FIVE EASY AND ELEGANT FALL DECORATING TIPS

It’s almost impossible to believe fall is just about upon us already and even though I’ve had ideas swirling around in my head for some time now, I haven’t even started yet my own decorating yet. In the last few years, I have been well on my way by this point, and I’m actually turning to some of my past fall decorating tips for my own inspiration this year, which I’m also sharing with you today. I’m still waiting on the delivery of our new white sofas (which should get here next week, woohoo!), so until I have them in place, everything else has basically been put on hold. I shared them recently and I am so excited for them to arrive – if you haven’t seen them yet, check them out here, they’re gorgeous! I’ve also decided that I’m tackling my fall decorating a little differently this year. Rather than an entire tour, I will approach it slowly and I think I’ll go room by room, similar to what I did this past summer and last Christmas. I’ll be starting with the living room, and slowly going with each space from there. So, in light of being somewhat behind schedule this year, I’m sharing some of my favorite fall decorating tips from years past to get you started too. These are easy and elegant, and can be used in any space, no matter what your style is!

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FALL DECORATING TIPS – 1. USE SEASONAL PRODUCE

I am all about inexpensive and budget friendly decorating and this fall decorating tip will maximize your decorating dollars. It’s such a simple and elegant way to bring in the season, especially in the fall, with all of the gorgeous colors at your local market or grocery store. Seasonal decorating doesn’t get easier than this and you might as well do double duty when picking up your groceries for the week.Rich-hued figs are an elegant and sophisticated touch in the kitchen – delicious too! Paired together with gold and blue, it’s a glorious color palette in our kitchen! With my new brass hardware we recently added in this space, I just may turn to this color again in our kitchen this year. See more of this look right here, from my fall home tour, two years ago!

If you remember my Thanksgiving tablescape from last year, a quick, last minute trip to the grocery store saved me when pulling this look together! The colors are divine and the bounty is so warm and welcoming on our table. You can see more of this table, which is a favorite of mine, right here.
I used vibrant and fragrant oranges as the centrepiece for this look and built the rest from there by layering in deep reds and luscious greens, topping it all off with faux foliage to fill it all in and complete the look. This was so easy and inexpensive to create and it honestly took no time at all. For more entertaining and tablescape ideas, click here for a round up of some of my favorites.I absolutely love this idea for entertaining, it’s a conversation piece also – your family and friends will love the richness of this bountiful table that fall has to offer. Layer in crisp white and metallic linens for an elegant touch.

Building on the same idea as the produce, how about arranging it with super market florals too? This was one of my first ‘real’ arrangements that I had attempted (see it here) and I have to say, one I’m still proud of today! I’m not one to take my time with pulling together a floral centrepiece – I actually find it really hard and frustrating, plus I can have little patience with these things…but this one turned out pretty nice for my first real attempt!
Add some of those pretty fresh figs to compliment the rich tones, and voila – fall decorating made so simple! You can easily simplify this and use it on an entryway console, dining room buffet, or kitchen table too.
Fresh plums, pears, apples or grapes (or any all fruit you want to use) to adorn your place settings will also do the trick – a delicious fall decorating tip your guests will love. 

FALL DECORATING TIPS – 2. USE SEASONAL FOLIAGE, REAL AND FAUX!

A walk in the woods or your yard is all you need to do to pull of this fall decorating tip and it seriously doesn’t get any easier. Fill a vase with fresh water and add your clippings to bring the season into your home just about anywhere. I always love to do this year round, no matter what the season is. So simple. Change the water and clip the branches to keep it fresh, or just change the clipping if it dries out too quickly.A simple little clipping on a shelf is always an elegant touch.I’m huge on faux florals and foliage, as many of you already know, and I love to layer it on in the cooler months. This tablescape below is an example of using all faux foliage as an alternative to fresh flowers, which can be expensive sometimes. What I love about faux is that they’re reusable and definitely a worthwhile investment. Read all about this tablescape from last year and how I created this look here. Again, you can use this idea on any console table or shelving.Dried grasses also do the trick, and these gold-toned ones I used in the kitchen brought so much warmth into our home two years ago. I love the vibrant hue and the focal point they create in this space.

