Fall Home Furnishings Guide

How To Make A House Cosy With Fall Home Decor

In much of the country the change of seasons from summer to fall begins to happen in September. Thus it is a perfect time to give your home a fall refresh and a little update on some furnishings and decor items that will carry you into the season of cooler temperatures, home fires, harvesting, and getting ready for the holidays. To achieve  cozy spaces and autumn ambience, we’re going to use spicy hues from nature, layers of textures, and seasonal themes for accents.

AUTUMN 2021 TRENDING COLORS: EARTH TONES

Earth tones have been trending since last year when Americans spent most of their time at home. The earth hues are grounding, nurturing, and make us feel safe and secure while bringing elements from nature into the home.

The green, white, and brown combination is especially popular this fall. Additional warmth inspiring colors come with the classic autumnal tones of the season’s changing leaves. A rich but subtle palette feels toasty and comforting.

AUTUMN DECORATING LOCATIONS

Front Porch- Before even entering your home, the fall celebration begins at your entrance, whether it’s a porch, a doorstep, or a large yard, switch out your summer decor with autumn updates.

Outdoor Areas- Do you have outdoor living spaces, back porch, sitting area, full living room and/or kitchen? Time to punch up those spaces too with some fall inspired decor.

Bedroom- In the ‘accent’ section below there are several seasonal decorating ideas that can also be used around the bedroom setting. Check those out for additional inspiration and your cozy fall decorating ideas.

FURNITURE MATERIALS

​​Rattan pieces- made from weaving ‘rattan’ vines, this furniture looks similar to wicker and you may associate it more with the summer beach cottage look. But when used in the fall, topped with padded pillows in autumn shades and a throw blanket on the side, this tan colored natural material works well for seasonal decor too. It blends in perfectly with Shabby Chic to Modern classic looks. Rattan comes in chairs, benches, baskets, and other woven accent pieces.

Caning pieces- similar to rattan, but caning material is part of the cane plant that is left round and untreated, like rattan, and thus makes it stronger and more of an eco-friendly furniture choice. Again, this type of material brings texture and natural earth tones to your decor.

Velvet- still trending strong as well is velvet. It’s more modern version is stylish, texturally appealing with its softness and invitation of warmth and luxury. Velvet can be brought in with pillows, a bedroom headboard, side chairs, or other accent pieces.

Leather- most may think of leather in only shades of dark brown. But perfect for the fall season are the mid-range browns of the leather family, more caramel, edging towards deep soft sand tones and shades of browned butter. Leather is warm and soft to touch. This type of plush furniture is comforting, inviting, and calls for hours of cozy rejuvenation. Age only enhances leather furniture pieces, so search out these treasures at your local secondhand markets to find gently used leather accents (or couch to add for your seasonal update.

LIGHTING- Lighting during the harvest season is about creating a feeling of cozy ambiance especially for living room decor. To achieve the coziness of ambient lighting, find ways to reduce the need for overhead lights. You can accomplish this with:

ACCENTS

Baked Goods- Presenting an abundance of baked goods in your home is absolutely a fall-decor accent. Loaves of crusty bread, muffins, and hearty cookies spotlight relaxed and family centered good times.

Baskets- All kinds of baskets are a very typical fall inspired decor item. Striped, woven, weaved, stained, white or brown, place baskets in entryways, in empty corners, or grouped in reading nooks.

Candlesticks- Cluster a collection of elegant candle sticks to encourage some romance and warm ambiance. As this photo demonstrates, add a fall themed nature element for some visual drama.

China- If you have collections of different dinnerware, pull out any fall collections and place those on display. Amber, brown, or gold-accented china will fit the bill.

Ceramic- Changing out any glass, plastic, or other containers you have around in your decor for some items made of pottery and crockery bring in a vibe of country-chic midwestern warmth to the room.

Grasscloth- The texture and natural elements that come when applying grasscloth to your wall creates an instant cocooning effect.

Harvest-inspired dining table- Collect branches, pinecones, colored leaves and such on your fall walks and bring some seasonal style to your dining room table centerpiece.

Hooks- installing some hanging hooks made from wood or some of the brushed metals are nice and easy ways to update an entryway, a porch, or other storage areas for fall.

Logs & Firewood- ​​Filling a shelf in the living room, a large basket or such, with chopped or simply found, firewood will bring the charm of the season into the space.

Mantel- Don’t necessarily have a mantel? Get creative and make your own with found materials and wood planks.

Metal- Brass and copper are the warmer toned metals that you can add as accents during the fall season. Copper, whether glossy or aged, will complement the warm tones of your fall decor and floral arrangements. Furniture with brass accents is an option as are brass vessels, pots, and other adornments.

Natural elements- ​​ Any items you find in nature during the autumn season will look just as gorgeous in your home as well.

Nooks- Set up a cozy reading spot by a good view of the outdoors; pair it with a small side table and quality lighting.

Plaid & Checks- bold plaid and checked materials work well with the fall theme and immediately make us feel warm and ready for winter winds. Colors can remain more neutral: tan, chocolate brown, black, and blue. Another place to add plaid is in your layering of throw rugs under smaller neutral ones.

Rustic Runners- Use pieces of linen or cotton fabric with unfinished edges to achieve a laid-back Americana look.

Shower Curtain- Add even more warmth to your bathroom by changing out the bathroom decor for autumn with warm lighting and a softly-textured shower curtain.

Throw Pillows- ​​Another perfectly simple way to update any space and for fall: throw pillows. Use the rich colors of autumn to top your sofa with a collection of ruby, burnt orange, and deep yellow.

Throw Rugs- Enliven any neutral room with a dynamic autumn-colored rug. Pile on heavier linens and rugs in the bedroom. Mix and match materials like wool, faux-fur, and flannel for a layered, bundled-up look.

Umbrella Stand- As the seasons change adding a stately umbrella stand to your porch or entryway is a practical and seasonal decor item to install.

Wall hanging- Adding an artistic element is always a good thing. Art pieces are expected to be rotated out for new collections on a regular basis. A fun DIY fall-inspired project is to either draw or photograph and print out a large image of nature or a tree. Then cut up into 3-4 sections and use reclaimed or found wood to make the frames.

Woven Pieces- Part of the laid-back, outdoorsy feel of autumn can come from swapping out usual side tables, small sitting pieces, and other containers with natural woven versions.

Wreath- The decoration to last all season: the famed door wreath. This beautiful item can be made of any natural material you love and placed in a variety of locations, from your front door, to any door in the home, above the mantel place, in the bedroom, kitchen, or even the restrooms.