Subtle Hues of Autumn: Embracing a Muted Palette in Fall Decor
The air has turned crisp, and I am noting the first slant of amber light. Fall is sliding in, and yet it is a bittersweet season. I am filled with excitement, but I can’t deny there is a sadness that this will be the first year I won’t get to spend the holiday season with my family due to the pandemic.
My mother is the master of holiday decorating. Her porches are adorned with mums of russet and deep mustard. An autumnal wreath greets you at the door. Everywhere you turn inside the house there are dried arrangements and pumpkins, a dining table set with candles and thoughtfully planned centerpieces. This is why it is especially important to me to bring elements of family into my fall decor this year.
My mother passed down to me a few heirloom pieces that once belonged to my grandmother – ceramic bowls gilt-rimmed and decorated in fall leaf patterns. They are perfectly aged, their muted colors telling the stories of years of family gatherings.
I wanted these pieces to be central to my decor, and so I chose a palette of muted fall colors to accent them rather than outshine them. I also wanted to bring as much nature into our city condo to create a bit of my parents’ mountain home into our own home. For our living room, I chose natural pumpkin embroidered throw pillows, a moss green fringed throw blanket, and accents of faded mini pumpkins and acorns.
With the addition of a wool throw and comfy pillow, our sitting area is the perfect place to cozy up with a good book and a mug of spiced coffee or tea. This is my husband’s favorite place to read on the weekends.
For the dining room I chose a tablescape that included a grasscloth table runner, adorned with a pale orange pumpkin surrounded by white mini pumpkins, acorns, and ivory flameless candles. I added smaller sized gold flameless candles that can be easily carried over into the Christmas season. I found seagrass placemats and the most darling wood carved pumpkin napkin holders for place settings. On the far wall, we hung a pine cone wreath with gold accents. With the addition of a satin ribbon, the wreath can be adopted into the holiday season, as well.
I may not be as masterful as my mother when it comes to decorating; after all, she has had far more years of experience. But echoing her techniques, bringing in elements of nature, and incorporating my grandmother’s beautiful heirloom bowls have all served to bring a bit of my parents’ home into our own. I will still miss spending Thanksgiving with family, being greeted on my parents’ porch, lovingly adorned with fall, by open arms. But I feel I have succeeded in making our little city condo more cozy and homey, and I feel surrounded by my mother’s comforting ways in all that surrounds us. My wish is for you all to find the same comforts this fall, no matter what changes this season brings.
Find all the fall decor in the below lookbook:
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