Fall Decorating Made Easy

A mixture of decorating techniques will give your home a warm, inviting look during the fall and holiday seasons.

Fall is here, and winter is just around the corner. Here are some simple tips for quickly and inexpensively giving your home a cozy new look as the temperature begins to drop:

Create a feeling of warmth with some new pillows and throws for existing furniture using warm, rich colors and fabrics with lots of texture. Change area rugs for the season. Select deeper hues and patterns that won’t show the seasonal elements – in other words, that will weather dirt and give your room a boost of rich color. Try adding accent lamps with colored or patterned shades for a warm glow. Consider repainting white or ivory walls with a warm tan, wheat, or even a rich red; nothing changes or warms a room more dramatically than paint.

Holiday centerpieces give your dining room a festive feel for holiday entertaining or simple family meals. To give each person seated around your table a lovely view, create centerpieces that are pleasing from all sides. Consider the height of your centerpiece arrangement. Your guests A mixture of decorating techniques will give your home a warm, inviting look during the fall and holiday seasons. should be able to converse comfortably and see each other without straining.

If you don’t want to sacrifice the dramatic effect of a taller centerpiece arrangement, it may be possible to simply remove the tallest elements prior to dining. For a simple centerpiece, start with a base of fall foliage or a leaf garland. Add various sizes of gourds and pumpkins. You might use something from your home as the center of the display – a ceramic vase filled with leaves and sprays of berries, or a large wooden decoy – to add interest. Amber colored votive holders tucked on all sides of your centerpiece will create a lovely glow. For a more homespun look, place tealights inside hollowed-out pumpkins or apples. As the season changes to winter, replace pumpkins and gourds with pinecones and pomegranates. It’s easy to create arrangements that are versatile enough to make the transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving, and even through to Christmas.

(The author is a co-owner of Door County Nature Works in Egg Harbor, featuring Old Hickory, Wisconsin Barn wood, a deep selection of upholstery and fabrics, plus pottery, linens, lighting, candles and a full array of fall decorative florals and accessories.)