How to update your kitchen for fall – 8 ways to create a cozy, welcoming space

As the heart of the home, the kitchen is an important room at any time of year, but in fall and winter it really comes into its own.

As summer fades, the kitchen beckons with the promise of hearty casseroles, warm bakes and cozy family times. With winter approaching fall is the time to start making your kitchen extra cozy and inviting, making it feel like a warm hug as you return from the cold.

Fall is when we start to think about hunkering down for winter and while decorating from season to season isn’t practical, there are plenty of small ways to update a kitchen for fall that can instantly dial up the coziness.

Here we’ve gathered our favorite fall decorating ideas alongside some inspiring schemes and tips from interior designers.

How to update a kitchen for fall

There are plenty of updates you can make to embrace fall kitchen decor from adding in ambient lighting, textural rugs and cozy textiles to styling with foliage and updating appliances. Even just a few rustic accessories can instantly bring warmth and texture.

'Incorporating natural materials like wood, woven baskets, or ceramic pieces can introduce a homey touch. These elements work together to create a kitchen that feels just as cozy and welcoming as the rest of the home, while still serving its practical purpose,' says Danielle Chiprut, founder of Danielle Rose Designs.

If you’re embarking on a new kitchen design it’s worth factoring in ways to make it feel cozy from the outset. As practical spaces with lots of sharp angles and hard surfaces kitchens can feel unwelcoming, but incorporating cozy kitchen ideas can help bring a relaxed, lived-in feel. Decorating with natural materials, earthy colours, layered ambient lighting, fabric window treatments and burnished fittings can all contribute to a welcoming atmosphere that will endure across the years.

‘Kitchens are traditionally filled with hard materials like stone and metal, and can often feel more industrial than other areas of the home. To make kitchens feel cozy and inviting, we love to introduce softness in a few strategic ways. For instance, adding café curtains or Roman shades on windows softens the space with texture, while curved cabinetry or open shelving with rounded edges can break up the linear, hard-edged feel,’ explains Danielle Chiprut. ‘We also incorporate handmade tiles with subtle imperfections that bring warmth and character to the space.’

1. Add cozy rugs

Adding a characterful rug or runner in earthy tones will bring instant warmth to a kitchen. Not only do they bring softness underfoot, kitchen rugs also insulate heat and muffle sound contributing to an overall more inviting and calming space.

Here Viki Chupik, founder of Texas-based studio Chupik Design has finished the space with a beautiful kilim style runner in warm fall shades but coziness was a consideration from the outset with a liberal use of warm natural timber and burnished fittings.

‘I love adding rugs to kitchens for an added layer of warmth and softness, and for this design, I selected an Oushak rug that brings an unexpected element and personality to the room. Oak and Douglas Fir stained beams create depth resulting in an inviting atmosphere, and the oversized picture window looking out over the sink floods the room with natural light.’

2. Introduce ambient lighting

If there’s one design feature above all others that can instantly transform a kitchen from cold to cozy it’s lighting. Adding ambient kitchen lighting in the form of strip lights under cabinets or a table lamp on a counter are easy ways to set the mood for fall.

‘In terms of lighting, placing a small lamp on the counter or using ambient lighting above cabinetry provides a gentle, intimate glow –moving away from purely functional lighting to something that creates warmth and atmosphere,’ says Danielle Chiprut, founder of Danielle Rose Design.

Hillary Cohen, founder of HCO Interiors also sees lighting as integral to a successful kitchen design and suggests using, 'warm 2700K LED bulbs, which produce a gentle, inviting glow compared to cooler, harsher lights,' for fall warmth. 'Layer your lighting by incorporating dimmable fixtures, which allow you to adjust the ambiance as needed,’ she adds.

3. Update window treatments

Whether used on curtains and blinds, upholstery, cushions, or cabinet skirts, introducing fabrics into a kitchen is a wonderful antidote to the multitude of hard surfaces, softening sound and making for a welcoming feel.

If you're thinking of updating kitchen curtains or blinds now’s the time as they will provide a layer of insulation to help keep your kitchen cozy as winter approaches, plus, they also offer the chance to introduce colour and pattern. When choosing fabrics for kitchens it's best to go for washable fabrics as they can easily stain or hold stale smells.

