If the season is changing, your decor should reflect that. It’s time to embody the fall foliage in all its burgundy, rust, amber, gold, plum, green and brown glory. The key to fall decorating is being festive, without being tacky. Words like rustic, vintage, farmhouse, cozy, natural and warm are your inspiration for the next month or so.
Let’s state the obvious and say that pumpkins are the staple autumnal decoration and thus a necessity. Traditional, plain pumpkins can be revamped into unique focal points or accent pieces courtesy of paint, stencils, lights and other materials. When painting a pumpkin, opt for gold, black or white paints with patterns or designs such as stripes, polka dots, checkerboard or chevron. Fake pumpkins are ideal as they will not only last all season long but next season too! White pumpkins offer a more modern and elegant feel if that fits your fall aesthetic. Beyond painting there’s carving or etching a pumpkin with your initials, last name, house number, or something more seasonal, like a classic pumpkin smiling face, leaves or ghost. If you’re not confident in your painting or carving abilities, embellish your pumpkin with flowers, or stud with thumbtacks- use varying shapes and sizes with neutral colors such as white, black or dark brown for contrast. Or, add function to your pumpkin and hollow it out as a vase or luminary and include flowers or candles, respectively. Feature the decorated pumpkins on a table in the front entryway, along the mantel, as a centerpiece on the dining room table, island in the kitchen or the coffee table in the living room. Capitalize on the space outdoors and line the walkway and or stairs with pumpkins and if you’re feeling especially festive, create a topiary: simply stack pumpkins biggest to smallest with wreaths in between them in a concrete urn.
Don’t allow just pumpkins to monopolize the fall decor. Apples, gourds, pomegranates, acorns, wheat, leaves, cornhusks, pinecones and sunflowers can establish the same autumnal aurora, and be displayed in bowls, vases, wreaths, garlands, along the mantel or scattered throughout a table. When arranging leaves, arrange them like flowers, group by size and color. Seasonal candy like candy corn in a jar is a subtle way to further fall decor, too (our house uses fall-colored m&m’s). Go mad for plaid, houndstooth and faux fur by means of pillows, blankets, curtains, tablecloths and table runners. For additional fall flair, decorate with wicker, firewood, tree branch coasters and rustic votives with twine. Capture the essence, and aromas of fall with apple, cinnamon, pumpkin, etc. candles or diffusers. This fall take the outside in…
And the inside out. Welcome guests by adorning doors and windows with festive wreaths. If you’re looking for a pumpkin alternative, paper bag luminaries with a fall design, like a leaf, not only light the way for your guests, but also decorate your home for fall. In the backyard we recommend a bar cart with all the fixin’s for hot chocolate and s’mores and plenty of blankets to enjoy the crisp fall weather.
While it’s fun to have a picture-perfect fall home, there’s also the holidays to consider. If football is your most beloved aspect of fall, support your team with a flag or pennant outside and maybe a team blanket on the sofa. For Halloween, add more pumpkins, especially carved ones; a skeleton, witch or ghost; and orange or purple outdoor lights. As far as Thanksgiving goes, set the table with fall-colored or seasonal shaped chargers, copper plates (allow the metal to take on the verdigris patina over time for a more rustic look), a cornucopia centerpiece, pilgrim salt and pepper shakers and a turkey shaped napkin holder.
Beyond the cooler weather, the amazing thing about fall is that the decorating can be as simple or complex, expensive or inexpensive or holiday specific as you wish. You’ll be shocked at the impact a pumpkin, plaid blanket or fall flowers has on a space.
