Autumn Inspiration: Striking Decorating Ideas to Renew your Home

As a chill comes back into the air, our homes become the hub of activity once again, and it’s time for an update! You don’t want your living room covered in seashell centerpieces when there’s a rainbow of leaves peeking through the windows, so embrace the new breezes and bring a little autumn into your home. There are plenty of ways to spruce up and make your house the beautiful foundation for lifetime memories that it should be.

Paint with the Seasonal Palette
This summer, indoor décor thrived on refreshing drama, mixing cool pastels and creams with bold dark woods, metallic touches, and black, navy, or red accents. Ivory, Robin’s Egg, and Dark Brown became a classic combination, giving rooms a feeling of chilled rejuvenation. With the weather doing the chilling for us, however, our color palette is in need of review. This does not mean that you need to throw out the ebony and white linen sofa you bought in July, but you may need to invest in different throw pillows or bedspreads to give it a more appropriate setting.

To warm up a space, opt for darker and “warmer” colors, or those hues which contain red and yellow. Burgundy, orange, and brown with accents of green are a classic fall palette, but purple and tan are also surprise touches that adds richness and depth to a space. Metallic accents are still very appropriate, and both silvery and gold hues can add splashes of elegance to a room. You can easily update the light and dark neutrals which came with summer by playing with this fall palette: try a woven throw blanket with leaf patterns, silver candlesticks with green candles on the mantel, and of course, a basket of apples surrounded by a wreath of leaves in the center of the dining table. Remember to think about texture as well as color. In a bedroom, using shiny satin pillows with Egyptian cotton sheets and a woolly comforter creates a sense of both coziness and luxury on a chilly October day. Likewise, if you had wood shades or sheer drapes on your windows, consider going for Roman shades or heavier lined materials.

Harnessing the Harvest
Of course, there are a few seasonal classics that you can arm yourself with in order to keep your home cheerful and welcoming. Pumpkins are always a charming accent, and rather than simply putting a jack-o-lantern on your doorstep, consider placing an arrangement of smaller pumpkins and gourds on your mantel, along with a preserved vine, a few colorful leaves and ears of corn, or some kale for added freshness. And don’t just take the plain old orange ones: pumpkins come in a variety of colors that can match your home! Remember to always protect your wood and other natural surfaces with a small layer of plastic or a decorative cloth whenever you use plants as decoration (cut zip-lock bags work great). If pumpkins are not quite your cup of tea, try adding 2 inches of fresh cranberries to a glass vase containing your favorite flowers, or fill a basket with oranges, unripe red pears, pinecones, and unshelled walnuts for an edible harvest. Garnish with green leaves and a few cranberries, and you’re all set. Finally, remember that candles also add warmth to a room, whether they are in pewter candlesticks or floating in a glass bowl.

As always, don’t forget to make sure your home has a small space that’s truly your own, especially now that you will be spending much more time there. This could be a desk with a favorite photo, or a sheltered armchair by a warm lamp. Whatever you want to achieve in your house, don’t let the change of season stop you from putting in the important touches that bring the coziness of home together with your personal elegance and flare.