Fall decor comes in many shapes and sizes, from pumpkins and scarecrows, to simple seasonal touches of texture and warmth. At one time, when our children were in school, I filled our home with fall foliage, pumpkins, and cozy throw pillows. The china hutch was decked out in an array of autumnal brilliance and pumpkin scented candles filled our home with fall fragrance.
Now that I’ve grown a little older, and our children are leaving the nest, I’m finding my tastes are changing. I no longer desire so much of the clutter, but instead crave simplicity. However, with fall being my favorite time of year, I do still want the cozy vibes and creature comforts of the season. A little goes a long way, and small intentional swaps can make your home feel like a haven you retreat to this autumn. Here’s what I’ve been up to, and I hope you, too, will find inspiration.
Step One: Swap Out Bowl Fillers
One of the first things I do each year as autumn approaches is to swap out bowl fillers for more seasonal options. This is an easy way to bring in fall decor without overwhelming the senses. This particular photo was taken in our house. We are getting it ready to list for sale, and bringing in touches of homeyness causes a feeling of nostalgia and comfort. Even if we aren’t there full-time, coming home to touches of fall decor, is very peaceful and heartwarming.
If you’re looking for a very simple autumn swap, I highly recommend a bowl filler. It truly lends the feeling of fall to your space, and takes up very little real estate.
Step Two: Change out Textiles and Florals
While I’m not one to fill my home with faux floral stems or leaves, I do enjoy adding in a couple of autumnal branches to my fall decor. In our limited apartment space, I have to be creative about how and where I place items. I happen to have a wicker vase of sorts that stands approximately 3.5 feet tall. I love filling it with stems and branches during the spring and summer months. For fall decor, I change leafy greens for something a little more paired down. This year I added in some silver dollar stems, and a couple of branches with seed pods in the color palette of our apartment. One single white pumpkin adds a touch of simplistic expected to our fall decor.
Another way to bring in simple and understated fall ambiance is to swap out textiles. While it may not seem like a lot, and it certainly didn’t take any effort, making one single pillow swap was enough to bring everything together. The golden toned velvet pillow on the sofa brings out a few golden tones in the artwork above the sofa. That same tone is reflected in the wooden beads of the table lamp as well.
Finally, rearranging the blankets on the blanket ladder added a bit of impact to the room, as well. Simply by moving the cream colored throw to the bottom rung, and bringing up the blue and gray woven throw brought the colors of the room to a more autumnal feel. I find it all reminiscent of the gray skies this time of year; much like those in the artwork. It always amazes me how one or two tiny changes can adjust our perspective to the things we see every day.
Step Three: Adjust Everyday Items
Because the kitchen is the heart of the home, I try to add as much autumnal goodness to this area as possible. In an apartment, we are limited on space this year. I went for simple touches that add warmth, but take up little real estate.
The first adjustment I made this year was, again, swapping out bowl filler and adding a fall scented candle. The candle is more of a woodsy scent, with a touch of hazelnut. It adds warmth and a smokey goodness that reminds one of evenings spent by the campfire. SIMPLY GLORIOUS.
The small white planter pot on our tiered shelf received three small velvet pumpkins in muted colors. Nothing orange here, folks. These pumpkins are gold, taupe, and dark brown. The golden stems add a bit of glam, and they are definitely a touch of unexpected elegance.
Lastly, I found the little maple leaf wooden stir spoons at Hobby Lobby. While in the past I’ve owned the pumpkin variety, they never really felt right in our space. When I found these little maple leaves, I knew immediately they would be the perfect fall decor touch to my coffee area. I also love the way they pair with the coffee creamer and sugar bowl we use every single day throughout the year.
Step Four: Bring the Warmth of Amber Glass
Brown is completely on trend for Fall Decor 2024. It’s even making quite the splash in the fashion world, too. While browns work beautifully in our color palette and suite the aesthetic of our apartment to perfection, I often feel a bit overwhelmed by too much brown. It can feel heavy and dark – and when living in a small space, that’s not ideal.
I find a workaround by adding in touches of amber glass. You can see the amber glass lamp sitting on the tiered shelf in the kitchen, casting its autumnal glow over the cookbooks and bronze horses head. What self-respecting Kentucky girl doesn’t have at least one equine representation in her home? This bronze – brass version adds warmth and a bit of height, all while injecting that fall flavor into this vignette.
Even though I don’t bring in a ton of orange pumpkins for my fall decor, I find a more sophisticated option comes by way of these amber blown glass pumpkin varieties. The larger one I’ve had for years, purchased at Pier One, the smaller one is a new addition, purchased at Hobby Lobby. They work beautifully in the kitchen under the corner lamp. The small wooden cheese knives sit at the ready on the gray marble charcuterie tray from Crate and Barrel. These items are used weekly, and when added in as fall decor, they lend themselves to layered texture and warmth.
Simple and Understated Fall Decor
While these simple and understated fall decor touches don’t scream autumn, they absolutely lend that cozy warm feel we crave this time of year. All without adding clutter, or taking up valuable real estate. The best part for me is that when the season is through and I morph into winter and Christmas decor, these simple touches fit into one tote bin. We are fortunate to have a two car attached garage with our apartment, so storage isn’t a headache for us. Keeping it simple is the way to go for us. I assume if you’ve read this far, it may be what you’re seeking as well.
I hope you’ve found inspiration and gentle encouragement to make these simple and understated fall decor swaps in your home this season. A little goes a long way, and these autumnal touches bring in all the cozy vibes of the season.
Additional Resources:
