There are a million reasons to love fall and I for one, love this change. If you’re a fan, you’re probably excited about cooler days, warmer clothes and a couple of dozen pumpkin spice lattes. Oh, and I don’t even need to mention that the kids are back at school. That means routines are back in place which is feeling great. There’s another reason to celebrate this season and that’s because it’s a chance to change things up and cozy up your home as well.
It’s time to put away the light summer throws, the outdoor furniture and switch our attention back indoors. For those who aren’t accustomed to switching things around in your home you might be wondering why bother? Well as a designer I look for every opportunity to play around and have some fun in my home. I’ll show you how easy it can be to cozy up your home with just a few simple changes.
SIMPLE WAYS TO COZY UP YOUR HOME
1/ ADD TEXTURE –
thick, chunky blankets or faux fur throws and luscious velvet pillows are an instant fall update. I don’t know why texture speaks of cold days and fires burning but if you do nothing else just add some textural fabric and you’ll feel that you space is instantly more cozy.
This is for the advanced decorator but changing up your area rugs can be another way to cozy up your home. Switch out the sisal rug for a thick wool rug. If you have broadloom, you can throw a thin but heavily patterned rug on top of that for extra visual warmth.
The last place to go for a change is the bedroom. Try replacing your white cotton sheets with a darker colour or a thick, luscious flannel. You’ll appreciate the depth of colour but more importantly, flannel sheets will keep you from ever feeling chilly during the night. It’s the perfect way to end your day on a cold fall evening.
2/ A NEW COLOUR PALETTE –
You know those friends who always seem to have the most festive homes when Halloween and Christmas roll around? Well, you can do one better and change your colour palette for the season.
Fall is a time for rich, saturated colours. This year more than ever it’s extremely on trend to be using jewel tones in our design. You don’t have to paint your walls and buy new furniture. Pots of mums, some rich toned table linens, candles in deep colours with the scent of fresh roasted coffee all add seasonal warmth to your space.
QUICK TIP-Did you know you can buy just pillow covers? Tricks like this make it simple to switch out all the decorative pillows in your home. Just buy the cover and use your insert for an instant switch that feels more seasonal. The summer covers can be easily stored with no bulk whatsoever.
So, what’s a perfect palette for fall? Think about burnt oranges, deep burgundy, navy and forest green. Any of those will add instant warmth. And don’t forget about the texture!
3/ ACCENTS –
The last piece of the puzzle is the part I love the most – the accents. Adding in a tray or some candlesticks in a deeper bronze or brass contributes to the orange tones discussed above. Candles are always a good idea but even more so in fall. A vase filled with beautiful leaves adds so much interest. If you live in the country as I do you can walk right outside and gather some of your favourite branches. Go for a variety of shapes and colours on the leaves. Don’t worry if you live in a city because flower stores offer an astonishing array of beautiful branches at this time of year.
If you’re super keen to cozy up your home, you can even swap out your regular white dishes for some coloured or patterned ones this fall. Glassware is another fun way to bring the fall season into your home.
Since we’re going to be indoors a lot more how about adding a beautiful Tic Tac Toe set to your table. I’ve seen some gorgeous deep wood and brass sets that look amazing and add a bit of fun to your room. Books are a fall favourite and layering some books on top of small tables is instant texture.
There’s no shortage of ways to make our homes feel like a comfortable retreat from the chilly outdoors. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it certainly doesn’t need to be an overhaul of your space. The smallest, simplest addition can do the trick.
Let me know if you have any tricks that I missed. I always love to hear about how others decorate their home for the change of season.
Need help decorating your space? Find out how I can help.
