Bring Autumn Into Your Home
Although pumpkins have been adopted as the go-to symbol for autumn, they are not the only decorations you can use. Fall is a great time to finish up outdoor projects and begin inside chores as you prepare to hunker down for winter. From simple projects and décor ideas to enhancing an older home, this is the perfect time for you to work on your home.
As you transition from summer to fall, the decorations and ways to bring them into your home abound! From the iconic colors of oranges, reds, browns, and mustard tones, to the warming scents of pumpkin spice and cinnamon apples, this is the perfect time to add nature to your home decorating. Many different products of nature are associated with fall. Try decorating your home with pinecones, maize, walnuts, wheat, cinnamon sticks, and apples for a more rustic, autumnal effect.
You can create your own décor! For a classic table decoration, cut a hole in some plastic apples and insert a flameless tea light candle. Or, if you prefer, cut a hole in some real apples and use lit tea lights. You can also put a flameless tea light in the bottom of a Mason jar and decorate with twine, leaves, and acorns. You may want to use wine glasses as holders to give tea lights or short pillar candles a festive look. If you have kids at home, involve them in the decorating process. Collect some leaves, then paint, color, or trace them to your heart’s content. Frame the finished product and hand on the wall for all to admire.
Embrace the scent of cinnamon apples! Pumpkin spice is great, but nothing quite beats the smell of apple cider in the fall. Light candles, burn incense, or just plug in an air freshener to get your home smelling like fall in no time. If you’re into them, essential oils are another great option, simply plug in your favorite diffuser, add a couple drops of essential oils, and away you go. Of course, one of the easiest ways to get your home smelling like fall is to add water and cinnamon to a small pot and simmer with the lid off.
Autumn is a great time to change up your throw pillows, blankets, table linens, and more. There are five key places you want to use pattern and two places to avoid them. Patterns can be tricky. Some people love them, some hate them, but there’s always room for pattern in your home’s décor if you know which ones to use and where. Small bits of fun print can add character to a plain kitchen. Dishtowels and cloth napkins are easy to switch out, making it simple to change colors in your kitchen. Don’t be afraid to try floral, stripe, or geometric designs and rotate them regularly. Although you’re likely to store them for winter soon, outdoor furniture cushions should be sturdy and timeless, and can be anything you like! Change them with the seasons, and remember that bold floral prints and bright colors work well outside.
Other places to use patterns in the home include throw pillows, kitchen backsplash, and curtains. Throw pillows can take a living area from blah to wow! Pair pillows touting small prints with solid pillow partners. If you’re feeling extra edgy, a texture like fur or denim can add another dimension to your living room. A backsplash can transform a kitchen. Try a bright, hammered copper or glass tiles to bring light and energy into the space. Have fun with this by choosing a unique material that can be the room’s focal point. Curtains are a prime place to incorporate large, bold prints. Complement busy patterns in curtains with solid-color accessories in the same shade to avoid making the space look too busy.
As mentioned earlier, there are two places to avoid patterns. Too much of a print can make a room feel cluttered. All four walls in a print is a big no-no. Try accenting one wall with a bold pattern, because a room full of prints can be overwhelming. The other place to avoid pattern is with a couch. A patterned couch is usually best left on the showroom floor. As an investment piece, sofas should be more neutral than trendy. Most prints go out of style within two to three years, so don’t let the appeal of your couch expire that quickly.
Modern touches can enhance an older home. Older homes have history and character. Sometimes they come at a price that seems like a steal. But once you settle in, you may want to add some modern touches to update the home’s look and feel. Here are a few ideas for getting started: brighten up, add contemporary hardware, switch light fixtures.
Brighten up dingy rooms with a fresh coat of paint. Choose a bright white with accent pieces in a fresh yellow. Or go with a popular light blue or green shade on the walls. Hang light, breezy curtains to allow sunlight to flow freely. These small touches can reinvent the room’s mood, adding a brighter background and making more use of natural light.
Change the hardware and doorknobs to match the style of your furniture and décor. Polished nickel hardware can bring shine into a room, while black knobs and pulls give the room a contemporary edge.
It might be time to switch light fixtures. Swap out dimly lit, outdated light fixtures for more modern lamps or a trendy chandelier. Cylindrical light fixtures can be a pleasant addition to rooms with sharp edges. This small change will freshen up any foyer or dining room.
Switching light fixtures might be easy for some, and absolutely daunting for others. It’s natural to find some home projects overwhelming, but there are chores to fear less. Some of the projects we went to worry too much about include yard work, installing a faucet, and washing in the inside and exterior of windows.
Yard work can be made easy by setting a times sprinkler to water in the early morning hours when it won’t be evaporated by the sun as quickly. In extreme heat, only mow your yard once every two weeks. Cutting the yard too short can leave your lawn looking thirsty. If leaves cover your lawn in the fall, don’t run for the rake. Some decomposition is healthy for your yard and bagging up those leaves only creates more landfill waste.
Installing a faucet is either as easy as, or as challenging as installing a new light fixture. If you make this a DIY, there are things to keep in mind. Your existing faucet will be sitting on top of 1 to 3 holes in your vanity. Choose a replacement faucet that requires the same spacing of holes. Switching out the faucet is just a matter of disconnecting a few pieces, swapping them out, and reconnecting them. Check out FamilyHandyman.com or similar DIY blogs for step-by-step instructions.
Very little brings as much light into a space as windows, and nothing shines quite like a clean window. If you clean your own windows, when working outside your house, it’s important to stay safe. Do NOT dangle off a ladder to reach high windows. Use a long-handled mop dipped in glass cleaner to wash, then dry with a brook covered in newspaper for a dirt free view. Work smarter, not harder.
Whatever you do this season to update your home, remember that your space is a reflection of you and your vision. And after your hard work is complete, invite over family and friends to show off your handiwork.