Layering in the home

There are many reasons to romanticise the dawn of autumn, from the rich jewel tones of the turning leaves to the cosiness that both our homes and our wardrobes assume at the first breath of cool air. For us, nothing says autumn quite like the strewing of throws and blankets about the house or the early drawing of curtains and the illuminating of candles and reading lamps. As much as we do with our wardrobes, it’s time to layer up the home for the colder months, creating a warm haven in which to while away long autumnal evenings.

However, there is an art to layering in the home. While the ‘more is more approach certainly works for some, we like to keep things looking curated yet cosy, refined yet informal. As ever, adding warmth to the home at both a visual and practical level does not require the accumulation of yet more belongings. At Kelling Designs, we prioritise using as much as possible our clients’ pre-existing collection of accessories, artwork and furniture to minimise waste and bring together properties that feel instantly like home. Working on this principle, here are some top tips for creating a layered look in the home.

First, the floor

The first place to start with layering up in the home is with the floor. Rugs and carpets can dramatically improve both actual and perceived warmth, and they are perfect vehicles for adding pattern, colour and texture to any space. The options are endless, from delicate kilims to minimalistic Berber and contemporary jute styles. Add a large rug to a living room to give it a jewellery-box, cocooning feel, or dress a larger floor space with lots of different rugs. The latter approach is best in kitchens or open-plan living spaces with flagstone or hardwood floors.

Throwing it together

Another easy place to start when layering up your home for the autumn and winter seasons is with throws, blankets and scatter cushions. It’s useful to keep a stack of time-worn throws, collected on your travels or given as gifts, on hand to drape over the back of sofas and armchairs, adding texture, pattern, colour and a reassuring informality to any room. There is something rather lovely about finding yourself a touch too chilly on the sofa at the end of the day and reaching behind you to pull a Kantha throw around your shoulders or drape over a snoozing loved one.

Throws should be unfussy; they should be able to come with you into the kitchen to stir your Sunday sauce or pop on another piece of toast. Some of them can even double up as fantastically warm dog-walking scarves that can take you from the sofa to the park and back again without so much as a shiver. The point is that these throws should be used with abandon and flung about the living room from person to person, shared and draped and nestled as part of the choreography of a cosy evening at home.

Layer, layer on the wall…

While most tips for layering up the home centre on tactility and warmth, creating a cosy, elegant space depends on ‘vertical layering,’ too. This involves layering pattern, colour and other points of visual interest in the context of the wall, whether it’s painted in a colour or hung with a wallpaper that you love. Think about the layering process from the foreground to the background; for example, what furniture will sit in front of the wall, and how will the upholstery or materials interact with the backdrop? Layering a floral wallpaper with an exquisite velvet sofa will bring pattern and texture into conversation, especially if the colour of the sofa contrasts with the predominant colour of the wallpaper.

You can also think about how to accessories this vignette, as it were. Is there a piece of art that would break up the swathe of wallpaper pattern, for example, or a scatter cushion to enrich the velvet upholstery? Lamps, side tables, shelving and other accessories contribute huge amounts of style and personality to this method of layering.