Budget-Friendly Decorating for Fall

Budget-Friendly Decorating for Fall

By:  Luellen Kirchner
Key Associates
www.keyassociates.biz

As the leaves fall from the trees and the temperatures  cool, many of us feel the need to begin “nesting.”  Unlike the hot months of summer when we wanted our homes to feel cool and open and fresh, now we sense it’s time to cozy things up and make our homes feel warm, snuggly and inviting.

It’s the perfect time for the warm colors of autumn, for soft and plush textures that bring comfort and for bringing the fall bounty into our homes.  Decorating for fall can be easy and inexpensive and can transform your home into a safe haven - - especially on those chilly, ever-darkening evenings when many of us arrive home from a long day of work or activity.

Here are some tips for inexpensively decorating your home for the season:

Bring out the pillows & throws, especially the soft, textured ones in warm colors.  Textures and soft,  luxurious fabrics in browns, golds, warm brown-greens, rusts and deep shades of red and claret add a wonderful richness to rooms.  Find the colors that work best with your overall color scheme and use them year-after-year incorporating minor changes here and there.   Fall is about layering - - not just our clothes, but our home accessories. 

Use what Mother Nature has provided.  Pumpkins, squash, bittersweet, knurly twigs and branches or many other things from your own yard make wonderful arrangements.  Try incorporating these colorful pieces of nature in your own arrangements on an entry table, a coffee table, in your dining room, etc.   Use books (an invitation to curl up & read), pottery and other items to create vignettes.  

One of the nicest floral arrangements I remember was one I made using a very large carnival squash which I carved out to be used as a vase then filled with exceptional rust-colored lilies.  It was inexpensive, easy and amazing!  A beautiful arrangement can be as easy as putting a few twigs of bittersweet in an old pottery pitcher or vase.  Note:  When making arrangements, remember to vary heights for interest.  If something isn’t looking balanced, consider using the 1/3 to 2/3’s rule of scale. 

Decorate your front door or entry.  Add an autumn-inspired wreath to the door or make a tall arrangement using corn stalks or a bale of hay and potted mums, varying sized pumpkins, etc.  Carved pumpkins are nice if you have children or for Halloween, but plain old pumpkins look great all the way through Thanksgiving.  If you generally use your backdoor, be sure to make it welcoming and special too! 

Use candles - - especially inside hurricane lamps.  Glass hurricanes just make candles more special.  Glass reflects light and makes even the smallest candles seem more significant.  To get the most impact from a candle, add a glass hurricane.  Note:  We tend to forget that candles can be dangerous and can also leave stains.  Never leave them unattended and never set them directly on furniture or fabrics. 

Consider a seasonal switch by replacing light-weight, light-colored window treatments or adding a second layer to your draperies.  While this may seem extravagant, it can actually be an energy saver.  Consider adding rich toned velvet panels over sheers or energy conserving roman shades in a heavily textured fabric in rooms where adjustments for light and/or privacy are frequent. 

Another simple tip for warming up spaces is to replace cool white light bulbs with light bulbs that give off warm light.  This might not work in areas dedicated to sewing, intricate crafts or studying, but is well-suited for living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. 

Remember:  When it comes to themes, don’t over do it!  Less is more and scale is important.  You don’t need fall-themed “arrangements” in every room.   A lovely autumn wreath on the doors and a wonderful arrangement on the dining room table can be enough.  Keep it simple - - keep it appropriate to your space - - and enjoy.  It’s time to sink into those pillows, curl up with a good book and sip a cup of hot cider.     

Lue Kirchner is Executive Director of Key Associates, a service company located in Flat Rock, NC.  Key Associates provides home management, move management, home staging and interior decorating services for residents of the Asheville & Greenville areas of the Carolinas.  Key Associates’ Style Division also offers seasonal redesign and personalized decorating for the holidays and special events.   

Fall/2010