Interior Designers Reveal the Fall Trends They Love

Courtesy of Bridget Mallon

Hi Friends,

Okay, so fall doesn't officially start until September 22nd, but in my mind it starts the second August ends. (I literally wore a flannel on September 1st.) And it's not just me — interior designers have their eyes toward the season ahead, too.

So to get the autumn party started early, we reached out to a few pro designers to find out what trends they're most excited to try out this fall. Read on for their answers.

Chic Plaids & Leather

Michael J. Lee

"I’m looking forward to fall and seeing some of our installs come together. We're installing a home in late September that has some awesome plaid and gingham action going on. I’m particularly attracted to black-and-white plaid mixed with coral, red and brown accents. We're also doing a lot of leather in unexpected ways. I’m in love with binding chunky sisals and seagrass rugs in leather to give them a bit of edge and a cooler feel.” — Susana Simonpietri, Chango & Co.

Matte Finishes

Robert Felker

“I'm most excited about matte finishes on fixtures and appliances. Shiny metals like chrome have been popular for a long time so it's nice to see a change in this area. Matte finishes, especially in darker colors, can give your space an entirely different feel without having to renovate the whole room.” — Peyton Lambton, HGTV’s “Going Yard” & “My New Old House”

Vintage Flair

LABL studio

"We tend to look for inspirations in the past for ideas, and this year the relaxed, bohemian nature of the '70s era is coming back in the fashion industry and moving towards interiors as well. It's an eclectic mix of textured fabrics, exotic woods and nature-inspired materials." — Jack Menashe, Menashe Design

Chunky Knits

John Woodcock Photography

"This fall, I’m all about adding an uber-textural chunky wool knit blanket to any room. It's the perfect way to layer in a hint of the cozy winter weather ahead." — Emilie Munroe, Studio Munroe

Inspiration From Nature

Photos by Heidi Geldhauser. Floral Design by Lindsay Coletta

"I am continuously inspired by people who style their flower boxes with cabbage, pumpkins, sprigs of wheat and gourds. When decorating clients' homes for fall, I like to pull in those elements of the colors and textures. I'm excited to start pulling those deeper, moodier colors that bring my designs to a really sophisticated level." — Holly Hickey Moore

Updated Bathrooms

Allison Corona Photography, Let It Shine Photography, Doug Petersen Photography

"I’m excited to see that bathrooms are suddenly becoming more fabulous without being overly fussy. I love seeing the new stone tiles mixed with metallics in them; it gives us a chance to add a bit of shine to any bathroom. Everyone has been so obsessed with polished nickel for the past two decades that I’m happy to see brass making a comeback, but this time around it’s not lacquered, giving it a more interesting and industrial feel." — Sheila Bridges

You'll be seeing these styles everywhere this season...

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Live well,
Yvonne

1st Day of Autumn!

Courtesy of Anna Fletcher

Hi Friends,

Hope everyone enjoyed the hot days of Summer and ready to welcome Autumn with opened arms. We have a lot of great ideas in the coming weeks and look forward to sharing them with all our friends...

Now that the Fall season is almost upon us! The leaves are about to start changing, the days will get shorter, and mornings will grow chillier and crisp as summer fades away. And though we will miss long summer days and warm nights, we have a brand new, exciting season approaching! So why not start thinking about some fun outdoor activities you can do to celebrate the coming of autumn?? Here are a few…

10 Outdoor Activities to Kick Off the Autumn Season!

1. Attend a Barn Dance. Whether it's contra dancing or square dancing, hoedowns are a great way to spend fall evenings and nights. Have a blast and work up a sweat in the cold, autumn night air while you dance along to foot-tapping bluegrass and fiddle music!

2. Go Mountain Biking. Okay, so you can mountain bike at any time of the year (except maybe the dead of winter…ice and snow are no bueno for your tires). But there's something about the chilly air and bright orange, red, and yellow leaves all around you that makes biking during the fall so amazing.

3. Take a Scenic Drive. Early to mid-fall is one of the prettiest times of the year, as the trees still have most of their leaves which have turned vibrant with the coming cold. This is the one of the best times to take a drive through the woods, around town, or through the mountains.

