It is officially Fall in Boston. The leaves are starting to turn, the air is starting to cool and ALL the roadside farms are serving up hot apple cider and donuts which is basically the only reason I run errands every day. It also means that we’re looking for small ways to transform our home to embrace this gorgeous, gorgeous season. So! Even if you don’t have a complete arsenal of Fall decor at your finger tips, there are so many easy ways to give your home a great big Fall hug (cheeeeeesy) without spending a fortune or feeling like a giant pumpkin spice cliche! Read on!
SHOP: Magnolia Wreath
5 WAYS TO UP THE COZY FACTOR FOR FALL
TOUCH. Texture is everything. From the softness of the rugs underfoot to the smushy-ness of the pillows that you collapse into, having various textures that envelope you into their warmth should be the very foundation of your Fall decor. Fill baskets with throw blankets for easy access (you can get cute white ones at so many big box stores right now for great prices), add extra throw pillows on the sofa to sink into. A laughable amount, really.
Oh and speaking of baskets (well, two sentences ago if you’re still with me), adding baskets in a variety of sizes to the side of your sofa or next to your fireplace will add more texture and warmth without A. breaking the bank or B. changing the decor of your space too much. Bonus is that you can throw toys in them for that out of site, out of mind feeling we all crave. Ikea is killing it with their basket selection right now.
SHOP PILLOWS HERE: Plaid & Leather | Polka Dot | Autumn Calligraphy | Chambray Grateful | Give Thanks w Poms | Gold Gather | Sweater Knit |
SIGHT. Honing in on, or rather simplifying, your color scheme is key. Whatever your jam, may it be wood tones, deep reds, rich greens, matte blacks or just a layering of whites…find the collection of hues that make you think of Fall and infuse them into your decor. It could be as simple as removing one color from your palette and adding another.
Or swapping out your every day throw pillows and blankets with fresh ones, replacing the art in your frames with printables that you find on the web, cutting some greenery and bringing it indoors, layering on a faux sheep skin rug to bring more white in, hanging some cute signs around the house.
There are so many simple ways to use color as a visual marker for a new season. You can actually buy a grid of frames with a removable artwork slot so you can mix and match cool prints that you find around the web with your kids’ art that they bring home! Edited of course because I have, on more than one occasion, received a blank piece of paper with my child’s name on it that the school called “art.”
SHOP SIGNS HERE: Playing in the Leaves Acrylic | Welcome Sign | Thankful Metal Sign | Thankful Gold Hoop
SMELL. Smell is everything. Probably more important than anything else here. It’s that first impression when someone walks in your home. That element that makes your kids or your partner smile. For better or worse, the smell of your home is what will leave the longest lasting impression on your guests and even the little monsters that reside within.
Easiest – and not at all surprising tip: candles. Yes, you can go buy a gorgeous Magnolia candle or splurge on a Jo Malone (try the Incense & Embers) but you have no idea how easy it is to make your own candles. It’s even easy to make your own essential oils for the candle. It sounds way too Martha, I realize, but it’s actually totally relaxing and fun.
Truth Serum: Right now, I have vanilla beans just hanging out in some Jojoba oil so that I can add them to the soy flakes that I bought in bulk last year. I realize this is a little odd, but if you can reconcile the small fortune you will spend on ingredients at the beginning (soy flakes, wicks, oils if you want), it will pay dividends (what’s a dividend?) in money saved on seasonal candles for years. This was definitely a side tangent that I can elaborate on another day.
Now, while you can obviously embrace the fall scents with a beautiful candle or oils, you can just as easily and less expensively do so by simmering a pot of water infused with cloves, cinnamon sticks, orange rinds or whatever Fall spices you have on hand. And don’t forget that something baking in the oven – preferable covered sugar and spice and everything nice – is always a game changer.
TASTE. Up the ante a little by including “taste.” We keep a few gallons of apple cider in the fridge, we often have frozen batches of cinnamon rolls (or the store bought) that we warm up for breakfast. We also have simple little Fall treats in bowls around the house…buttery caramels, roasted and candied nuts, things like that. My kids favorite? Apple pie ice cream sandies.
Taste is by far the easiest of the bunch because all it takes is embracing the food that is right at your fingertips. Buy seasonal produce, cook with seasonal spices, make something sinful once a week. You can add pumpkin pie spice to soups, to pie dough, to cookies, to just about anything and you instantly transform an old favorite into something totally Fall-ish. My aunt adds cinnamon to her coffee grounds starting in October of every year. It’s her signature move and we all crave it!
And even better, the more you build these moments into your daily repertoire, the scents themselves will layer upon one another as the week goes on. Oh and did you know there is also Fall inspired CLEANING supplies!? Yep, Mrs. Meyers makes a Pumpkin Spice cleaning collection because DUUUUH!
SHOP: Wooden Window Pane Tray | Window Pane Napkin | Window Pane Placemats
SOUND. Obvious? A great soundtrack. But, are there other ways to incorporate sound? Um, YES! Light candles with wooden wicks so that you hear the “crackle” that insta-reads cozy. Get the kids outside for a fire pit and toasted marshies. Brew a daily cup of autumnal tea so you hear that lovely whistle. Change your ringtone. Open the windows just a touch to let the crisp air in and hear the leaves falling from the trees. So many subtle ways to build a Fall inspired “soundtrack” to your home.
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So there you have it. We are officially in a no excuses zone for Fall transformations. It’s like my dad used to tell me…if you get up every day, shower, make your bed, tidy your room and look your best, you will have a better day. And a better day will lead to a better week and there are only 52 weeks to a better year. I manage to do this about once a week. Maybe. But it was great advice. So anyway! Go ahead, tap into these 5 easy senses and build a home that feels like, well…a HOME!
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