‘We love a warm and cozy kitchen. Layering in texture with fabrics, art and decor can make a kitchen feel especially soulful,’ says Katie Davis, Houston-based interior designer and founder of Katie Davis Design. 'Things like a table lamp or framed artwork can feel unexpected in a kitchen, but really make a difference if you are trying to create a cozier look. Introducing textiles, like here with a skirt, gives the kitchen those cottage vibes that we love.'

4. Style with natural foliage

Having flowers in the kitchen always brings cheer, but to embrace seasonal style why not branch out and switch store-bought flowers for rustic branches foraged from the hedgerows for a rustic feel? Whether evergreen or leafless and sculptural, just a few stems can make for a striking centerpiece for your fall table decor.

‘The kitchen is the heart of the home, so it is important to maintain a warm atmosphere as the seasons change. Bring Autumn indoors with seasonal branches, such as our Eucalyptus stems or Maple Leaf twigs. Whether displayed in multiples in a vase or incorporated into a larger arrangement, they give a focal point to your kitchen countertop, island or dining table,’ says Fred Horlock, design director at Neptune.

5. Invest in a range cooker

As the seasons shift so do our cooking habits, as we look to warm up and entertain indoors with hot casseroles, hearty soups, tasty roasts and baked puddings. With this in mind, now’s the time to update your kitchen appliances to ensure you have the ware with all to prepare and serve up those hearty meals for friends and family and when it comes to fall feasts a multi-functional range cooker has to be at the top of the list.

‘A range cooker not only creates a statement piece in the kitchen but is ideal for hosting and cooking typically autumn and winter meals. Complete with multiple cavities, choices of induction, gas hobs and teppanyaki plates, a range cooker allows for multiple dishes to be created at once, ready to entertain with hearty feasts of stews, breads, pies and soups that can all be dished up piping hot at the same time,’ says Federica Torelli, head of product at Smeg.

6. Add plenty of candles

With its warm ochre walls, evergreen Aga and rustic vintage worktable, this kitchen designed by Clarence and Graves in collaboration with deVOL exudes earthy fall style.

The addition of brass wall sconces is the perfect finishing touch to the scheme bringing rustic charm and a warm glow on cold dark evenings. Go simple with discrete burnished designs like these or choose ones with mirrored or burnished metal backs which will reflect a brighter glow around the room for a more magical feel.

7. Decorate with natural materials

Introducing furniture and accessories in rustic natural materials like wood, rattan, and leather is a wonderful way to channel the rustic fall aesthetic in a kitchen but will also work year-round and will remain timeless for years to come. Think chunky wooden table and bench sets, rattan pendant lamps, wooden table lamps as combined in this beautiful scheme.

'Whilst we may spend more time indoors during the colder seasons, the restorative effect of the outdoors shouldn’t be forgotten. Combine the natural beauty of organic materials, such as wood, with earthy browns and vibrant greens for a wholesome retreat that nourishes the soul,' suggests Shelley Cochrane, accessories buyer at Furniture Village. 'Invite the grounding and nurturing influence of the outdoors into the home, and blend materials and colorways found in the natural world, for a look that is both rejuvenating and restorative.'

8. Reorganize the pantry or store cupboard

As the seasons shift and our mind turns to warm hearty food, now is a good time to sort and organize your pantry. Stock up on dry goods such as beans, pasta and rice for hearty meals alongside different flours for baking and check existing dry goods are all still fresh.

Storing storecupboard essentials on open shelves in clear airtight jars or containers is an easy way to see what you have at a glance. Placing them on narrow kitchen shelving at eye level also means they are easy to retrieve, whether in the kitchen itself or in a separate pantry.

Large items are always best stored on lower shelves in a pantry. If you have a pantry take the opportunity to assess your pantry storage and reorganize your appliances. Store away summer appliances such as ice cream makers and juicers and bring out soup-making appliances, slow cookers and breadmakers and ensure large casserole dishes are easy to retrieve.

Easy fall updates for your kitchen

Updating the heart of the home for fall makes sense. We spend so much more time in the kitchen over autumn and winter, and you want to ensure your space feels inviting for all the hosting that comes with this time of year. You needn't have a huge overhaul, a few tweaks to soften the lighting and up the soft furnishings will have an instant impact, and you can slowly start making more changes as the seasons continue to change.