Sweater weather is officially upon us. And if you’ve been counting down the days until the cozy season, you’re not alone. Fall is undoubtedly one of the most fun seasons to decorate for; however, it can be easy to go overboard with the countless festive and seasonal decor options. The good news is that you can easily tackle seasonal decorating with a few key decor staples to add that autumnal touch to your home interior.
We reached out to experts from Santa Fe, NM, to Toronto, ON, to get the latest and greatest fall decor staples to help you achieve a cozy autumnal home interior, without sacrificing style. From inviting scents to welcome you and your guests to design styles to watch out for this season, here’s the ultimate guide to mastering chic fall decor to spice up your home.
Create a warm and welcoming environment
The entryway is the first area in your home that guests – and you – will encounter, and a few simple entryway ideas can pack a serious design punch. Establish a welcoming atmosphere in your home by infusing your space with cozy scents reminiscent of fall.
Welcome guests into your home with warm and cozy scents. A tip for the holiday season is to light a candle 20 minutes prior to guests arriving and place it in the entryway. This will give enough time for the scent to fill the space and automatically set a cozy and welcoming vibe. Also, always trim your wicks before each burn to reduce smoke. Our favorite scents during this time of year are Balsam + Cedar, Campfire + Smoke, and Vanilla + Spice. –Nicole Rose Studio Inc.
Define your color palette for the ultimate autumnal home interior
When creating a fall color palette, it’s best to take inspiration from your surroundings. Evoke the cozy feelings of the fall season by incorporating warm hues or going bold with rich jewel tones. From lively to moody, these seasonal shade picks reflect the changing scenery and can easily give your space a festive feel.
Muted tones in soft rusts, pale yellows, and creamy whites. Soft rusts, pale yellows, and creamy whites infused with natural elements add calmness to interior and exterior spaces. These colors paired with soft textiles such as faux furs and seasonal dried florals create a warming atmosphere that coordinates with any home décor. –Neighbor Interiors
Burnt orange and rich plum. Try bringing the colors of the season to your table. I always love using burnt orange and a rich plum in fall to keep the overall aesthetic warm and inviting. To elevate the ordinary, try adding a pop of color to your napkins, like yellow or pink, that will brighten your table. And don’t be afraid to experiment with long stems of berries in tall vases to give the center of your table some character. –Cosima Interiors
Teal, sage, plum, or gold. Just because it’s fall doesn’t mean you have to stick to the expected orange and brown color palette. Branch out with teal, sage, plum, and gold when selecting your decor. For extra credit, buy some new throw pillows with gold accents, such as our Banana Leaf in Gold, to make your living areas more festive. –Krane Home Studio
Warm colors mixed with cooler accents. Warm colors, especially rust, are having a big moment this fall. Try mixing them with cooler accents (like greens, blues, and purples) to balance your space. Think “desert sunset,” and you’ll nail this palette. –Press Interiors
Jewel tones. Fall decor doesn’t need to be your typical oranges and browns of the past. Incorporating jewel tones in purples, greens and blues will make your home interior feel modern and fresh. –Alice Benjamin Interiors
Emerald, jade, burgundy, and mustard paired with rich velvet fabrics. Fall colors are bolder than ever this year. Jewel tones in emerald, jade, burgundy and mustard are being used in rich velvet fabrics and home decor items. Inspired by fall colors, your interior space can be crisp and inviting using these rich jewel-tone colors. Simply adding a pop of color to your current space with these accent colors will add a more contemporary flair to your interior’s fall design. –Interior Motives
Incorporate these seasonal decor staples
Between the sight of the changing scenery and cooler weather, it’s impossible to resist the urge to redecorate for the fall season. While you may be tempted to hit the stores for new fall accessories, you may already own a lot of these seasonal staples. Add in some trending decor pieces and you can turn your home into an autumnal oasis year after year, without breaking the bank.
