As the summer days shorten and the weather cools, spending time indoors begins to hold greater appeal. Capturing the spirit of the season in your home decorating plans allows you to connect with Mother Nature’s transformations. Replacing the bright colours and light, breathable fabrics of summer with rich, warm tones and heavy textures of autumn creates a warm, comfortable atmosphere indoors that will help you make the mental transition into hibernation season.
Start with the entrance
While nature spruced up your home’s curb appeal with her colourful flowers and lush plants in the summer, creating a welcoming exterior in the fall means incorporating decor accents such as colourful wreaths and charming lanterns in rust and gold tones. Gourds and pumpkins can also add some fall flavour, though beware of inviting squirrels who love to snack on these fall treats.
Take colour cues from nature
Fall is a time for warm, rich colours that ground you to the earth. From rust to burnt orange and golden yellow, the bold colours of the outdoors will have you craving colour changes inside your home as well. Changing the colour palate of your home is as easy as replacing accent pillows and throw blankets and adding some seasonal pieces in these earthy tones.
Layer textiles
While summer is about paring down and making the home lighter and airier, fall is about filling your home with soft accents that will make it feel cozy. Just as you add light jackets and scarves to your wardrobe in the fall to keep your body warm, layering colours, patterns and textures through additional textiles is an easy way to create warmth in your home.
The arrival of cooler weather signals the perfect time to add a soft throw blanket to your sofa or favourite reading chair and add accent pillows in rich colours that make you want to snuggle up on a cool day. A thick wool area rug to keep your feet toasty is not only a great way to bring in the rich colours of the season but instantly creates warmth in the home.
Carry the theme of the season into your bedroom by swapping your summer duvet with a warmer one in bolder colours and add pillows with heavier textures such as knit patterns or twill piping to add another dimension.
Swap window coverings
During the warm days of summer, open windows and light airy drapery help cool down our homes. Swapping window coverings in the fall to heavier, lined drapery is not only practical – trapping warmth inside the home and helping you to save on your heating bill – but more aesthetically pleasing for the season.
Set the mood with lighting
As the daylight hours shorten, interior lighting is required to supplement the loss of natural light in your home. Multiple levels of lighting, such as overhead chandeliers, table and floor lamps creates more depth and warmth, which allows you to have more control over the room’s mood.
Bring the outdoors in
Let the outdoors inspire your home decor. Go on a nature hike and collect branches with bright coloured autumn leaves to add to a vase as your dining table centrepiece. Gourds and pinecones adorning your fireplace mantle can add a rustic feel to your home and help you get in touch with the spirit of the season.
Have you found the decorating tips you need to transform your home decor for fall? Get a little more help from the professionals by visiting our directory of interior designers & decorators.
