As we approach autumn we think of making our homes cosy and welcoming using warm and sympathetic materials.

Try thinking of bringing the outside into the home by using the themes of rural life, the natural products from the trees and animals around us as inspiration to decorate your home.

In this way wood provides both a serene and rural ambience and a practical style that will enhance any home.

It is surprising how many ways in which wood can be incorporated into a design scheme.

The obvious way to use this calm, natural product is on the floors. A solid wood floor will give you a hardwearing and clean surface that will last a life time if it is maintained. The choice of oak, beech, walnut and pine means that there is something for everyone. The glow of the wood gives a room a depth and calm like no other surface.

Wooden furniture can be made comfortable and chic by using soft pliable materials with it as a contrast. A wooden frame with a velvet or cow hide seat will be funky and modern as well as stylish.

In smaller ways, wooden accessories are now available. The sculptural wooden lights of Tom Raffield provide elegance and charm. They link with the outside space as they are made from purely natural materials and lend an openness to a kitchen space and an interesting dappled light effect at night.

A rustic environment can be luxurious and so by using the wooden theme with the softer textures of fur, wool and linen, you can embrace the hues of autumn and snuggle up in the house of your dreams.