Now that fall is officially upon us, it is time to spruce up the home with cozy accents, colors and decor. Pumpkins don’t have to be your only source inspiration. Fall decor can have a lot of unique personality while drawing ideas from the season, so here are some ideas to help you brainstorm the perfect autumnal aesthetic for your personal taste.
Fall color palettes
Classic autumn – Pair warm browns with deep orange-reds, bright, golden oranges and golden yellows with accents of light wheat.
Rustic fall cottage – Pair warm grays with auburn, rust orange and Oxford blue accents.
Mulled wine – Balance deep wine purples with lavender and pair with dark amber and apricot.
Victorian autumn – Pair olive with ocean blue and add punches of plum, oxblood and ecru.
Retro harvest party – Golden orange and yellow work as the base with accents of chocolate brown and avocado green.
Sunny fall day – Use crisp sky blue, sunflower yellow and carrot orange to pair with apple green and scarlet.
Autumn glamour – Pair spice orange with currant, metallic gold and sage.
Decor items
Pumpkins and squash – They’ve already started popping up at grocery stores everywhere. Pumpkins and squash of all sizes can be excellent for decorating stairways and tabletops. To add a decorative pop, paint black vertical stripes or black squares for a checkerboard look.
Garlands – Leaf gardens are most popular, but you can add in dried wheat grasses for a rustic look or sunflowers for a bright harvest aesthetic.
Lighting – Ambient light for the shorter days is a must have for the fall and winter. Stock up on candles, either real or battery operated. Lanterns work excellently for an antique and almost spooky atmosphere. Wooden candlesticks and holders create a cozy, pastoral character. Use strands of light to intertwine with garlands and other decorations so you can enjoy them at night as well.
Dried corn – For an old world, cornucopia-inspired look, dried corn is a wonderful addition to fall decorations. The rich tones of yellow, brown, red and white evoke the atmosphere of a plentiful fall harvest of a crop that is native to the Americas. Use full cobs for larger pieces or corn kernels for accents to hurricane jars.
Wooden crates and weaved baskets – Not only do these items also evoke thoughts of fall harvest, they are an excellent way to shape spaces and provide more vertical dimension to decoration arrangements.
Wood signs – Wood signs are a popular item for every season, but they work especially well for the fall because of their inherent rustic look. Paint them with your favorite fall images or warm autumn greetings for guests.
Throws – Now that we’re out of the warm weather, it is time for accent throws galore. Not only do they add a wonderful dose of cozy texture and rich color, but having extra throws and blankets around is also a must for adjusting to the colder temperatures.
Edible decor
Nut bowls – Enjoy the flavors of fall all season long with bowls of your favorite roasted, spiced and candied nuts. Find your favorite combinations like maple-candied pecans, chai-spiced mixed nuts, pumpkin-spiced walnuts, brown-sugar almonds, whiskey-roasted mixed nuts and more. Don’t forget to throw in some delicious roasted and salted pumpkin seeds.
Candy and treat bowls – You might as well start enjoying the holiday indulgences, right? It might even help avoid a Halloween stomach ache because you have been pacing yourself with a steady influx of candy all month long. OK, so maybe that’s not how that works, but it is time to take advantage of all the seasonal treat items anyway. They can be arranged on platters and in bowls as adorable and welcoming decor in addition to just being pantry temptations.
Beverage bars – Although it is tempting to get another pumpkin-spice latte every time you step out of the house, you can bring all those delicious spices right to your home instead. Have a dedicated space with spices, maple syrup, brown sugar, hot cocoa mix, marshmallows, seasonal creamer, coffee and spiced teas so you can whip up a fall beverage at a moment’s notice for guests, or before getting settled in with a movie or book. It can also work as a display for all your favorite seasonal mugs.
