The Autumn Reset: Rethinking How Our Homes Work

After a long, hot summer, autumn brings a welcome return to structure. Diaries fill up, meetings resume, children return to school, and the household shifts into a different rhythm. I have always associated this time of year with a sense of renewal, and I find that the most effective way to prepare is to look at how the home is functioning.

Our homes accommodate an extraordinary number of activities, often simultaneously. They are places for work, study, entertaining, family life and rest. Yet we don't always give the practical requirements of these different activities the same consideration as the more visible aspects of interior design. Autumn is a useful opportunity to reassess this.

I begin with the family diary. At home, we use a large magnetic blackboard to map out everyone's commitments for the coming fortnight. There is a great deal to be said for having the household schedule visible and accessible to everyone, rather than relying entirely on individual digital calendars. It establishes a shared understanding of what is happening and, importantly, who needs to be where.

I also believe in refreshing the basics. New socks, underwear and T-shirts, fresh stationery and a new set of notebooks. These are relatively modest purchases, but there is something quite deliberate about starting the new term with the essentials in order. A fresh notebook is particularly satisfying. It signals the beginning of a new chapter and creates an opportunity to reconsider what deserves our attention.

The next consideration is how things move through the house. Every household has an accumulation of objects that need to be accommodated: school bags, post, paperwork, keys, devices and chargers. Without designated places for these, even the most carefully designed interior can quickly become overwhelmed.

We have a dedicated charging station for phones, tablets, watches and school laptops, where everything is returned overnight. It is a straightforward system, but one that removes unnecessary friction from the morning routine. Everyone knows where their devices belong and where to find them the following day.

The same principle applies to school paperwork. We have a second magnetic board that acts as a landing point for everything that comes home, positioned discreetly so it isn't visible from the main part of the room. Not every functional element of a home needs to be on display. Knowing what to conceal, and how to make it easily accessible when required, is an important part of good design.

I think we should also be giving children's homework spaces the same attention that we give our own home offices. A child needs an appropriate place to concentrate, with a comfortable chair, good lighting and sufficient space for books and materials. This doesn't necessarily require a dedicated room. A desk incorporated into joinery, a carefully planned corner or a table that accommodates different activities throughout the day can be equally effective.

The same considerations apply to working from home. Despite how established it has become, many people are still making do with arrangements that were never intended to be permanent. A laptop on the dining table and an unsuitable chair might suffice for an afternoon, but they are not a sensible long-term solution. Beyond the physical discomfort, there is the practical issue of work encroaching on spaces intended for other aspects of domestic life.

Whether you have a dedicated study or a workspace incorporated into another room, the starting point should be to understand precisely how it will be used. What equipment is required? How much storage is needed? Will the space accommodate meetings? Does it need to serve another purpose outside working hours? These questions should inform the design from the outset, rather than being addressed once the furniture has been selected.

When I’m designing for clients at Elicyon, we pay particular attention to the technical details that allow a workspace to function without compromising the interior. We have integrated plug sockets within desk legs to eliminate visible cables, incorporated charging points into bespoke joinery, and designed tables that can accommodate both individual work and meetings. Acoustics are another important consideration in open-plan homes. Sound-absorbing paint, rugs, upholstery and carefully selected fabrics can help manage noise and create a more comfortable environment for concentration.

These interventions may not be immediately apparent, but their effect on the experience of a room is considerable. The objective is to resolve the practical requirements so thoroughly that they become almost invisible. Once those fundamentals are established, I approach the room with the same attention to atmosphere and character as any other part of the home.

Lighting deserves careful consideration. A desk requires effective task lighting, supported by softer, decorative sources that allow the atmosphere to change throughout the day. Materiality also plays a significant role. Timber, stone, textiles, and tactile finishes introduce warmth and ensure that the room feels connected to the wider interior.

Art, books and collected objects are equally important. A study should reflect the interests and personality of the person using it. In fact, given the amount of time we spend working, I would argue that it deserves as much consideration as any other room in the house.

The study I designed at my rental property, Alton House, reflects this approach. I wanted it to have a distinct identity and personality, rather than simply fulfilling the conventional expectations of an office. It is a room in its own right, with all the functionality required of a workspace.

Storage is essential to achieving this balance. Bespoke joinery allows us to accommodate printers, screens, filing and charging equipment without allowing them to dominate the room. It also enables a workspace to transition between different uses when a study forms part of a bedroom or living space.

I am also conscious of what happens at the end of the working day. When work takes place at home, the physical separation between professional and personal life becomes less distinct. The interior can help establish that boundary.

In a dedicated study, closing the door provides a clear transition. In a shared room, it might mean putting paperwork away, concealing a screen within joinery and changing the lighting. The workspace should be able to recede when it is no longer in use, allowing the room to fulfil its other functions.

For my own autumn reset, I finish by clearing my desk completely. I go through everything that has accumulated, edit what is no longer necessary, and reconsider what I actually need within reach. A new desk mat, a notebook and a few well-designed practical accessories are often sufficient to make the space feel refreshed. At the Elicyon Studio, we use these personalised leather desk mats from Etsy.

I don't believe that the return to routine requires a complete reinvention of the home. It is about identifying the points of friction in everyday life and addressing them with considered, practical solutions. A well-organised household diary, a designated place for devices, a proper homework space and a desk that is genuinely comfortable to work at can have a far greater impact on daily life than a dramatic decorative change.

Good luck with the return to routine. I hope the autumn season brings a productive start to the new term, and that everyone knows where their laptop charger is in the morning.

Interior designer Charu Gandhi is one of Homes & Gardens' Editors-At-Large for By Design, sharing her thoughts on decor.

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