Seasonal Decorating

The kids are back in school, lazy summer days have ended and we’re looking away from the outdoors and into our home interiors. Seasonal decorating gives a whole new look to our homes, and best of all, it takes very little money! It’s very easy for decor to stagnate but little changes make a great impact. By bringing in fresh colors and textures, our homes can be rejuvenated for fall.

Make a New Entrance
Your front door and porch are the first things that everyone sees when entering (or just passing by) your home. Replacing the summer flowers with richly colored mums and adding pumpkins, gourds and a raffia-tied wreath lets everyone know you’re all set for a new season.

Fall for Color
Out go the pastels, in comes a richer palette that takes inspiration from the changing of the leaves, the abundance of the harvest and the fire of the autumn sunset. Try to bring in oranges, browns and bronzes. Introduce these tones in small ways, by replacing your flower-patterned placemats, or updating that old seashell-strewn shower curtain. If you're not crazy about jack-o'-lantern orange, there are plenty of other orange shades from which to choose. And if the paint on your walls has you committed to Easter egg pink, yellow or green, look for a fall variation: deep rose, mustard gold or olive.

Update Your Sofa
If you have a beige or gray sofa, simply changing the accent pillows and adding a cozy throw when it gets chilly will go a long way. Even if you have a jewel-toned couch or minimalist all-white decor, you can mix things up by incorporating textures like jacquard and quilting or animal patterns like zebra striping.

Rotate Your Collections
Change the books on your coffee table, the vases on your mantelpiece and even the art on your wall. The change of the seasons is a great time to rotate objects that allow appropriate colors, themes or textures to come to the forefront.

Dim the Lights
Earlier sunsets may force you to switch to artificial lighting before dinnertime but don't make the mistake of relying on glaring overheads. You should invest in as much ambient lighting as possible. If you already have plenty of lamps, consider changing the shades to deeper hues or richer materials. You can even change a chandelier by putting in rose-colored bulbs instead of white ones and adding small shades to the bulbs.

Strike a Match
Not only do candles provide a warming glow in chillier climates, but they serve as decorative accents. Candles come in all sizes and colors, and new lines are introduced each season. Of course, scents change, too. Pretty soon we'll be saying goodbye to flowery, grassy aromas and hello to pine and cinnamon. Update your candlesticks as well, from lighter materials like ceramic to solid ones like dark wood.