FALL IN LOVE WITH THESE DECORATING TIPS

Today marks the official start of fall. As temperatures begin to drop and the days get shorter, the desire to decorate your home for the season will grow.

To help you decorate this year, the team at Long & Foster came up with a few ideas to help give your usual decorations a new look. These changes are meant to be simple and inexpensive but provide maximum impact to your home’s aesthetic appearance.

Our ideas pull from the latest decorating trends that can be quickly adapted to up your design game. Here are a few suggestions to add a touch of fabulous to your already incredible fall deco plan.

Break the color palette. Fall is known for its rich orange, yellow, red, and brown hues. While these colors remain the standard, experiment with cool colors such as blue and green. When used as accents, these tones can make the traditional warmer colors of fall appear brighter and more vibrant. For example, put a collection of colorful fall leaves in a blue glass vase.

A different play on pumpkins. Pumpkins are an essential part of fall decorating and can be painted white for a crisp, modern look. Place them on shelves and bookcases around the house. Dip gourds in brightly colored paint (gold and silver work great) so half is white while the other half remains natural. Display these on a living room table or a mantle to accent other decorations.

Accentuate the fireplace. As the days get shorter and colder, the living room becomes a key focus with the fireplace at the center. Decorate the fireplace with natural and fall-colored accessories, such as a vase of pampas grass. You can also weave warm white microlights around the fireplace to make it feel cozier.

Swap out pillows and blankets. We all have our favorite blanket, but leave it on the easy chair in the basement. While it is challenging to change furniture, adding seasonally themed blankets and pillows can instantly update the feel of a living room or other common areas.

Use soft lighting inside and out. Orange and yellow lighting can add to that cozy feel of fall. Place lamps with yellow or softer shades in your living room. For your porch or backyard, orange paper lanterns can add a fun, yet classy look.

An upscale Halloween. The spookiness of Halloween can quickly turn campy in the wrong hands. Instead, think of understated ways to celebrate the holiday. For instance, place a bunch of old books on the mantle with orange pumpkins, and cover them with fake cobwebs. This design can give that Halloween feeling without the need for a giant green cartoon witch.

Less is more. Fall decorations can be understated and simple. The bright colors of the changing leaves always inspire creativity. Find some beautiful leaves and tie them together with twine to make a classic yet simple household design that adds color and hominess without going overboard. The same can be done with a table centerpiece. Go outside and clip a few tree branches that showcase the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of fall and showcase them in a large vase filled with water.