You know you live in South Carolina if you “feel a chill in the air” once the temperature drops to 80 degrees. It’s currently 77 degrees and I’m wearing long sleeves. But hey, I’m not complaining because the climate here in the Upstate provides us all four seasons. Most of us love the Summer time (me, especially), but when the first of September rolls around, the Fall obsession begins. Summer is kicked to the curb like it never happened, never was popular and the cool kid, Fall, is all the rage.

Cable knit sweaters and pumpkin everything fill the shelves of our shops. It’s kinda delightful. I want us all to have that warm and cozy, Autumn leaf, mountain air, apple cider vibe in our homes. We’re not remodeling or rearranging furniture (that’s what you call me for😉), we’re simply sprucing up. This is totally DIY-able and I’m sharing three simple guidelines to follow, so you can have some Autumn joy, too (even if it is 90 degrees next week 🙄). If you would rather have someone figure it out for you, check out our Services Page to see how we can help.

BTW – We’re going for intentionally styled, not kitsch, so if you’re holding a glitter pumpkin or a sign that reads, “It’s Fall, Y’all,” put it down right now.

*Takes a sip of her coffee* Okay, ready!

Nature’s Colors

When I think Autumn, I think of the warm colors of the changing leaves: reds, oranges, yellows. Look around your room; for example, your living room. What colors do you notice? Do you have items with these colors or neutral tones? We’ll keep them handy. How about Spring, Summer, or Winter colors? If possible, collect those and store it until their time comes. *Pro Tip: Your wall art and photographs count too! Use the color references below if you need help discerning colors.

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Use warm terra cotta toned pottery or ceramics with dried grasses, like this.

Swap out white drapery with linen or Fall inspired prints.

Think Texture

Remember what I said our shops are filled with? Chunky cable knit sweaters. This screams Fall! Use throw blankets and pillows with this texture. Try to source locally or repurpose your own sweater.

Other textures like faux fur, linen, burlap, wood, dried grasses offer a warm golden brown hue and can be used in unexpected places. Tie a burlap ribbon around your stack of coffee table books. Add grasses to vases or make a wreath. Read how to create your own pampas grass crafts here. Wood slices can hold votive of pillar candles (make sure they’re the right color candle). Linen can be found on lampshades and table runners!

If you have a bookcase or accent wall, consider adding a coordinating wallpaper. Try a neutral, earthy paper to stay year-round. You can opt for peel and stick wallpaper or paint to change the look sooner.

Let The Light In!

Often a low priority, if any at all, are the lights we use in our space. Each room in our homes requires different amounts of light. For our living room example, we want overall and soft, ambient lighting. To create ambient lighting, turn the overhead light off and use your table lamps and floor lamps. Add a variety of height to your light sources and mind the light bulbs.

Opt for a warm white light to compliment your warm and cozy interior. Bright white is sterile and uninviting. We’re not using this room for interrogation. Look for LED lights for low energy consumption (and a loooong lifespan) with a range of 2700K – 3000K. Whichever you choose in this range, make sure they all match.

Lastly, if you have a window, let the natural light in. Use sheer curtains to cover the windows if you need for privacy, the light is too bright, or you have ugly windows🤷‍♀️.

Skim Readers:

Think of Nature’s Colors during Autumn. Take a look at everything in your space. Everything. Use Autumn colors as your palette, pack up the items that fall out of this palette, and store them away! Replace wall art and family photos with sepia tone images, charcoal drawings, moody botanical illustrations, etc.

Natural Textures are our friends! I know someone near you can knit, so shop local for a chunky knit throw blanket.

Let the Natural Light in and replace all your cool or bright white light bulbs with soft white or warm white bulbs.

Keep these three guidelines in mind when styling your space and you will have a tastefully curated room fit for the Fall season.

Drop that glitter pumpkin!