4. Go Pumpkin Picking. Fall season means one thing - pumpkin season! Restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, and many other places around town start selling pumpkin foods, drinks, and products to welcome in the season. You will also be able to find whole pumpkins all over town, whether you want to go pick your own at a patch or get one from the store. If you do take a trip to your local pumpkin patch, you can do many fun, free activities that they offer, like hay rides, corn mazes, and petting zoos. Make a jack-o-lantern with your new prized pumpkin and be sure to keep the seeds so you can roast them! Yumm.

5. Host a Bonfire. Shorter days and cooler weather make perfect ingredients for a bonfire. Grill out, have a tub of hot apple cider, and don't forget s'more fixings!

6. Go Climbing. One of the best times of the year to rock climb is during the fall. As leaves begin to drop and greenery wanes in anticipation for winter, rock faces become more exposed. Cooler weather also means fewer bugs zipping around your face as you make your way up the cliff!

7. Do Some Photography. Bright multi-colored leaves, teaming autumn wildlife, colorful pumpkins and gourds, and clear, sunny days make for great photo ops. See what amazing autumn things you can capture on your camera!

8. Go Camping. Cooler, dryer weather means fewer bugs and fewer people, so fall is one of the best times to go camping. Just remember your cold weather hammocking gear, and you'll be toasty and comfy in the chilly autumn air!

9. Visit an Orchard. 'Tis the season for apple picking! The prime months for ripe apples is September and October, and most local orchards open their doors to the public during this time to do some picking. Just think of all the pies, apple butter, cider, and applesauce you can make! And even if you're not a big apple-eater, just strolling through the trees in the cool fall weather is a great way to spend the day!

10. Play Some Pick-Up Football. Labor Day weekend officially kicked off football season, so what better way to celebrate that than to play some football yourself? Grab family and friends and head out to the park or backyard for some down-set-hike!

Check back for more great ideas and recipes from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Fall's Bounty Window Box

Courtesy of HGTV

Hi Friends,

When decorating your home for fall, don't forget the outside. Fill outdoor containers with autumn's bounty for a stylish, seasonal look.

Materials and Tools:

• window box
• vinyl-covered chicken wire
• wire cutters or scissors
• staple gun
• wood or bamboo skewers
• drill
• silicone caulk
• floral tape
• dried grasses
• winter cabbage
• mums
• pumpkins
• gourds
• small live evergreens

Steps:

1. Add a layer of soil to the bottom of a window box. Cut a piece of chicken wire to fit the top of the window box and attach with staples.
   
   
2. Choose items for the window box arrangement. These can include dried elements, living plants or a combination of both. Include elements of different heights, shapes, colors and textures. To secure a gourd in the arrangement, drill a small hole in the bottom of the gourd, insert a wooden skewer and seal the hole with a touch of silicone caulk. This will prevent rot and make the gourd last a little longer.
   
   
3. "Plant" items in the window box by sticking them down through the chicken wire. Don't just line everything up straight and level; position elements to show off their most dramatic sides and emphasize variety.
   
   
4. Many dried grasses can be delicate and wispy. For a better-looking presentation, gather them into a bunch and use floral tape to secure them to a wooden skewer. Make sure the skewer extends beyond the bottom of the bouquet. Insert the skewer through the chicken wire.
   
   
5. Add some live greenery to the box: cypress, evergreen and juniper plants will hold their color through the winter. Cut a hole in the chicken wire with snips and plant the evergreen in the soil.
   
   
6. After Thanksgiving, make the window boxes a part of your Christmas decor by replacing the fall elements with pine cones, pieces of point pines, cedar branches, holly or even a string of lights.

Take ideas from this Fall box and add your own personal touch; instead of the license plate use an oversized initial of your last name.

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

9 Ways to Deck Out Your Walls for Fall

Courtesy of Layla Palmer

Hi Friends,

Autumn means parties, guests and family gatherings. Bring in the look and feel of the outdoors with these nine easy ideas for adding a fall touch to your home.

Acorns and Autumn


Create a wall grouping with fall flair by framing fall leaves, autumn-colored paper and sentiments that celebrate the season. You can also add a temporary touch of fall to any flat-fronted frame by hot gluing acorn tops to its surface. Design by Layla Palmer

Brown Paper Blossoms


Create large wall blossoms by cutting petals out of brown paper bags. Use museum putty to attach them to the wall in an organic pattern for a temporary, fun and festive look. Design by Destiny Alfonso

Rustic Elements


Chippy, barnwood frames and a wreath made of red and rust-colored leaves add up to one fantastic fall-inspired wall display by blogger Melaine Thompson.

