Dawn Matthews | Sept 18, 2024
Autumn Decorating Ideas Using Weathered Wood Accents
15 Minute Read
When the weather starts to cool and the leaves on the trees start to change, many of us make small changes our home décor – and it doesn’t to take a huge amount of time and effort to make our homes feel autumnal. Adding pieces that are made from weathered wood accents can make all the difference.
What is Weathered Wood?
Weathered wood has been aged, either by natural or artificial methods, to create a rustic finish that looks like it has been exposed to the sun, rain, wind and so on. Weathered wood finishes can be grey, silvery, and muted in tone, and surface imperfections may be more noticeable – but these typically add to the appeal of the wood.
At Ben Simpson Furniture, we create weathered wood effects using natural, handcrafted processes to produce furniture with a timeless aesthetic and that brings warmth and texture to spaces throughout the home. The wax finishes we use are carefully chosen and applied by hand to accentuate the natural beauty in each piece of wood, highlighting the grain and any natural flaws.
Why Use Weathered Wood Accents During Autumn?
The colours and textures associated with autumn décor are all to do with what is happening in nature during this time of the year. The reds, browns, and oranges shape our mindsets, and we're ready for hibernation. It is all about that feeling of hygge at this time of year – that’s the lovely feeling of contentment that you get when it is cold out, but you’ve been for a walk and come back to a casserole or a hot chocolate.
Even though the weather outside might be wild, using natural materials such as wood in your home can make for a warm, cosy feel. Weathered wood effects are by their nature autumnal – like the trees outside, they look and feel more mature, although no less beautiful for their exposure to the elements.
Adding weathered wood accents can complement the home during autumn, adding character, and a sense of age to the space, as well as providing different textures. It can add to a rustic space, or can contrast perfectly with modern materials.
How Can You Add Weathered Wood Accents To Your Home?
You might source reclaimed wood, or aged, second hand furniture, create a statement wall using weathered wood, or find smaller décor items such as picture frames to add to your gallery wall; but these are our favourite examples of how to bring weathered wood in.
Weathered wood mantels to add to fireplaces
Is there anything more autumnal than a fire crackling in the hearth while you’re getting cosy with a drink? If there is, we’ve not heard of it. Framing your fireplace with a gorgeous weathered wood mantel makes for a perfect focal point in living rooms, rustic bedrooms, and kitchens – basically, any room that you have a fireplace. Even if you don’t actually light a fire in the space and only have the fireplace there for decoration, a weathered wood mantel could be the perfect accent that you need. There’s inspiration on how to decorate your mantel here.
Weathered wood shelving for displaying autumn décor
There are so many opportunities to bring the outdoors in from September to November – and shelves are one of the best places to put natural autumn décor. Rather than changing your entire home each season, use rustic weathered wood shelves to hold your seasonal accessories.
We’ve talked extensively about how to create the perfect #shelfie, and how to decorate your shelves. So whether you style your shelves purely with decoration in mind, or you’re using them for storage – or a combination of the two – we’ve shared plenty of guidance of how to do it well.
Our range of rustic shelves are available in floating styles, or with brackets or pipes to hold them up – so you can choose the perfect look for your home.
Weathered wood bath caddy
Adding rustic style to your bathroom can be as simple as adding a weathered wooden shelf – and rustic bathroom décor looks great. But adding a weathered wood bath caddy is the perfect addition to tie the whole look together, no matter how often you pull out your favourite bath products to soak in the tub with a glass of wine.
Weathered wood console table
Decorating your hallway is a challenge if you only have a tiny space. But with the right accessories, you can make the most of it – which is where rustic console tables come in. Since they are super-slim, you can add them above radiators, without needing to screw into the wall, and use them in the same way you might use a shelf. We’d add a handy woven bowl as a catch-all or as a place to store your keys.
Where To Buy Bespoke Weathered Wood Accents
Finding perfectly aged weathered wood accents for your home might feel like an impossible job – especially if you’re looking for an item that fits your space perfectly. If hunting round second hand shops would take too long, but you need a certain sized item, look no further.
Every piece of furniture we make is hand made to order, and so if you’re looking for a shelf or a mantel that is a unique size, we can almost always create the perfect piece for you. If you need a piece to be just a few centimetres shorter or longer, simply add the size you want to the order notes. For bespoke orders that are a lot bigger or smaller, drop us a line help@bensimpsonfurniture.com, or call us on 01403 582740.
Natural and Sustainable Accessories to Decorate Your Home in Autumn
Once you have the perfect accents, you need to decorate them! Here’s our favourite natural accessories for decorating in autumn.
🍁 Collect dried leaves of different shapes and sizes and arrange them in jars, use them in wreaths, or add them to smaller flower arrangements.
🌲 Acorns and conkers not only look good and feel great, they really evoke the feeling of autumn. Just keep well out of reach of pets, since they can be poisonous if swallowed. There’s a theory that suggests that if you place conkers strategically throughout your home, they deter spiders from coming in! Even if it doesn’t keep the spiders out, their warm colour and shiny effect looks great.
🪵 Pine cones are another classic autumn decoration, and they look great throughout the winter for decorating around Christmas too. Arrange them in baskets, make garlands with them, or pop them in the fireplace.
🌻 Dried flowers and grasses such as lavender, wheat stalks, and pampas grass offer a beautiful, soft texture to your home, and the natural colours look wonderful with weathered wood accents.
🎃 Pumpkins and gourds are traditional for decorating during the run up to Halloween in the UK, but we say they’re perfect for brightening up your home for the whole of autumn.
🍎 Seasonal fruits such as apples and pears are likely to be on your shopping list at this time of year – but keep them on display for a pop of natural colour.
🍂 Twigs and small branches that have been fallen by autumn winds can provide a bit more texture to your home. Arrange them in a vase and add warm white solar powered fairy lights for a whimsical look.
🐝 Beeswax candles offer a gorgeous natural glow, with a subtle honey scent. They’re much better for you than synthetic ones and are more sustainable too. Our rustic pillar candles are a gorgeous choice.
🍊 Cinnamon sticks and dried citrus fruits are often thought of as Christmassy decorations, but keep the red, green, and gold to a minimum, and you can give your home a gorgeous scent.
Styling Weathered Wood Accents All Year Round
Although weathered wood accents are perfect for creating an autumnal feel in your home, they can look just as great year round by switching out the accessories. A few ideas to change the look of your accents each season:
Through the winter, add warmth by using reds and greens to decorate, especially during December. In January and February, you could use icy shades of blue and silver to reflect the chilly weather outside, or use accessories in warmer pastel shades to look ahead to spring.
In spring, style your weathered wood pieces with spring flowers such as daffodils. Florals for spring? Groundbreaking, we know – but it is a classic, and beautiful look!
During the summer months, look for beachy decorations, pick flowers from your garden, or create contrast with red and navy blue accessories for a nautical look.
Our Final Thoughts
Weathered wood accents are a great way to bring a rustic vibe into your home. When they’re made with sustainably sourced wood and natural waxes, they are an investment that will look great for years to come, and because they are intentionally rustic, they will only get better with age. Don’t forget, if you’re looking for an item that is a specific size, you can get in touch – we can almost certainly help.
