiful highlights layering textiles (throws, rugs, pillows) as a signature of designer-approved fall styling.
Scented Product Ideas (Market Inspirations)
To bolster that “smell like autumn” feel, sprinkle in a few high-impact scented accessories. Here are product concepts (some real, some stylised ideas) you can reference or adapt:
| Product Type | Scent Notes / Concept | Styling Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Jar Candle (pumpkin chai, amber resin, clove) | Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, oak, clove — classic autumn palette. | Group two or three in varying heights on a tray. Use a wood riser or books as a base — styling tips from candle blogs suggest anchoring your candle in a base gives it more visual weight. |
| Reed Diffuser (autumn leaves, cedar wood, apple) | A lasting scent that doesn't require flame | Place near entryway or a shelving unit. Top the diffuser tray with a few dried leaves or acorns for extra visual intrigue. |
| Wax Melts / Scent Cubes | Seasonal blends like spiced pear, chestnut, baked apple | Display in a decorative ceramic dish or wooden bowl — use the root table’s sculptural silhouette to elevate the look. |
| Scented Sachets or Potpourri | Dried orange, cinnamon sticks, star anise, raw vanilla, cloves | Tuck a sachet into a decorative bowl on the coffee table or inside a decorative pottery vase. |
| Electric / Plug-in Oil Diffuser | Swipe between blends: one day woody amber, next time fresh apple or chai | Multifunctional and safe — ideal in narrower rooms like corridors or bathrooms. |
Tip: Rotate your scent profile over the season — early autumn leans toward fresh apples and crisp leaves, while mid-autumn gravitates into deeper amber, clove, and wood smoke tones.
Designer Tips, Tricks & DIY Touches to Elevate the Experience
1. Create Sensory Vignettes
Don’t just drop a candle in the middle of a table — surround it with curated elements. Use natural accents (pinecones, mini pumpkins, dried eucalyptus) to physically echo the scent notes. Candle styling blogs often recommend layering embellishments so your scented pieces feel like design elements, not afterthoughts.
2. Respect Scent Load
Too many candles or scents in one room can feel cloying. Designers advise using scented pieces in different zones (living room candle, diffuser in entryway, sachets in drawer) rather than clustering them all in one spot.
3. Swap Soft Furnishings
One of House Beautiful’s frequent fall décor suggestions: swap out pastel throws for heavier knits or boucle, switch floral cushions for deeper tones (rust, moss, chocolate), and bring in a tactile pouffe (like your Kefena White Pouffe) to soften hard surfaces.
4. Layer Your Lighting
Warm, dimmable lighting gives depth and supports the sensory mood. Replace or overlay lampshades with seasonal shades (burnt orange, deep green, rust) to diffuse light more softly.
5. Use Natural Elements
Autumn is all about bringing the outdoors in — dried grasses, pampas, seed pods, acorns, twigs. These natural elements not only look seasonal but help enhance and echo the scents you’re layering.
6. DIY Scent Boosters
You don’t have to rely solely on store-bought items. Here are a few simple DIY options:
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Stovetop Potpourri: Simmer apple slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, orange peel, and a splash of vanilla or allspice in water on low heat. The aroma wafts through your home naturally.
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Baked Cinnamon Pinecones: Clean pinecones, bake them lightly, and then spritz with diluted cinnamon essential oil. Place in bowls or vases.
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DIY Linen Spray: Mix distilled water, a dash of vodka (as fixative), and a blend of essential oils (clove, orange, cinnamon) in a spray bottle. Mist sofas, cushions, curtains, carpets.
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Scent Sachets: Make small fabric pouches with dried spices, pods, or essential-oil infused dried botanicals, then place them in drawers, linen cabinets, or tucked behind cushions.
These natural scent boosters complement your scented candles instead of overwhelming them.
Styling Scenario: Autumn Dinner in Your Space
Imagine your teak root dining table becomes the centrepiece of a fall gathering. On its glass top, layer a low wooden riser. Place three candles in amber or russet vessels in a triangle. Scatter dried maple leaves, a few mini pumpkins or gourds, and a couple of acorns around. Let the root base peek through as sculpture beneath.
Around the table, your Broste Edith Rug in Camel Beige tames the floor and adds warmth. In adjacent corners, your Lamp Small Round Gesso glows softly with a rust-toned shade. A Kefena Pouffe sits nearby, draped with a knit throw and offering a cozy seat for casual chatter after dinner.
Perhaps your reed diffuser sits near the doorway as guests enter, welcoming them with notes of spice and wood. In sideboard drawers or linen baskets, sachets bring the autumn smell even into storage corners.
The layering of scent, texture, natural elements, and ambient light makes the space immersive — visually rich and olfactorily resonant.
