Easy Ways to Get Your Home Ready For Fall
It's officially September, and although summer weather has been lingering around the northeast, native New Englanders know that it's only a matter of time before we trade in the heat wave of Indian summer for the chilly breezes of fall. As colder weather settles it, it's the perfect time to rethink your home decor: swapping out summer brights for richer tones, and lightweight throws for downy blankets can give your home a warm, welcoming vibe that will last all season long. Here, our resident interior designer Mariette Barsoum shares a few of her favorite easy ways to get your home ready for fall.
1. Swap out textiles. Perhaps the easiest way to transition breezy summer decor into cool-weather style is to change out the textiles throughout your home. Trading lightweight throw blankets for heavier, cable knit versions, or swapping a rainbow of throw pillows for ones in warm, muted tones or rich textures can make a big impact on the feel of your home, for relatively low cost and effort.
2. Change up accent pieces. Like textiles, switching out accent pieces is an easy way to make your decor feel seasonally appropriate. Replace coastal or nautical touches with farmhouse ones, swap colored glass decor for metallic pieces, or change out punchy faux florals with bunches of greenery, for example.
3. Add seasonal touches. One fall hits New England, there are no shortage of farm stands or farmer's markets offering up pumpkins, gourds, and freshly picked apples. Turn the seasonal harvest into chic centerpieces by filling a tall glass hurricane with an assortment of mini-pumpkins, or piling an orchard basket full of shiny red apples for a pop of color on the kitchen countertop.
4. Pick up a new scent. Creating a fall-feeling at home goes beyond the decor. Infusing you space with a seasonal scent--be it warm vanilla, spicy apple, or rich tobacco--will instantly give the atmosphere a cozy vibe. Plus, few things warm up a chilly night quite like candlelight!
5. Get prepped for guests. Fall is the season of entertaining: from Thanksgiving through New Years, many homes will become a revolving door of friends and family. So if you've been meaning to revamp the guest room, now is the time to do so. Simple touches, like adding a luggage rack beside the bed, stacking the nightstand with local guidebooks, or piling a storage bench or ladder with extra blankets can go a long way in making out-of-town guests feel welcome.
Happy fall!