I don’t know about you but I love September. I still feel like a kid who’s going back to school and has a fresh start and a blank slate. Here in Ontario it still feels like summer but our cool evenings are giving us a taste of what’s on the way. And when the weather starts to cool down most of us start thinking about indoors rather than outdoors.
If you feel a pang of sadness at the thought of saying goodbye to summer it can help immensely to start nesting and getting your home ready for the fall season. Once you’ve made your home feel cozy and comfortable it’ll be a lot easier to get excited about the new season.
Let’s Get Our Home Ready for Fall
1/ Switch Out Summer Fabrics
This is one of the easiest and most impactful ways of getting your home ready for fall. Swap your light summer throws for heavier and chunkier ones. Switch pillows from florals in light pastel colours to fabrics that feel heavier like velvet. Use rich colours like navy and burgundy to help welcome in the fall season.
These small switches seem insignificant but they make a profound impact on your space. They signal to us that the season is changing and can get us excited for more time indoors.
2/ Use Foliage
I love fall decorating with flowers and foliage. It’s easy to collect if you live in or close to the country. All that’s required is a pair of shears and you can head out for a lovely walk collecting branches that look hearty. If that’s not available to you, check your local garden centre or florist as they all carry branches and interesting foliage at this time of year.
If you don’t want large arrangements you can collect pinecones, chestnuts and fallen leaves for a simple rustic display in a wooden bowl. There’s no doubt that fall brings the most vibrant, bold colours so have some fun with those colours inside your home.
3/ Add Fall Florals
Add some potted flowers like mums to both the indoor and outdoor spaces for an instant fall update. Nothing screams fall like walking up to a house decorated with red, yellow, orange and burgundy potted flowers. And since we’re all spending more time indoors it’s only natural that we’ll be entertaining in our home more often. Make sure your guests feel welcome as soon as they arrive. If you need more help decorating for entertaining, read this post.
4/ Seasonal Produce
Whether it’s fruit and vegetables you intend to eat or pumpkins for decorating, fall produce looks beautiful on your countertop. Fill a bowl with apples but don’t overlook produce like squash which always look seasonal and fun. You can use the same produce to create a natural centrepiece for your table.
Decorating with seasonal produce is so inexpensive but gives us such a variety of fun colours and objects to work with. Play around and have fun because seasonal decorating is all about enjoying and embracing the changes.
5/ Create a Fireplace Vignette
It might still be too warm to use the fireplace but create a small vignette to announce the changing season. Stack pumpkins, add chopped wood or add pillar candles to hurricane lamps and you’ll create instant warmth.
A fireplace is always the focal point of a room so you’ll draw even more attention when you have it decorated for the season. If you’re stuck for inspiration, spend some time on Pinterest. There’s so much great inspiration around fireplace decorating so if you’re feeling in a creative slump you’ll find what you need on that site.
6/ Add a Wreath
This is another idea that can be used both indoors and outdoors. Add a seasonal wreath to the front door as well as on doors and walls inside your home. Your garden centre will have lots to choose from but if you’re a DIY lover this will give you a fun fall activity.
We tend to think about wreaths as a decorating tool for the holiday season but why not embrace the seasonal change. It’s also a great way to spend a cold afternoon and if you have kids they can join in and make a wreath for their own room.
7/ Bring In Texture
Spring and summer decor tends to be sleek and simple while fall is all about texture. Baskets made from grapevine or rattan, sliced wood coasters and heavy, chunky fabrics are here to replace those summer pieces.
You’ll want to pack away anything that feels or looks too lightweight. This is a trick that makes the changing season more tolerable because once we’ve started to embrace the texture of fall it can actually start to feel great. It doesn’t have to be a deep colour to work either.
8/ Add Additional Lighting
Evenings are soon going to become darker and with that we’ll see a noticeable change in light both inside and out. Lighting plays a huge role in the psychology of how we feel in our home. Poor lighting, particularly as the days get shorter can have an effect on our mood so be sure to keep your home feeling bright and cheerful.
Add string lights to the backyard to extend the evenings. Inside you can bring in additional floor and table lamps as well as bringing back your favourite scented candles for additional glow to every room.
If you need some additional help when it comes to lighting your home, read this post where I explain the 3 types of lighting that every home needs.
9/ Add Woven Pieces to Your Walls
If you love to collect art and you have the ability to store pieces you can change your artwork seasonally. During the fall season, go for landscapes that are moody or a series of black & white photography. These will set the tone for the seasonal change even if you don’t make any other changes in your space.
If that sounds like too much work you can add some woven baskets to your walls to give some seasonal texture and interest. These can be an inexpensive way to fill walls if artwork isn’t in your budget.
10/ Build a Bar & Games Area
Since we’re going to be spending a lot more time indoors it’s worthwhile setting up a station where you can access your favourite games and beverages.
Pull out board games, puzzles and cards and add them to your bar cart. Add beautiful glassware and your favourite beverage on top while the games take the lower portion of the cart. We’re all aware of bar carts filled with our favourite alcoholic beverages but if you prefer something milder you can set up a hot chocolate station, a coffee station or whatever beverage suits your lifestyle.
What are your tips for getting ready for the change of season?
If you need help getting ready for the seasonal change, reach out to me. I’d love to help you decorate your home to get you ready for the change of season.
