Curated Manor Elevated Home · Intentionally Curated

Styling Tips

The Fall Patio Refresh: Blankets, Fire and Warmer Light

Fall patio at golden hour with a teak sofa layered in olive and rust wool throws, a lit concrete fire bowl, terracotta planters of ornamental grass and warm lanterns against a limewashed brick wall.

The patio gets written off in September, and it shouldn’t be. With a fire, the right blankets and light at the right height, October and November outside are better than July. Nobody’s squinting, nothing’s melting, and the air smells like woodsmoke.

Here’s the refresh, in the order that gives you the most for the least.

Fall patio at golden hour with a teak sofa layered in olive and rust wool throws, a lit concrete fire bowl, terracotta planters of ornamental grass and warm lanterns against a limewashed brick wall.
Two months more of the patio, for the price of a few throws and a fire bowl.

Fire first

A fire feature is the difference between a patio people walk past and one they sit on. A concrete fire bowl on propane needs no wood store and lights in a second. If you have the space and the rules allow it, a steel fire pit is the better evening.

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Blankets, in three weights

Put a basket of blankets by the door and people will use the patio. Vary the weight, not the colour. A flat wool throw, a chunky knit and a faux sheepskin over one seat. Keep them in a large woven basket so they come in when it rains.

Seasonal pieces sell through fast, so check availability before you buy.

Close view of a concrete fire bowl burning on a stone patio beside a teak chair draped in a rust knit throw and a faux sheepskin, with grasses in terracotta behind.
The fire is why anyone stays outside past seven.

One accent colour, and it’s rust or olive

Summer’s patio was probably white and blue. Autumn’s is cream and wood with one warm accent. Rust, olive or oxblood in velvet pillow covers and one of the throws is enough. More than one accent and it starts to look like a display.

Light at eye level

Overhead floods make a patio feel like a parking lot. Get the light down. A cordless outdoor table lamp on the side table, brass lanterns on the floor, and warm white string lights overhead on a dimmer if you can. Our layered lighting formula works outside exactly as it does in.

Stack of outdoor fall textiles on a teak bench: olive wool throw, rust knit blanket, faux sheepskin and a woven basket of extra blankets.
Three weights, two colours, one basket to keep them in.

Swap the planters, not the furniture

Summer annuals are done. Pull them and replace with ornamental grasses, which look better in October light than anything flowering. Two matching distressed terracotta planters either side of the sofa or the door, and the patio reads as styled for the season.

What stays

The furniture, the rug, the table. This refresh is textiles, fire and light, which is why it costs a fraction of what the summer setup did. For the Halloween version of the same patio, see the moody Halloween patio. And for the whole outdoor room laid out and shoppable, start with our Room Recipes.