Decorating Your Nest for Fall

The smell of fall is in the air, and the cooler weather and shorter days often make us want to stay close to the cozy comforts of home and family. More than during the warmer months, we often have an urge to fluff our nests and make our homes particularly comfortable and welcoming. You might have a lot of ideas for decorating your home during the winter holidays, but fewer when it comes to decorating for fall. Here are some ideas to get you through the next month or two:

• Start with a clean slate
  It’s hard to be comfy and cozy in a messy or dirty home. Take a weekend and give your house a deep-down cleaning. Clear off those “hot spots,” or areas that tend to attract clutter. Mop or scrub out the corners of the kitchen and bathroom, and dust all of your appliances and shelves. If it’s warm enough, open the windows for a few hours to bring in some fresh air.

• Add some fall color to your decor
  In contrast to the pastels and bright, tropical hues of summer, fall’s colors are darker and more muted. While you’re not going to purchase new furniture or paint the walls to match the season, you can change your color scheme in smaller ways. Try adding dark and plush throw blankets to the sofas, for example. Choose deep shades for throw pillows, and consider investing in a new bedspread in a color that reminds you of fall.

• Find fallish decorations
  It can be easy to add touches of autumn all around your home. A fall wreath at the front door or inside the entry can put you in the mood for cooler weather. Cranberry, hunter green, gold or burnt orange candles add warmth and color. Bring in some of the natural beauty of the season by placing branches with yellow or orange leaves in a vase (you’ll need to replace these every day or two as the leaves die) or by pressing and framing leaves to accompany your family photos on the walls. Pumpkins and gourds make great inexpensive decorations as well.

• Appeal to your sense of smell and taste
  There are some smells that simply remind us of the autumn season! Candles described as “harvest wreath” or “mulled apple cider” can evoke strong memories of the crisp fall days enjoyed during childhood. In your family, fall recipes might have included homemade applesauce, beef stew or chocolate chip cookies. Think about the foods that you enjoyed during the colder months of the year and consider making them to add to the delicious smells and tastes that greet your family and friends.

Decorating for fall is really about making your home comfortable and welcoming. The great thing about this season is that its decorations lend themselves well to the seasonal holidays, and some of the items that you use will complement your winter decorations, as well.