Bring the outdoors in during this season of parties, pumpkins, football, and family.
After the blazing summer South Carolina has endured, nothing is more welcome than fall’s cooler temperatures and mindset. It’s a season steeped in tradition with harvest bounty and bonfires, parties and pumpkins, football and family. As we fall for autumn, we consulted the experts at Emily Austin and Nandina Home & Design for suggestions on how to bring the outdoors in.
Puffy Pumpkins
Tabletop tableaus, staircases, and mantels are perfect settings for this season’s velvet pumpkins. While orange is the traditional go-to, explore the rich blues, yellows, and bright greens to coordinate with other decor, or to add a colorful pop.
Fly Away
Pheasant feathers can be an inexpensive and easy way to inject the feel of fall with your everyday décor. Insert individual feathers into floral arrangements and door wreaths or lay them on top of a stack of books for use as a bookmark. Pheasant placements add another layer of design, while anchoring tabletop displays beneath chargers and plates.
Sofa Sophistication
Drape the colors of fall across sofa backs and living room chairs. The texture of chunky, cable-knit throws creates a nice embellishment, while super-soft alpaca throws come in every color under the sun. Got a spare corner? Fill a tall basket with blankets, letting them spill over the top, inviting all to grab one and cuddle.
Beyond Pumpkin Spice
As we transition to a new season, don’t forget the nose! The enchanting aromas of fall make all feel relaxed and immediately at home. While nothing says autumn like pumpkin spice, this year, sample other scents including roasted espresso, honey-soaked apples, and fall chai tea.
Classy Copper
Perhaps the warmest of metals, rustic copper accents look fabulous sprinkled around the kitchen, den, and keeping room. Hammered mugs, pitchers, and lanterns grab the eye as they reflect available light. Create a natural tablescape with a copper tray, fall foliage, and flameless candles for a mesmerizing effect.
Pillow Pizzaz
Limited time or budget? The fastest, easiest, and most economical way to bring new life to a tired room is to swap out decorative pillows. Capture an autumnal vibe with different colors, treatments, and patterns. This season’s soft velvets and enchanting florals will warm rooms well beyond Thanksgiving.
Branch Out
Tap into a trick designers love by collecting dried branches and tree limbs, often available right out the back door, or buy them at a craft store. Thicker branches can fill large vases in a corner, while handfuls of thinner branches can add height and complexity to floral arrangements and topiaries. Experiment with different species for just the right shade and texture of bark.
