Embracing the art of hibernation, Phoebe Harper pulls back the covers on the soft furnishings you’ll want to cosy up with for autumn/winter 2025
Top image by Dominic Blackmore
With the days growing shorter and the air slowly turning crisp, now is the perfect time to dial up the snug factor in your sanctuary.
Soft furnishings are your secret weapon – think textured throws, velvet cushions and layered rugs that instantly add warmth and style. You might choose to block out the early nightfall and any pesky draughts with thick, lined curtains, or invest in a plush new bedspread for the colder months. Give your much-loved sofa a spruce with a new arrangement of scatter cushions, or deck out the living room with blankets that call out to be cosied up in with a good book.
This season’s trends add colour and warmth into our interiors, designed to give you an extra dose of dopamine and lift your mood on grey days. For AW25, it’s all about embracing colour, pattern and personality. After all, if we’re going to spend more time indoors, let’s make it beautiful!
Finishing touches
Soft furnishings bring an interior design theme to life. Curtains, throws, cushions, rugs and even bed linens add texture, depth and personality to a space, helping to tie colour schemes and styles together seamlessly. These elements allow for easy seasonal updates and reflect your personal style without the need for major changes. Aesthetically, they are essential – adding comfort, cohesion and that all-important lived-in feel.
“People want their homes to reflect their journeys, memories and personalities, with interesting patterns, textures and colour combinations that instantly add something unique to the space,” comments David Harris, design director at Andrew Martin – a luxury interiors company that prides itself on creating homes that are as interesting as the people who live in them.
“More and more, we want to create interiors that feel layered and lived-in, where every element, from fabric to furniture to lighting, contributes to a larger narrative. Whimsy and imagination play an important role here too, allowing spaces to surprise and delight. The aim isn’t just to make a room beautiful, but to give it a soul – a sense of character that resonates with the people who live in it.”
This is fully embodied by the company’s latest imaginative collection, Harvest Moon: a collaboration with famous British designer Kit Kemp. These cushions, fabrics and wallpapers showcase a playful palette that celebrates colour, whimsical patterns and transportive scenes – from faraway lands and blooming medieval meadows to cottage kitchens, blending elements of folklore and modernity – perfect for daydreaming on winter days.
On trend
Brought to life through a mix of traditional and digital printing, embroidery, applique, tapestry and jacquard weaving techniques, Harvest Moon highlights a resurgence of traditional craft processes that are defining British interiors at present. Now more than ever, we are looking beyond the stories that our interiors can tell about our homes, to the stories of the homewares themselves.
Another fine example of this is the latest range from Melin Tregwynt, a Welsh manufacturer of traditional woollen homeware since 1912. You may recognise some of the brand’s iconic designs from on-screen successes including Killing Eve, Love Actually and Keeping Faith. For AW25, the brand is reviving its 50s Vintage Star design across its cushions, blankets and throws, made using traditional methods at its Pembrokeshire mill and hand cut by the team, but in a colourway that is bang on trend for the season ahead.
Its bold designs come in a striking plum palette – a shade that is tipped to be a hot favourite alongside other jewel tones including oxblood, deep emeralds, sapphire blues and forest greens.
While maximalist patterns and bold graphics are the order of the season, there is an undeniably enduring appeal to iconic patterns such as a classic stripe or gingham to furnish a space. For effortless bedding, innovative homewares company Night Lark offers its groundbreaking coverless duvet sets for 2025 in a beautiful powder blue herringbone stripe, or a lovely olive gingham for a seasonal update. With no need to wrestle extra covers or to keep delaying laundry day, it’s the bedding refresh you will thank yourself for.
Another brand waving the green flag is French Bedroom, which favours a more muted take on a seasonal favourite for autumnal interior palettes. “With pastel shades and nostalgic interiors en vogue, the renaissance of pistachio comes as no surprise,” shares creative director and founder Georgia Metcalfe. “This muted, mid-tone green with subtle yellow undertones adds warmth without taking over the space. For those who appreciate colour but prefer it understated, pistachio is the perfect choice.”
Georgia suggests pairing the shade with natural materials – pale woods such as oak or ash will keep the palette light and airy, which is ideal for a more minimalist or Scandinavian-influenced take, while darker woods of walnut or chestnut will add depth to create a richer, more romantic feel.
Design advice
There are myriad ways to accessorise a space with soft furnishings; while some may prefer a more neutral, calm feel, others will throw caution to the wind and enjoy an eclectic assembly of different patterns, palettes and textures.
Wherever you fall on the minimalist to maximalist spectrum, a few guidelines can come in handy. In terms of colour, neutral shades provide a great backdrop for bolder pieces to shine, while patterns are often best matched through shade rather than scale. By sticking to three or four shades maximum in any one room, you will be sure to create a sense of cohesion that brings the room together.
A guiding principle for any interior designer is the 60-30-10 rule to help limit your palette: 60% of the room should be a dominant colour (walls, large rugs), 30% secondary (curtains, large cushions) and 10% accent (smaller cushions, throws). This will help to avoid visual overload.
Texture is another key element where you should not be afraid to play with contrasts. Again, this will add depth and create visual intrigue, while also appealing to the crucial tactile aspect of enjoying your soft furnishings.
“For autumn/winter 2025, soft furnishing texture trends are focused on warmth and comfort, with a strong emphasis on tactile materials,” advises the design team at East Anglia’s largest independent home furnishings store, Glasswells. “Make sure to layer sofas with cosy textiles like chunky knits and velvet cushions. The aesthetic embraces a connection through grounded, earthy tones and organic shapes, creating a cosy and inviting feel through a mix of textures.”
The store’s Brodie collection is on hand to help you craft a naturally calming interior – one that emphasises the effortless beauty of boho style. Think checkerboard motifs, jacquards featuring boucle yarns and a sumptuous, upholstery-weight chenille that offer no shortage of comfort or interest.
No matter what you do, make sure to keep your comfort and enjoyment in mind so you can create a haven that’s
truly personal.
