How to Make Your Home Feel Like Autumn
Tammy Renée | Creating the Beautiful Life
6 min read
Shop the look: Gingham Placemats, Checkered Accent Lamp, and Transferware Plates are from HomeGoods | White Dinner Plates | Water Goblets | Riley Silverware | Cloth Napkins | Wooden Bowl | Sunday Suppers Book | Scotland Book | Eat Drink Nap Book
A Cozy, Collected Living Room
In the living room, I keep my ivory slipcovered furniture and linen curtains as a neutral foundation and change the mood with pillows, throws, flowers, and a few seasonal accessories.
I especially love the contrast of warmer, textured fabrics against the neutral furniture and the mix of old and new pieces. Nothing needs to match perfectly when going for a more layered, collected look.
Most of the elements here in my living room I've had for years. However, if there is still a link available, I will put it below.
Autumn is my favorite season, and one of the things I look forward to most is making my home feel a little warmer and cozier as the season changes.
Living in an apartment, I've learned that it doesn't take a lot of space to welcome a new season. Rather than bringing in a lot of traditional fall decorations, I prefer to make subtle changes.
I bring out warmer colors, layer different textures and patterns, change the lighting, and add natural touches like pumpkins, branches, and fall flowers.
I also love bringing out favorite books, lighting a fall-scented candle, and putting on one of my autumn Spotify playlists. After all, transitioning our homes with each season is about more than how they look; it’s about how they feel, too.
Today, I thought I'd share a few corners of my apartment and some of the simple ways I've welcomed the season.
A Warm Autumn Welcome
I started at the front door with this golden ginkgo-leaf wreath. I love how the warm oranges and yellows look against the dark door. It's a simple way to bring in the colors of the season before you even step inside. I've had this one for years, but I linked a similar one below.
Shop the look: Maple-Leaf Wreath
A few real pumpkins, burgundy chrysanthemums, and a welcoming doormat finish the entrance. Fresh pumpkins and flowers are always among my favorite seasonal decorations.
Shop the look: Welcome Doormat
On my foyer bench just inside the door, I added a golden throw, patterned throw pillows, and a butterscotch pumpkin. I also hung these fall-themed plates on each side of the framed still life. And one of my favorite tricks is using hidden remote-controlled puck lights in tucked-away spaces like this, where a traditional lamp wouldn't work. That soft glow makes such a difference in the evenings.
Shop the look: Still Life Framed Art | Throw Blanket is past purchase from Home Goods | Embroidered Pillow | Windowpane Throw Pillow | Remote-Controlled Battery-Operated Puck Lights | Plates from Home Goods
Layers of Color and Pattern
For autumn, I especially love mixing warm colors and patterns. On my dining table, green gingham placemats, brown transferware, and patterned napkins create a layered look without everything having to match.
A wooden bowl filled with pumpkins and gourds makes a wonderfully simple centerpiece. And I love using small rechargeable accent lamps on dining tables, bookshelves, and other places where I want a little extra warmth without cords.
Shop the Look: Area Rug | In Omnia Paratus Art Print | Linen Curtains
Changing pillow covers is one of the easiest ways to make a room feel like a new season. Over the years, I've invested in good-quality down-and-feather pillow inserts and collected covers that I can change with the seasons. Some of my covers are more than twenty years old. Because I've chosen classic patterns and well-made fabrics, they've held up beautifully, making seasonal decorating both simple and economical. This autumn, I've mixed different colors, patterns, and fabrics, while a chunky green throw adds one more layer of cozy texture.
Shop the Look: Green Throw Blanket (no longer available, but here's one similar) | Plaid pillow cover (the color I have is no longer available, but I've linked a similar one | Green Velvet Pillow Covers (no longer available, but here's one similar) | Corduroy Pillow Cover | Gather Lumbar Pillow (past purchase from Pottery Barn)
Below, this floral lumbar pillow and a golden throw make this white chair feel warm and inviting. I don't put away all my floral patterns when autumn arrives. I simply choose ones with deeper, warmer colors.
Shop the look: Embroidered Pillow (color is no longer available, but here's a similar one) | Textured Throw | Table Lamp | Autumn Branches | Ceramic Vase | Marshall Bluetooth Speaker | Flameless Candle
Decorating With What You Already Have and Love
I love changing my bookshelves with the seasons, too. Rather than packing them with seasonal decorations, I cull through my library and then bring forward books and artwork with rich, autumnal colors and subjects that seem especially suited to cooler evenings and time spent indoors.
A few pumpkins, a small lamp, and my vintage-style French advertising print add just enough seasonal warmth.
Shop the look: Floral Pillow (I took the tassels off) | Yellow Throw Blanket (past purchase from HomeGoods | Black Lamp (past purchase from Kirklands) | Call It Home Book | Live Beautiful Book | Lemon Still Life Wall Art from HomeGoods
Shop the Look: French Advertisement Print | Cordless Rechargeable Accent Lamp | Grecian Bust (past purchase from Anthropologie) | The Metropolitan Museum of Art Book | The Louvre Book
Finally, my coffee table holds a few of my favorite autumn comforts: fresh chrysanthemums, stacks of books, candlelight, and my favorite fall-fragranced candle.
This is also where the other senses come into play. I love having my favorite Spotify autumn jazz playlist playing softly in the background while I read, cook, or simply enjoy an evening at home.
Shop the look: Woven Tray | Pumpkin Clove Candle | Embossed Flower Vase | Flameless Candle | Glass Hurricane Candle Holder (past purchase from Pottery Barn) | Art Book | Opera Book | Life Inside a Cottage Book | Other coffee table books can be found in this post
And that's a little glimpse of autumn in my apartment.
For me, seasonal decorating doesn't mean changing everything. Often, it's simply a matter of bringing out what we already have and love, layering in a little warmth, adding some more accent lamps and candles, and enjoying the colors, textures, scents, and sounds of the season.
Happy fall, friends!
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Here at Creating the Beautiful Life, I believe a welcoming home is created over time, with pieces we love, thoughtful details, and room for the life we actually live.
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