Architectural Digest just put out a fall decor roundup with 17 ideas, and if you scroll through it, a few themes keep showing up again and again. I wanted to pull out the ones I think matter most, and add in what I've learned from staging and styling homes here in Orange County, where fall does not always look the way it does in a magazine shot from the East Coast.
Here is the full article, but read on for what stood out to me, and how I'd apply it.
1. Swap Your Throw Pillows
This is the easiest seasonal change you can make. New pillow covers can bring in color and warmth without touching a single piece of furniture.
My rule: do not go all the way into deep burgundy and pumpkin orange if your home leans coastal or modern. Out here, I tell clients to reach for warm neutrals first, think terracotta, camel, or a muted rust, and save the bolder oranges for one accent pillow, not four. It reads as intentional fall rather than a costume change for your living room.
Throw pillows and blankets in traditional fall colors can create an autumnal atmosphere in your living room. Photo: Karissa Widder
2. Bring In Weightier Textiles
Gingham napkins, plaid drapery, rattan mats and baskets. Texture and weight is the real trick to making a space feel like fall without redecorating.
My rule: layer, do not replace. For drapery, I actually suggest sticking to basics, sheer materials and linen hold up year round in our sunny SoCal weather and never look out of place, so there is no need to swap the whole curtain rod for something heavier. Instead, add a woven throw blanket at the foot of the bed, swap the runner on your dining table, bring in a couple of rattan baskets for the entryway. Three or four small textile changes will shift the mood of a room more than people expect, and it is a fraction of the cost of a full refresh.
A rustic or farmhouse living room aesthetic can lend itself well to fall-decor ideas. Photo: Lauren Miller
3. Utilize Harvest and Foliage Centerpieces
A branch across the dining table, a basket of gourds and fruit. This is the one that photographs beautifully and also happens to be one of the cheapest ideas on the list.
My rule: keep it a little wild. The most convincing harvest centerpieces are not perfectly arranged, they look like something you gathered rather than something you bought pre-made. A single oversized branch with a few trailing leaves does more work than a tight, symmetrical arrangement. If you are staging a home for sale, this is also a low-cost way to make a dining room feel warm in photos without committing to a full tablescape.
Brassy accents and candles (of course) can set a warm, antique vibe for an autumnal vignette. Photo: Thomas Theobald
4. Use Candles and Soft Lighting for Dimension
Individual candlesticks at different heights, soft lanterns on a coffee table or entry console. Lighting will do a lot of the emotional work in a fall home.
My rule: vary the height, not just the candle. A cluster of candlesticks all at the same level looks staged in the wrong way. Mix two or three heights, and place your grouping somewhere it will actually get noticed, an entry console or a coffee table people pass by rather than a shelf that gets overlooked.
I will say, candles are a bit of a controversial subject for me. There are real concerns with the chemicals, the burning wick, and the smoke that comes with them, none of which are great for indoor air quality. But I cannot deny that the glow of a candle really does make a space feel warmer. For anyone with kids or pets, I always recommend flameless options instead. And if you just want to freshen up the room without the flame at all, citrus essential oils in a diffuser do the job just as well.
The Common Thread
What ties all four of these together is that none of them require a renovation or even much money. They are small, layered changes, a pillow here, a candle there, that add up to a home that feels different without looking like you tried too hard. That is the version of seasonal decorating I actually recommend to clients, whether you are staying in your home for years or getting it ready to list.
If you are thinking about refreshing a space before fall guests arrive, or getting a home ready to show this season, I am always happy to walk through it room by room. 💕
