From Summer to Autumn: How Emma & Callum Light Their Homes for the Season

The shift from summer to autumn can sometimes feel sudden, taking you by surprise as the evenings draw in and the curtains are closed a little earlier. Or, it can be a slower, more gradual change, marked by those small changes at home, reaching for a cosy wool blanket as you settle down at the end of a long day. The simplest way to make a home feel right for autumn is to layer light: several warm, low sources around a room rather than one bright overhead fitting.

We asked our Marketing Director Emma and our Head of Creative Callum to share how they embrace the transition from summer to autumn, from changing the way they light their homes to slowing down and enjoying the quieter moments of the season.

Noticing the change: autumn light and portable lights

Emma: There’s a moment, every year, when I notice it before I consciously register why.

I’ll be pouring the kettle in the kitchen mid-afternoon and catch the light hitting the counter differently, lower and warmer than it was even a fortnight ago. That’s always my first real sign that autumn’s arrived.

The light is different at this time of year. It’s always softer at the edges; it pools instead of floods, and suddenly the way a room is lit actually matters again.

I find a portable light, like the Verso Portable Table Light, such a fun addition in autumn. You can pick it up and move it wherever you fancy, onto a shelf, the coffee table or even outside, following the light around the house. When you catch that lovely evening light just right, it can create some really beautiful, dancing shadows too.

Layering light: pendants, wall lights and floor lights

Callum: Summer light asks very little of my home; it’s bright and forgiving and fills every room without me really having to think about it. But once the light starts to shift, I find myself paying attention to my space in a completely different way.

Rather than relying on one fixture to do everything, I start to layer: A warm, glowing pendant over the table, wall lights to add a soft glow and a floor light tucked into a corner.

It means the space feels inviting at any time of day, whether I’m sitting down for dinner, reading in the evening, or simply pottering around at home.

Skipper Floor Light: I’m on the lookout for a new floor light, and the Skipper Floor Light is high on my list. It has that statement feel without being too imposing, and I love how it works alongside other styles of lighting. The open design casts light outwards and upwards, making it perfect for layering and creating a really lovely glow.

Slowing down: lighting an autumn reading nook

Emma: It’s less about decorating for autumn and more about actually noticing how the season is changing the way I live in my own space. Where the light falls now that it didn’t a month ago and which chair now gets the last of the afternoon sun.

It’s a slower, quieter shift than a seasonal refresh, but it’s the one that actually sticks with me. I also see it as the perfect excuse to embrace a reading nook in my home and warm it up for winter, adding a wool throw or new lamp, great for curling up with a book for a cosy evening at home.

The ideal reading nook needs a little flexibility. The Bue - Spire Wall Light is a great addition, with an adjustable design that lets you direct the light exactly where you need it. The Skipper - Marble Table Light adds a touch of style and a softer glow, perfect for when it’s time to properly wind down.

The pace of the day changes too: lighting the kitchen table

Callum: It’s not just the light that shifts, it’s what I actually want to be doing with my evenings. Summer always pulls me outdoors; I barely sit down inside until late in the evening. Autumn does the opposite.

Suddenly I’m drawn back to slower, indoor hobbies, the book I abandoned on the shelf in May finally gets picked up again, I’ll put on the radio while I potter about, and Sunday afternoons turn into baking rather than a walk cut short by heavy Cornish mizzle!

The kitchen table stops being just for quick meals and turns into where a jigsaw lives for a fortnight, or where I’ll sit with a coffee and actually watch the garden change. Hobbies that summer nudges outside, sketching, mending, baking, playing the drums, all seem to migrate back indoors once the light softens. Having the right warmth and glow in a room makes those quieter pursuits feel worth settling into rather than something to rush through.

Keel - Linear Trio Light Long: A well-lit island or dining table becomes even more important in the darker months. I love having plenty of light spread across the surface, whether it’s for an early breakfast, a slow dinner or a late-night catch-up. Adding a dimmer gives you that extra bit of flexibility too, so you can turn the light down when you want a softer, more relaxed feel.

What I’m doing at home this year: fewer, better pieces

Emma: This year, I’m more interested in making one or two really good additions to my home rather than changing lots of little things. Autumn always makes me think about the pieces I’m missing, perhaps a beautiful new light for a darker corner, or a well-made piece of furniture that will work hard for years to come.

I think there’s something lovely about saving for a piece you really want and knowing it’s going to become part of your home for a long time. It doesn’t have to be a huge investment either; sometimes one beautifully made lamp or a new chair can completely change how a room feels.

For me, it’s about buying less, but choosing pieces that I’ll genuinely love living with. I have the perfect spot, for the new Artus - Marble Table Light, it’s on my wish list!

Posted: 02.10.26
Updated: 02.10.26