There is something about fall that makes us all want to add pumpkins and gourds and all the fall things to our homes. But sometimes these updates can feel a bit too much like a theme park.
At StyleBlueprint, our aesthetic spans from contemporary to traditional, but we definitely like classic and approachable. So, how does this play out with seasonal home updates for fall? Simple additions that are easy to maintain and don’t make your space seem more like a kindergarten classroom than a beautiful, nourishing home!
Here are our top 10 tips for updating your home for fall!
1. Bittersweet and/or Orange Ilex
Both of these berry-covered stems are perfect for fall decor. Place some orange ilex into a bowl of mini pumpkins or wrap the pumpkins with some bittersweet vine. Add either to a vase of fall flowers or let them shine on their own. Wrap some around a chandelier, or use them in a cornucopia. You could even incorporate them into a wreath for your front door.
This gorgeous fall display showcases bittersweet vine and the talents of Millstone Market & Nursery in Memphis. Image: Millstone Market & Nursery
Here, some fall flowers, including orange ilex, are used at a wedding in Napa with florals by Garden District in Memphis. Image: Garden District
Orange ilex in a vase is gorgeous on its own, like these pictured here, by Garden District. Image: Garden District.
2. Mini pumpkins
From mini white to small orange and even variegated minis, nothing says “fall” more quickly than a bowl of miniature pumpkins on a table. Use them grouped together as a centerpiece for a dining room table or place a few in a smaller bowl on a coffee table. Use them stacked in a large, clear glass vase or place one by itself atop a pile of books or on a bookshelf. Mini pumpkins are not prone to rot quickly, so most will last from September through Thanksgiving as long as they are kept out of direct, daily sunlight.
Buy 20 or so mini pumpkins and pile them into a large bread bowl (or whatever you have on hand) for an instant autumn update! Image: Liza Graves
RELATED: White Pumpkins & Fall Decor
With so many seasonal pop-up shops to buy pumpkins and flowers, you can even find variegated varieties like these. Image: Liza Graves
Here’s a quick tip for a tray that may be living on an outside porch, like this one. Find two pillar candles and place them on the tray along with a variety of candles. Then, fill in ALL the gaps with mini pumpkins. If you look closely, you can tell that these candles are well-loved and used often in this way. Or, stick to just votive candles. Image: Liza Graves
3. Front door wreath
Fall is the perfect time to embrace the timeless tradition of hanging a wreath on your front door. From dried cotton to wreaths made entirely from dried flowers to ones embellished with teeny pumpkins and pinecones, there are so many choices to make your front door ready for the season!
These dried flower wreaths are examples of the many different kinds of wreaths available at Millstone Market & Nursery. Image: Millstone Market & Nursery
More wreaths and fall decor continue to be added to Digs Home & Garden in Louisville. Image: Digs
4. Yellow mums
There is no other flower that instantly says “fall” quite like mums, even if you only want to buy one to two mums to flank your front door. My personal favorite are yellow mums. Why? Their color simply pops on both sunny and rainy days. And, I’ve never had great luck with white mums — I’m not sure why. All the other colors are nice, too, but they seem to fade into the background more than the yellow ones.
These yellow mums are just looking for some sun to burst into flower! These are at Flower Mart in Nashville. Image: Flower Mart
Give the front of your home a “fall facelift” by replacing your ferns with mums. Or, keep your ferns in their pots and add pumpkins and mums around them. These mums were purchased at Flower Mart. Image: Liza Graves
5. Cozy blankets
We love a cozy blanket no matter the season, but once the weather starts to turn a bit, a soft, warm blanket is always welcome. From cotton blankets to wool blankets, each has a place in your home in the fall. Adding some plaid blankets atop your bedding is a fun way to add a seasonal update to your bedroom as well.
I have several of these 100% cotton, made-in-the-USA blankets from Covered in Cotton, a South Carolina based company. For just $90, they make a great year-long blanket. But, in fall, they are definitely used a lot more! Image: Covered in Cotton
For a more luxe blanket, look to baby alpaca hair for warmth that does not compromise softness. Alicia Adams creates beautiful blankets like this one to cozy up under. It’s available in four colors and is found at Epergne in Nashville. Image: Epergne
Here is another Alicia Adams blanket for fall. Available in multiple colors at Epergne. Image: Epergne
RELATED: Fall Decorating Ideas That You Can Really Do
6. Dried flowers
Dried flowers are definitely having a moment, but one season that they’ve been perennially in style is fall. From Limelight hydrangeas to yellow yarrow to dried wheat, these florals are also nice because, obviously, they don’t need water and won’t die on you!
Tucked into a cozy corner of Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood, Golden Slipper carries a rotating assortment of dried stems. Image: Alissa Harb
To further inspire you for how great dried flowers can be, check out the hydrangeas in this Christmas tree. If you have conical hydrangeas in your garden, cut them before the first freeze. You will have beautiful fall bouquets that dry ever-so-nicely. If the stem is long enough, you can then easily repurpose them into your tree come December. Image: Liza Graves
7. Scented candle
Scents just cut through all the noise and hit your emotions. They make you FEEL instant comfort, and fall is all about coziness and comfort. Plus, it doesn’t have to be a pumpkin spice smell to make you know it’s fall. Think apple cider, cinnamon, cloves, eucalyptus, maple, or wood. A fall candle in the entryway and living areas helps the whole home feel like a big ol’ hug.
This candle by Ranger Station will leave you with a whiskey glass when the candle is finished burning. This scent is tobacco and musk. Image: Ranger Station
8. Bowl of apples
In the kitchen, replace that bowl of lemons with one filled with Granny Smith apples. Not only are they a guilt-free and tempting snack, but they also add life in the way a live plant does. And the color? Nothing beats it!
Note the bowl of apples on the counter, beneath the window. This kitchen, fully renovated with the talented vision of Beth Haley Design, is all the more welcoming with that bowl of apples! Image: Beth Haley Design
9. Colored taper candles
It’s fall. Do away with the white candles and use some deep berry colors, some green, some navy. They add such a nice fall feel to a dining table or mantel.
White taper candles have been the go-to for all seasons for years, but now colored candles are making a big comeback. This beautiful dinner party tablescape was designed with the help of Garden District. Image: Garden District
Don’t be afraid to use really deep jewel-tone taper candles like these. This table was designed by Mrs. Southern Social, an account to follow on Instagram for all sorts of table inspirations! Image: Leslee Mitchell
10. Update your dining table
Speaking of a fall table, swapping out your go-to placemats and cloth napkins is an instant way to have each meal represent the season. Go with plaid napkins, jewel tones, or traditional fall colors. If you aren’t a fan of cloth napkins, consider giving them one more try. Yes, they are a pain to launder, but if you wash them and just smooth them out to dry, and bypass the dryer altogether, they are pretty easy. You can even fold them when they are damp and leave them in a cool area to fully dry.
These orange plaid cloth napkins will instantly update your table for autumn. These were found at Epergne.
This beautiful table setting is made up of items available at Social in Memphis. With fall-inspired pheasant plates and an elevated placemat made in Italy, this setting definitely wows! Image: Social
And, who could resist these sweet bear and fall tree napkins? Find them at Epergne in Nashville. Image: Epergne
Speaking of table linens, these John Robshaw linens at A’Mano in Birmingham are gorgeous and scream, “HELLO, FALL!” Image: A’mano.
There you have it! From a bowl of green apples to some orange ilex to the glow of some warm candles, there is nothing like a few easy fall decor swaps to add some coziness to your home!
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To see more home ideas, check out our beautiful home articles, here.
