Five Things to Liven Up your Home for Fall

Do you love the change of seasons?  I do!  Maybe because the advent of a new season means new colors, new textures and new things in general. Just about the time the seasons turn, I’m ready for a change and I’m really ready to bring those changes into my home. I think it has something to do with being connected artistically to the inspiration that is all around us, as everything changes with the seasons … colors, smells, textures and light.

Fall colors start to emerge (crushculdesac)

Oh and fashion changes too! But that’s another post.

OK, maybe just one fashion picture! (pinterest)

So, I thought a short refresher list of a few things to do make our homes a little cozier and livelier for Fall may be fun.

1. You’ve probably heard me say that home fashion and personal fashion follow each other closely (click here for post).  At this time of year, most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are ready to begin spending more time indoors and we want to make our surroundings bright, cozy and comfortable.  Just as our personal fashion changes to heavier textures and colors,   switching out pillows and blankets that are lighter in texture and weight to those that are heavier and that weave in Fall colors is a good first step.  Their tone, color and style should match your existing tone, color and style….unless you are going for a complete change.

DIY Dish

All of the elements here are heavier, including the colors, the texture and the materials. Fur is always big for Fall (elements of style)

2) Fall scents are some of the best, in my opinion. They conjure up coziness or freshness, depending on which you use, and bring a different layer of comfort into our spaces that we may not think to incorporate.  I’m a huge advocate of layering clean, pleasing scents into my design concepts for clients, and in fact, just recently, I changed out some of our room diffusers with some new scents I’m creating for my new home accessories line. I have to live with them first before I would consider asking anyone to try them in their own home.  Right now, I’m working with ginger, orange and vanilla with a hint of fig…

Reed diffusers bring in a clean scent without being overpowering (Google)

I use natural oils when possible in any room scent. These beautiful figs are a wonderful inspiration to bring vibrant Fall color into your home. (GoodMoodFood)

3. Bring the outdoors in.  Natural centerpieces and small vases filled with flowers and foliage of the season are a pleasant sight to see as you walk from room to room. You may find your favorites on your daily walk or even in your own front or back yards.

Branches and flowers add a bit of soulful elegeance (pinterest)

If you are local to Southern California, Josy Johnson at Josy’s Events in Long Beach does a phenomenal job with anything she touches.

Josy’s Events, Long Beach CA

4.  Enjoy some time in front of the fireplace or by the fire pit.  We are blessed beyond belief here in Southern California to be able to enjoy both our fireplaces and our backyard fire pits in the evenings all year around.  During the Fall, though, there’s nothing quite like the cheerful colors and warmth of a fire to bring home the feeling of the season.  We used ours for the first time a week ago and many mornings, while the house is still quiet, I enjoy a steamed misto coffee and the fire on the cool, overcast Fall mornings.

Not exactly my own fireplace…yet! (Pelican Hill)

5.  What would Fall be without food?  If it’s good, try it / eat it!  We make extra batches of soup I used to eat when my grandma and grandpa would come to visit from the East Coast during the winter. Draw on your own family traditions to bring in food that warms you this season and maybe create a few new traditions of your own.

Italian Wedding Soup (King Arthur Flour)

Bruschetta (Williams Sonoma)

Winter salad from That Kind of Woman

Wishing you a wonderful Fall season!