It's nice to update your home for the season, and one easy way to do this is with the decor. But that doesn't mean you need to get the paintbrush out every time you fancy a change! If you keep your home fairly neutral it means you can have fun with accessories without it ever looking overwhelming. If you're looking to update your neutral living room for autumn, here are some ideas.

ADD TEXTURE

Chunky cable knit cushions and throws look ultra cosy and snuggly for the colder weather. Fluffy and  faux furs are also a good choice, as well as soft and comfy fleece. These kinds of textures will bring warmth and interest into the room. Pile them up on beds, armchairs and sofas to instantly make your home look more autumnal.

ADD COLOUR

Obvious autumn colours are reds, burnt oranges, coppers and golds- shades that reflect the changing leaves. But any dark shades are good choices for autumn and winter. Burgundy and berry reds, deep purples, dark green and navy. Bringing in these kinds of rich shades will instantly transform your neutral room and make it look perfect for the colder seasons. Another way to add colour to the room is by displaying seasonal flowers. Things like sunflowers, gerberas and dahlias look really pretty, you could either treat yourself to a bunch every couple of weeks or cut some from your garden if you have any flowering. 

ADD PATTERN

If the rest of your decor is fairly simple and neutral, you can really have fun with pattern. For example you could add a fun accent chair to a plain three piece suite. You could liven up a plain bed with tonnes of patterned soft furnishings. Tartan is a very trendy choice over the autumn, you could also get things like cushions with leaf designs printed on or rustic floral designs. Again they will bring in interest and cosiness which is ideal for the autumn.

ADD DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES

Finally you can finish off the look with decorative accessories. This could be with scented candles, homemade pot pourri or an autumn leaf wreath on your front door. You could scour the shops for any other seasonal little bits and pieces too. If you have a gallery wall in your home, you could switch out some of the frames with cute autumn inspired prints.

How do you decorate your home for the autumn?

It's all well and good decorating the inside of your home to perfection, but if the outside looks scruffy it will let down the overall look. The outside of your house is the first thing people will see, and so it's worth spending time making it look nice. This will boost the value of your property if you're looking to sell, but even if you're not it's a good way to take pride in your home and make sure it looks it's very best. Here are some of the ways you can create kerb appeal.

TIDY UP

This one is easy, but can make a dramatic difference. If there's anything at the front of your home that shouldn't be there, tidy it into a shed or garage or put it where it's supposed to be. This could be things like garden tools, childrens toys, shoes and bikes. Clear any litter that's blown in and rake up any leaves. Once everything is clear it will instantly make it look nicer and more well kept.

MAINTAIN THE GARDEN

This could involve mowing the lawn, cutting back plants and trees and deadheading flowers. When your garden looks maintained it shows that someone has made an effort and actually cares about it. To go a step further you could plant seeds and bulbs so they flower every year and make your garden look beautiful without much effort on your part. You could replace any cracked slabs, and overseed your lawn to make it look thicker and address any bald patches. 

PUT UP HANGING BASKETS

Hanging baskets near the front door look really pretty and are a great way to create kerb appeal. In the spring and summer you have a wide range of gorgeous flowers you could choose from, in the colder months go for evergreens or see if you can find any winter flowering plants at your local garden centre.

PUT DOWN A WELCOME MAT

A door mat is practical as it stops people trudging mud through the house, but is also a good way to create a welcoming entrance. There a loads of cute designs you could choose from. Most doormats will need replacing every year, so if your is past it's best it's worthwhile picking up a new one.

CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS

Splattered and dirty windows don't create a good impression when looking at a house, and they're not very nice to look out of either! Give your arms a workout by giving all the windows and doors in your house a scrub, and call up a local window cleaner to do the outside if you're not great on ladders. Don't forget the sills and any handles. Having matching window treatments such as vertical blinds up at the windows can make everything look uniform and finished too.

How do you make your home look it's best from the outside?  

Throwing a cocktail party? With so many different drinks variations these days it can be difficult to know exactly what to offer your guests. A good way to go about it is to set up a 'bar' area, which could be on a cart or just on a table. And provide a range of different ingredients so guests are able to make the cocktail of their choice. Here are some of the things you'll need.

ALCOHOL

If you're throwing a cocktail party then a keeping the alcohol flowing is essential! Some of the spirits you could consider are vodka, whiskey, brandy, rum and gin. You could also add bottles of liqueurs such as Pimms, Irish cream and Amaretto. These will make the base of most cocktails, and having a selection available will give your guests a wide range of different drinks to create. Other things you could consider are wine for making cocktails such as sangria, and even beer and cider. This also caters for people who don't drink hard alcohol.

