I love looking to Shirlie Kemp for garden inspiration. This time I'm taking notes from the greenhouse, which she's decorated for autumn.

Shirlie is no stranger to exploring her interior style outside. Last year, she decorated her greenhouse for Christmas; the Ideal Home team were immediately enamoured with this greenhouse idea.

Decorating a greenhouse is a wonderful way to express your personal style in the garden, and it's becoming an increasingly popular trend. Here’s how you can use Shirlie as inspiration.

Couple Martin and Shirlie Kemp frequently share glimpses of their home and garden life on their home’s Instagram account @maisonnumber9. Most recently, we were left impressed by the couple's towering pumpkin archway, and it seems that the Kemps have had a bumper crop of pumpkins this year, as these colourful squashes have been turned into decor and fill their greenhouse.

‘She hasn't tried too hard to make it look like a perfectly staged interior; it still looks like a greenhouse, and I think that's what works best. The pumpkins are arranged along the shelving among all the greenery so they almost feel like part of the harvest and not just purely decorative, and the contrast between the bright orange pumpkins and the lush green plants is really well done,’ commented Gareth Davies, design director at Classic Interiors.

‘She's also made brilliant use of lighting with the warm orange lights hanging along the greenhouse roof that create a lovely glow that you can see from outside, which will look really cosy in the dark evenings. I also love the little seating area just outside, which gives the greenhouse a more relaxed, lived-in feeling.’

Should you decorate a greenhouse for autumn?

If you need any more convincing, Shirlie isn’t the only celebrity who has taken to this trend. Dawn French’s greenhouse is beautifully decorated, and chef Clodagh McKenna likes to furnish her garden pub for Christmas. Greenhouse decorating is a fun way to express yourself, while also turning garden buildings into rooms we actually want to spend time in and relax in.

‘Seasonal decorating in a greenhouse is a lovely idea, and Shirlie’s greenhouse looks straight out of a fairy tale. A greenhouse often sits unused throughout autumn and winter until spring, merely there to shelter vulnerable plants from frost and for storage, but decorating your greenhouse means you can extend the life of your garden into winter,’ says Laura Rich, interior designer at Furniturebox.

‘It’s also a perfect hangout spot; it’s reminiscent of cottagecore we saw everywhere earlier this year. Dressed with lights, foliage, pumpkins and a couple of chairs (and a heater!), a greenhouse becomes the perfect cosy spot for a pumpkin-spiced latte, a mulled wine, a quiet read or a little festive gathering. Not only that, but you’re also immersed in nature; being in a greenhouse surrounded by your quieter (but still lovely) garden is the perfect way to ground yourself.

‘It also saves the home from becoming overly themed. Many of us love pumpkins as decor, especially those unusual varieties that feel rustic and home-grown, but we don’t necessarily want them as part of our interiors. A greenhouse is the perfect sanctuary for some Halloween fun without it cluttering your living room or kitchen.’

How to decorate a greenhouse for autumn

In Shirlie’s greenhouse, it’s clear she’s opted for a natural style. Her pumpkins do all the talking, while her warm lighting creates a warm, cosy glow. It’s comforting, rustic and easy to achieve yourself.

‘Start with lighting. Wind warm white LED fairy lights (always choose warm for that glow) along the roof bars and frame of the greenhouse. Solar or battery lights avoid the need for an outdoor socket, so I’d choose these for functionality purposes,’ advises Laura.

Meanwhile, Gareth would start with pumpkins - you can opt for fake ones if you haven’t had a bumper crop like Martin and Shirlie.

‘I'd start with a collection of pumpkins in different sizes arranged along a shelf, use different heights and leave some space between them so the plants are still visible. You don't need loads like Shirlie's, you can use just a handful grouped together,’ he says.

‘Then if you've got enough space, I'd add a small vintage-style chair or bistro table to make the greenhouse feel like somewhere you could comfortably sit with a cup of tea and enjoy your surroundings.’

Get the look

Are you ready to embrace the greenhouse decorating trend like Shirlie?