The official end of summer is days away, September 22 to be exact, and the one thing I always find once fall comes around is a certain level of gloom settling over my home.
I'm sure it is in part due to less natural light and partly due to a general sadness that the warm weather is coming to a close and I'll soon have to put the heating back on. But with many of us finding ourselves retreating indoors more, we tend to notice that our homes could use a little refresh this time of year.
So, I thought in order to cheer myself up I'd sit down and have a think about all the things I could do to fall back in love with my home once summer ends. And I'm taking you along for the ride too. Here are my favorite things I'm doing to give my home that fresh, new season, back-to-school feeling in time for fall.
Of course, fall isn't all doom and gloom and I love fall decorating as much as the next person. But the shift from balmy outdoor gatherings to cozy nights on the sofa calls for transition, both in mindset and decor.
Embracing, rather than fighting, this change can not only boost the comfort of your space but also help you fall back in love with your space and prevent that inevitable resentment that starts to settle in. After all, home is where we spend the majority of our time once the chillier weather rolls around, so creating a home that still feels welcoming is of utmost importance.
1. Embark on an end-of-summer reset
A new season is all about change, back-to-school routines, new pencil cases, and more time spent indoors. Similar to a spring clean, an autumn reset will allow you to adapt your home to these changes better, clearing the way for a new headspace.
'The first thing I like to do at the end of one season, before decorating for the next one, is to do a good old-fashioned cleaning and reorganizing,' agrees interior designer Kathy Kuo. 'I like to make sure all of my summer decor pieces have a proper storage place and also take the opportunity to tidy up a little more than usual.'
A thorough end-of-summer declutter and deep clean will do you and your home the world of good. The key is to reassess your spaces and let go of items that no longer serve you (or spark joy, if you ask Marie Kondo) whether that's clothes, old towels and bedding, or decor that feels out of place as the season changes.
2. Upgrade your linens
Naturally, the weather is going to get cooler so I think it is important to ensure you have plenty of soft and cozy textures around your home. Upgrading linens is one of the simplest yet most impactful changes to your daily routines that can help you feel like you're well-prepped for fall.
Calling for heavier, richer textures and warmer fall color combinations, now is a great time to switch out your lightweight summer bedding, pillows, throws, and towels for more sumptuous options like brushed cotton sheets and thicker towels.
Think plush layers you can bundle up with like wool and cashmere blankets for your couch or end of the bed. This will not only add warmth but also create a space that you want to sink into as the days get shorter.
Made from linen with a rich green and maroon stripe, the Indy throw pillow is great for this transitional time of year as it is less heavy than a velvet or wool but give you that deep fall palette.
At first glance, this bedding set looks plain, but actually this sumptuous merlot hued duvet cover features a gauze checkerboard pattern for both texture and warmth.
A quilt is a great addition to any bedroom or living room. This trailing ivy design from H&M Home is reminiscent of some popular wallpaper designs that are beloved by interior designers to create a cottagecore style.
3. Consider your touchpoints
One of my top tips for giving any room a refresh is to consider your "touchpoints". While this is actually a marketing term that has stuck with me from my college days, in interiors, I use touchpoints to refer to those everyday items you interact with that often go unnoticed but actually play a huge part in the overall story of the home (or brand).
By upgrading things like the hardware on a cabinet or your kitchen, towels and dishcloths, light switches, or cutlery you can quite quickly make a big transformation in the way a space makes you feel. It's these little details that often make the biggest impact.
These tactile interior design tweakments, like swapping out standard handles for unlacquered brass latches, or plain white switch plates for brushed nickel, really help to elevate the everyday.
4. Create a coffee corner or reading nook
This is the perfect time to carve out a spot in your home dedicated to getting cozy. Whether this is a self-care spot for yourself or for the entire family to relax, a cozy cafe corner, a reading nook, or even a hobby area will feel even more special in winter.
As I've said, we'll all be spending more time indoors so it's all the more important to ensure it's a lovely place to be. Creating a space to retreat to, whether you're a coffee enthusiast looking for a breakfast corner for your morning brew or a book lover seeking a peaceful reading spot, is perfect for those quiet moments when you feel like you need to recharge.
And as the name suggests, this doesn't need to take up a large space in your home. A small corner in your living room, kitchen, or even a bedroom can be transformed into your own little sanctuary. All you need is a soft seat like an armchair or banquette, lamps for ambiance and to help you read, and a table for drinks and snacks.
5. Ensure you have plenty of light for darker days
Come fall, just like plants, we all suffer from a lack of light – whether that's indoors or al fresco. And ensuring your home is well-lit is crucial to maintaining a warm, inviting atmosphere. Good lighting can lift your mood, make a room feel larger, and even highlight key design elements in your home like artwork.
I always like to rethink and adapt my lighting this time of year, adding a few more lamps and sconces to create a layered ambiance that not only helps with functionality but aesthetics too.
Portable lamps are a genius new invention that can be used indoors and outdoors to combat darker days without the need for a socket. Try to think outside the box, sure new bedside sconces will do wonders, but also try your hand at lampscaping with a kitchen countertop light or even a bathroom lamp to soften more practical spaces.
6. Shop your own home
Before rushing out to buy new decor or furnishings for the new season, try looking around and 'shopping your home' first. You'll be surprised what you can reuse and repurpose in different spaces to make them feel updated.
If one room in your home isn’t working the way you like or feels a bit stagnant, try moving in a new chair or rotating artwork between rooms and repositioning mirrors. 'Styling your fireplace with a mismatch of art and trinkets is a fail-safe way to cozy up your space and welcome in the chillier months,' suggests Holly of Vaughan Design & Development.
This sustainable approach not only saves money but also allows you to see your belongings in a new light.
7. Embrace fall decorating
'Then, it's time for the fun part: bringing out the autumn decor,' says Kathy Kuo. 'The silver lining to the end of summer is the fact that the cozy season is upon us. I really embrace the experience of cozying up my home for fall with cashmere throw blankets, chunky knit pillows, and natural stone vases full of seasonal foliage.'
And that's truly the best advice: embrace the fall! Aside from switching out your cushions and throws, getting some warming new candles and scents around the home, and having a good tidy up – fall decor ideas can really help you to get excited about redecorating.
From fall mantel ideas to more decadent outdoor fall decor ideas like wreaths, pumpkins arrangements through to full-blown foliage arches and lighting displays, look to embrace autumn decor as you would a holiday.
Shea McGee's autumn wreath mimics the welcoming natural detail of grapevine, statice, and winterberry branches. The high-quality faux greenery is a seasonal staple that you can bring out year upon year.
Housed in a botanical, gourd-shaped glass jar; this candle is scented with a rich pumpkin soufflé is blended with browned butter, toasted nutmeg, and cinnamon, then swirled with sweet vanilla cream and brown sugar.
Inspired by the autumnal leaves of the brand's namesake flower, this fall garland features a realistic twig strand lined with lifelike leaves to drape over your mantel.
These thoughtful updates can not only elevate the aesthetic of your home for a more fall-ready ambiance but hopefully will also renew your connection to your home. Reframing it as a retreat of comfort and joy to spend the colder months within.
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Tour this cozy English countryside home set up for a season of festive gatheringsThe experts at K&H Design restored this historic manor house complete with inglenook stone fireplaces, ancient elm floors, and wood-beamed ceilings.
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