A collection of warm autumnal amber glass in the form of a bulbous vase and votive candles creates a warm yet understated Thanksgiving feel. Brass candlesticks and an effortless table runner made with eucalyptus leaves and fresh pears create a festive ambiance that sets an inviting stage for a memorable meal with family. If you’ve run out of places to prop your garland, try plaid printed bedding. We like creating a cozy and rustic atmosphere with reclaimed wood accents, soft fur textures, and a variety of greenery. Candle-filled lanterns topped with evergreen help make the space feel warm and inviting. -Rafaela Simoes and Laila Colvin, 2id Interiors
When I think of fall design and home decor, I think of neutral tones, brown creams, and gold with a pop of orange. My decor staples for perfect autumnal interiors would be candles, and bringing natural elements into your home, like tree branches in a vase for a centerpiece, or even framing leaves hanging on your wall. Swapping out your accent pillows by mixing them up a little with texture and a variety of different neutral shades will help complete your look. –R Jones Designs
Across fall trends, we see that each styling method goes back to evoking nostalgia and reflection in our homes. The cooler months have us retreating into our homes in search of warmth and comfort. Fall design is about mixing textures, accentuating colors, displaying artwork in the season’s neutral palette, and adding sentimental scents to create a cozy, homey feeling. You can create a warm, relaxing atmosphere with multitudes of warm low lighting with table lamps and even lighting candles with sage, clove, orange, or cinnamon scents. Layer as many elements of your room as you can – your pillows, vintage rugs, memorabilia, throws, warm-toned picture frames – but avoid anything too new, too old, or too forced. When you feel relaxed and authentically yourself in your space, it becomes home. –Sage Interiors
Add quintessential cozy touches
Nothing says fall quite like a cozy pile of blankets and pillows. And a great way to keep your textiles current is by layering with different textures and colors. To get the look, layer chunky knits with vibrant fall colors to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
As we head into fall and cooler months, it’s important to accessorize with rich textures and layers that create a cozy vibe. Achieving warm and welcoming autumnal interiors is all in the details. When you accessorize in a way that feels personal, it makes your guests feel welcome in your home. The interior styles that unveil themselves in autumn, like chunky knits, plush fabrics (think mohair), and the arrangement of long, leafy branches, are iconic symbols of fall. And if you’re blessed with a space that lets in the beautiful backdrop of autumnal colors, keep those windows exposed and let nature do its job. –Link Interiors
We always encourage a collection of textured, warm throw pillows and throw blankets that beckon you to get comfortable. Fall is the time to get cozy and curl up in front of a fireplace. The earlier nights encourage families to spend more time together, and there’s nothing cozier than soft textures. We love big blankets and 2-3 throw pillows in every corner of a sofa or sectional. –Anthology Interiors
Make your space feel like it’s celebrating fall by mixing warm, chunky textures and the use of neutral and vibrant fall colors. This can be achieved with throws, pillows, art, fall scented candles, and other colorful accessories that marry the interior with the outdoors in an elegant and inviting way. Don’t forget thick woven blankets and other chunky textures and textiles to cozy up with as fall temperatures drop. –Emily Esposito Interiors
Entertain in style with a layered fall tablescape
With the holiday season wrapped into fall, having a festive and seasonal tablescape is essential for home entertainment. Swap out everyday dinnerware with fall-inspired colors and textures to create an autumnal tablescape that will “wow” your guests.
Try a tablescape with warm lighting from flameless candles, adorned with small pumpkins, gourds, and natural accents like eucalyptus or dried bittersweet. Balance your design with a simple runner in burlap or linen for a casual yet classy effect. Entertaining dinner guests and hosting small gatherings are especially important this fall season. –Clark Team Designs
Fall design styles and trends to watch for
As trends grow and evolve, so do the many clever and creative ways to incorporate fall decor staples. Revamp your traditional fall decor with some trendy pieces to keep your home interior fresh.
Bringing natural elements inside your home is definitely a trend for the upcoming season. Neutral palettes, earthy tones, and organic shapes will continue to have a strong presence in the upcoming holidays. Adding bold-colored walls and elements will enhance the character of any room and round out your autumnal home interior. –Bea Interiors Design
Maximalism. Maximalism is a more-is-more approach to design communicated through multiple patterns, textures, bright, rich colors, cherished accessories, and art. It all comes down to telling your narrative. It has a sense of fun, ie. a quirky mix of patterns, materials, and wallpapers. A well-designed “maximalist design” will result in a warm, fashionable, and intriguing environment that beautifully blends old and new. –Amy Spigel Interiors
Go big with color. The latest fall trend is color. People want to celebrate with verve, vigor, and exuberance after living through the dark days of a pandemic. Indigo, army green, clay (in the orange family), red, fuchsia, lilac, and silver are the go-to colors of the season. Go big or go home when it comes to color. –David Mucci Interiors
Enhance your home decor with colors and add interest with different shape silhouettes. Step into fall with pops of color and curves. Out with the white-on-white boho beach look and time to warm it up and shift to vibrant hues or go-to greens. You can go big, like updating your kitchen cabinetry with a bright emerald, or stick with something smaller like bold, patterned pillows and other well-appointed accessories. The key is layering. Minimalism can be pushed aside (for now) while maximalism takes center stage with nods to the past. Don’t forget to show off the shapes and curves of your home decor, such as geometric and organic silhouettes from sofas, tables, and art pieces to add interest to your home interior. –Storm Interiors
Don’t forget to enhance your outdoor space for the fall season
Don’t pack away your outdoor entertainment spaces just yet. As the weather cools off, you and your guests can enjoy pleasant evenings accompanied by crisp fall air and colors.
Add fun elements to your outdoor space with ping pong tables and fire pits. This season is about reconnecting safely with loved ones, so invest some fun into your home. A concrete or stone fire pit will add some weight and permanence to the festivities. –James De Wulf
Create an outdoor oasis to spend time with family. Create a garden that gives the perception of suspension in time with friends and family. Adding in a water feature like Stone Forest’s hand-carved stone fountains adds an eye-catching design element to your oasis while also evoking the expansive and restorative feelings of the outdoor world. Distilling the essence of nature and bringing it into the home and garden will never be out of style and is trending now more than ever. –Stone Forest
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