Autumn styling goes wrong when the counter stops being usable. The fix is to think in three layers instead of scattering decorations: one thing that holds what you use, one thing with height, one small seasonal object. That is the whole system, and it takes about five minutes.
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Start with a piece that does a job. A ceramic pumpkin holding your everyday wooden spoons reads as decor but works as storage, so it is not one more thing to move when you cook.
Counters look flat because everything on them is the same height. A warmer lamp fixes that and adds light where you actually work — it melts a candle from above, no flame, no soot, so it can run while you cook.
Stop at one. A ceramic pumpkin spoon rest beside the stove is enough to make the whole counter read as autumn, and it stays useful after the season ends.
A mat in front of the sink carries the season down to the floor and saves your back on long cooking days. This is optional — the three layers above do the work.