Inspiration, ideas, and expert advice for creating spaces you'll love to call home.

Interior Design and Renovation

Fall, Layered In

By Jennifer Ross

Fall decorating doesn’t have to mean packing away everything you love and starting over. In fact, some of the warmest, most inviting rooms simply layer the season into what is already there.

Start by looking around your home. The colors, furniture and accessories you live with every day can become the foundation. Then add fall a layer at a time.

Layer in color. Rust, amber, caramel and cream are natural choices for autumn, but don’t be afraid to add something unexpected. Here, a bold blue appears alongside traditional fall colors, while touches of green help connect everything. Repeating those colors from room to room, even in small doses, gives the home a collected feel.

Layer in texture. This is where fall decorating really begins to feel cozy. Add big, fluffy throws, velvet or textured pillows and soft fabric pumpkins. Mix smooth ceramic pumpkins with chunky fabrics, natural pinecones and greenery. The contrast between hard and soft, polished and natural, makes a room more interesting.

And don’t make it too perfect. Let a throw tumble across the corner of a bed or sofa. Mix round pillows with square ones. Group pumpkins of different sizes and materials. Fall should feel comfortable and lived in.

Layer in nature. Before you buy another decoration, go outside. Your own yard may be full of things you can use.

Interesting branches, pinecones, acorns, seed pods, dried grasses and colorful leaves can become some of the prettiest fall accents in the house. Fill a favorite vase with branches for height and movement, scatter pinecones among fabric pumpkins, or tuck a little greenery into a tabletop arrangement.

Natural pieces add texture and keep seasonal decorating from feeling too staged.

Dried flowers are another easy choice. Their softer colors and imperfect shapes work beautifully with the warm tones of fall, and unlike fresh flowers, they can carry you through the season.

Layer in the little things. A kitchen island doesn’t need an elaborate centerpiece. Start with a wooden tray and add a vase, a few small pumpkins, greenery and a candle. Bring in a fall-colored towel, favorite mug or warm-toned dishware. Suddenly, an everyday space feels different.

Finally, add the glow. Candles and warm lamplight soften a room as the days grow shorter and make all those textures and colors feel even richer.

The best part is that there really are no rules. Shop your home. Shop your yard. Then add a few things you love.

Fall decorating isn’t about changing your home. It’s about layering in the season.