SYRUPS AND SWEETENERS

These are added to a number of cocktails to offset the strong, bitter taste of hard alcohol. Grenadine is a staple when you're having a cocktail party. Monin syrups are good choices too as they come in a variety of different flavours. You can also make your own fruit syrups easily. Boil down some soft berries of your choice (strawberry and blueberry both work well) in a pan with some water, sugar and lemon juice. Once the fruits have broken down and released their natural sweetness, you can blend the mixture or pass it through a sieve. Put it into a glass bottle and refrigerate until you're ready to use. Just a small amount mixed into a cocktail can make a dramatic difference. 

JUICES AND MIXERS

It's useful to have a range of different fruit juices on offer. Orange juice, apple juice and pineapple juice are handy for tropical flavoured cocktails. The tartness of cranberry makes cranberry juice a good choice, and coconut water. Don't forget fresh milk or cream if you'll be serving cocktails such as White Russians. Other mixers are also important, things like flavoured fizzy drinks, carbonated water and tonic water. 

SLICED FRUITS AND GARNISHES

A cocktail isn't complete without a slice of fruit and a garnish! You could slice pineapples into rings, and then into wedges. Cut a slit upwards through the point so that it can sit on the side of the glass. Slices of lemons and limes, glacier cherries and olives are also great drinks garnishes. Along with herbs such as mint and even rosemary. Don't forget cocktails sticks so you can display your garnishes on the side of the glass! The Food Network has some cool ideas about how you can put garnishes together.

ICE

To keep drinks nice and cold you'll need plenty of ice. If you invest in an ice bucket, this will keep ice cubes cold and you can refill it from the freezer as needed. If your refridgerator doesn't have an ice machine, you could buy a number of bags of ice so you have plenty for the evening. No one wants a warm drink, and ice is an important thing not to overlook.

GLASSES

Finally you'll need a good selection of glasses. From hi-ball tumblers to hurricane glasses to martini glasses. This will make your cocktails look extra impressive too. You can find them cheaply from places like Ikea, making sure you have plenty to go round is essential.  

Have you ever thrown a cocktail party? 

Autumn is the time of year that we all look into making our homes cosy again, ready to spend lots of time feeling snug and warm inside. One way to make your home feel extra seasonal for the autumn is with fragrance. Autumn scents are based around warming spices, vanilla and seasonal fruits and so these are the kinds of things to look for when picking your home fragrances. 

SCENTED CANDLES

Scented candles are amazing in the autumn. You get the beautiful scent and the soft flickering light is exactly when you need in the evenings when the weather starts getting chilly. Brands like Yankee Candle are great for unique and unusual scent combinations. High end homeware brands and department stores will also stock amazing luxury candles. Jo Malone, Neom and Diptyque are good choices if you're looking to spend a little more. 

REED DIFFUSERS

Reed diffusers are a great way to scent your home. Since you can only light candles when you're around to keep an eye on them, you can't have the scent being released all day. Whereas reed diffusers can just be left and will release fragrance constantly until they run out. They tend to be more subtle, but having them on places like your desk or on your bedside table means you get a whiff of the gorgeous aroma whenever you're nearby. 

GEL AND HANGING AIR FRESHENERS

Again these tend to be a bit more subtle, but are an excellent way to scent smaller areas of your home such as cupboards and wardrobes. Gel air fresheners last for ages, and can be places strategically around the home so they're out of sight but lightly fragrancing the air. A handy tip to know is that car air fresheners are an amazing way to freshen wardrobes and cupboards. 

PLUG IN AIR FRESHENERS

Plug in air fresheners are fantastic, they really fill your home with scent especially if you dot a few of them around. The good thing about them is they can be switched down to a lower setting for more of a subtle fragrance, or switched off completely. Whenever you have these plugged in, you'll often find guests commenting on how lovely your home smells. Plugging one in by your front door means you'll be greeted by the gorgeous scent every time you come home.

POT POURRI

Pot pourri makes a cute, rustic decoration when displayed in a nice bowl but also smells incredible too. You could buy some or make your own using dried flowers, dried fruit, pine cones and whole spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. If your pot pourri begins to lose it's scent, you can rejuvenate it with a few drops of essential oil.

How do you make your home smell beautiful?