Open Frames


Pumpkins and sheaths of wheat, backed by a display of open frames, have a decidedly fall feel with the addition of a dried artichoke wreath and family name initial. Design by Cailan Matthews

Metallic Mirrors


Create warmth by spray-painting inexpensive, wood mirror frames with metallic spray paint. Hang in a grid pattern behind pumpkins and fall leaves for a contemporary-meets-traditional look. Design by Lani Ariani

Primitive Perfected


Distressed shutters and shelves make great backdrops and ledges for faux fall leaves and other autumn-inspired decor. Design by Ruth Winans

Wall Words


Fill separate frames with letters that spell out autumn-themed words, like "fall," "gather" or "give thanks." Design by Monica Mangin

Window Box


Attach a wooden box to the long side of an old window and fill with pumpkins, moss, fall flowers and berries from the craft store. Change out the floral elements seasonally for different looks. Design by Mandy Stansberry

Row of Wreaths


Embellish a row of mirrors with grapevine wreaths hung from autumn-colored ribbon. Use a small tack at the top of each mirror to hold them in place for the season. Design by Trisha Phillips

Use a couple of these ideas for your home this year or share some of your ideas with us...

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Create a Welcoming Fall Entryway

Courtesy of Marian Parsons

Hi Friends,

When guests enter your home, the first space they see should be both beautiful and inviting. Elevate the seasonal feel of your entryway with a warm fall arrangement that is natural and elegant.

Warm and Welcoming


Natural elements, the warm tones of burnished wood, tarnished silver and a touch of gold make this fall entry arrangement inviting and interesting. An antique beadboard door hung horizontally provides a rustic, primitive backdrop.

Rustic Meets Refined


A slightly tarnished silver champagne bucket holds natural, dried twigs collected during a stroll outdoors. Mixing fancier pieces with the humble provides an excellent visual contrast. A handmade "merci" clay tag is hung from the bucket with twine to hint at the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Custom Greetings


A homemade chalkboard is inserted in an antique wooden frame as a place to write autumn greetings, song lyrics, poems or verses. It can be easily made by cutting a piece of Masonite to size and painting it with two coats of chalkboard paint.

Pests Can Be Pretty


Pinecones and seedpods that litter yards in the fall can be gathered and used as part of your seasonal decor. Collect pods and cones and allow them to dry in a basement or garage for several days before using.

Dried vs. Fresh


Fresh flowers are beautiful but they can be expensive and need to be replaced every few days. Late-summer hydrangea blooms can be dried and used throughout the fall season and beyond.

Moss Isn't Just for Spring


A small acorn squash is surrounded by a bed of reindeer moss to keep it steady and add fluffy texture. Mosses can also be used to make topiaries and to simply fill wood or silver bowls.

Hit the Produce Aisle


Shop your local grocer's produce aisle for fall fruits and vegetables like acorn squash, pears and apples. Display them until they're perfectly ripened and then enjoy with a meal and replace with fresh produce.

Fringes and Feathers


A scrap of burlap fabric is unraveled around the edges and used as a casual runner in this centerpiece. Guinea-fowl feathers were collected from a local farm and put on display. Feathers can also be purchased at craft stores and look especially beautiful in vases or fashioned into wreaths.

Spell It Out


Use gold-leafed resin letters to spell out a greeting or announce the season. Letters made of metal, chipboard or wood would also look fitting in an autumn display.

Autumn is soon approaching, lets prepare and welcome our family and friends...

Check back for more great ideas from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne

Happy Labor Day!

Hi Friends,

Summer's behind us with Autumn just ahead, the perfect opportunity to thank you for visiting us during the hot days with our hopes it will continue through the chilly ones. You know, it doesn't matter if you are white collar, blue collar or no collar; working with your mind, hands or heart; taking the time, devoting the energy or making it happen, we appreciate all of you.

Have a restful and enjoyable Labor Day from your friends at Interior Design!

Your kind contribution will allow us to continue sharing great, no cost and cost saving ideas for your space. Click the "Donate" button below to make a contribution. Thank you!

Live well,
Yvonne