FALL DECORATING TIPS – 3. LAYER IN GOLD, BRASS AND WARM METALS

Ok this is my favorite thing to do for just about any season of the year, but for those of you who aren’t into these warm metals as a staple in your home just yet, it is a fabulous way to layer in the fall season. Mix it up with cool metals as well for an even more interesting look! Don’t be afraid to try something new! Last year I could not find a gold lamp that I liked, so I spray painted my daughter’s old bedroom lamp and styled it in our entryway. I wanted to bring in lots of layers of warm tones to mix in with my blue and white pieces, and this was perfect DIY project. For less than $10, I had a brand new lamp and a sophisticated and welcoming entryway.The gold tones also picked up on the lanterns and hits of gold on my tablescape as well.Sometimes all you need is one little element in a space, like my gold garden stool pictured below. I can’t believe how different our living room used to look…Just wait until those new sofas get here!I often use blues and golds in the fall, it is one of my favorite color palettes, and with our new white sofas, I’m conjuring up ways to use it…you can see I used it two years in a row in the living room – above is from two years ago (click here), and below is from last year (click here).

FALL DECORATING TIPS – 4. BRING ON THE LEOPARD!

One of my favorite fall decorating tips is using leopard. Leopard is not for everyone, but it truly is a timeless classic that will never go out of style. I especially love using it in the fall, whether it’s in my wardrobe or around our home. It’s fashion forward and bold, and is actually a neutral that goes with just about anything.You don’t need very much of it to make a statement and last year, I used some beautiful pillows throughout our home to do just that. Small but mighty, these lumbar pillows sure pack a big punch.Sprinkled throughout our home last fall (and making a comeback again this year), they were the perfect fall addition I wanted in our home. Statement-making, punchy and bold, but timeless, classic and traditional as well.
You can see more of how I infused it in my fall home tour from last year – click here.Our bedroom got a double dose of leopard last fall as well, and combined with my favorite navy and gold that was carried through form the living room, I loved the feminine-meets-mascuine vibe it brought to this space.I’ll be switching our bedding back to this navy set very soon, to layer in those rich, enveloping and cozy colors for the season. You can read all about our fall bedroom from last year, here.

FALL DECORATING TIPS – 5. CREATE A WELCOMING PORCH AND ENTRYWAY

Last fall, I layered on the mums, blankets and pillows on our front porch to create a warm and inviting welcome for guests. A wreath with rich fall hues, an arrangement of simple, fresh cut hydrangeas and some ornamental grasses helped to pull the look together.I’m still in major summer mode over here, not only because I’m behind, but because it has been so hot, probably the hottest summer we’ve had in many years that I can remember. All that to say, I’ll be heading out for mums and grasses, and clipping my hydrangeas to create the same look as last year – you can read all about my fall porch here.This gorgeous wreath was a lucky find from HomeSense and as soon as the temperature drops a few degrees, I’ll be pulling it out of storage again.Nothing welcomes the season, and your friends and family, like a rich-hued, large-scale wreath to hang on the door. I love the scale of this one – I always say go big or go home! It’s always better to go larger rather than smaller.
Fall is my favorite season… for decorating, for dressing, for the crisp cool air and warm sun, for the smell of fresh baked muffins and breads. There are so many reasons this is my favorite of all, and I’m eager to get my act together to welcome the season as it starts!

I even opted out of using pumpkins and gourds last year, except for three little mercury glass pum in our kitchen. I may just do the same again. I like to keep it simple and effortless, but for you, fall decorating might mean something completely different! If you love your pumpkins and gourds, then by all means, bring them on! Layer your cozy throws and faux fur blankets! I’ll be pulling mine our soon too.

I hope you found these fall decorating tips useful, and I hope they help you bring the season into your home tis year. I know I’ve just inspired myself to start thinking about ways to get the season kicked off over here. Stay tuned for our new living room updates coming very soon! I’ll also be sharing a roundup of some of my favorite leopard must-haves later this week, so keep your eyes open for that… Happy fall decorating! xo