The best fabrics for autumn 2026: warmth, texture and colour
- Fabric Buying Guide
Autumn is when a lot of our customers start thinking about cosying up their interiors again, swapping out anything thin or pale for something with a bit more depth. The good news is you don’t need to redecorate to get that homely, autumnal feel - often it just takes the right fabric in the right place. Here’s what we’d recommend for 2026, and why.
What makes a fabric feel like autumn?
Three things, really: warmth, texture and colour. Warmth comes from weight and weave - a heavier chenille or velvet holds heat and sound in a way a light cotton simply can’t, for example.
Texture is what makes a room feel layered and lived-in rather than flat: think raised piles, slubby weaves and tactile finishes you want to touch.
Colour creates warmth, and for 2026 that means leaning into rust, terracotta, burnt orange and warm ochre, alongside deeper chocolate browns and mossy greens. Get those three right and a room feels snug and autumnal even before you’ve lit a candle.
Best curtain fabric for autumn 2026
Curtains are usually the easiest seasonal swap, since one or two windows can alter the whole feel of a room, without you having to touch the furniture. Heavier drapes in deep autumnal shades will give you a good starting point. Pair these with a cosy blackout or thermal lining for a cocooning effect, or try having your curtains interlined for a look that’s rich and sumptuous.
Our autumn picks:
- Cotswold Velvet Fabric in Caramel: our own label velvet is available in over 30 colours and has a rich, tactile finish that suits full-length curtains beautifully.
- iLiv Orbit Fabric in Sienna: features a bold interlocking velvet design with a painterly finish, ideal for creating striking curtains to frame a large window.
- Homestead Stripe in Burnt Orange: banded stripes for a softer, more textural take on the same seasonal colour.
- Woodley Fabric in Burnt Orange: this tactile, woven fabric combines pattern and warmth, a good pairing with plain linen elsewhere in the room.
Best upholstery fabric for autumn 2026
Chenille fabric features widely in autumn interiors this year, and it’s easy to see why once you feel it. The fuzzy, caterpillar-like pile (that’s genuinely where the name comes from) gives sofas, chairs and footstools a soft, cocooning texture that plain cotton or linen can’t match.
Because chenille works as both a curtain and upholstery fabric, it’s an easy way to tie a room together: one fabric on the sofa, the same or a complementary shade on the cushions or curtains.
Our autumn picks:
- Harrow Chenille FR in Marmalade: a soft, velvet-like upholstery fabric with real durability, over 60,000 Martindale rubs, so it holds up to daily family use. Over 50 colours available.
- Elcombe Chenille in Ochre: a versatile choice offering both the softness of a brushed weave and the durability needed for everyday use.
- William Morris Strawberry Thief Chenille in Burnt Orange: a beautiful version of the much-loved Art & Crafts design, specially created with our partner, Spanish Mill
- Ripley FR Chenille Fabric in Ochre: this soft chenille has a vintage style look and is fire retardant making it ideal for all types of furniture.
Best fabric for autumn blinds
Roman blinds tend to use lighter-weight cotton or a cotton-polyester blend for a crisp, structured fold, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring autumn colour into the mix. A terracotta or burnt orange cotton gives a kitchen or home office window real warmth without the bulk of a full curtain, and for a bay or dressing room, a heavier fabric adds texture and insulation in one go. If you’re planning blinds for the first time this season, our Guide to the best fabric for Roman blinds is worth a read alongside this one.
Our autumn picks:
- Northleach Fabric in Burnt Orange: adds a pop of colour to your windows, ideal for brightening up a dark space as the nights draw in.
- JF Ticking Fabric in Burnt Orange: a classic woven stripe never goes out of style, and this colourway gives it a stylish autumn update.
- iLiv Flint Fabric in Auburn: this charming printed fabric with a modern check pattern adds subtle structure and soft detail to curtains, blinds, cushions and upholstery.
The 2026 autumn colour palette
Above everything else, autumn is known for its spectacular colours. Use the season’s palette to guide your interior design: rust, terracotta and burnt orange for warmth, chocolate brown and caramel for depth, and mossy green or warm taupe to ground the palette so it doesn’t feel too heavy. Used across just one or two pieces, whether that’s a curtain, an armchair or a scattering of cushions, these tones do a lot to make a room feel ready for the colder months.
From fabric to finished curtains and blinds
Once you’ve settled on a fabric, or ordered a few samples to see the colours properly in your own light, the next step is getting it made up.
Our made to measure service covers curtains, Roman blinds and cushions, built around your exact window or furniture, with a choice of linings and finishing details.
You can book a free virtual appointment from anywhere in the UK if you’d like to talk it through with one of our team, or visit us in the Cotswolds to see and feel these fabrics before you decide.
Either way, we’re on hand to help you get the autumn look right the first time.
