Fall at Home

Once you’ve accepted the fact that you’re going to be spending the next several months indoors, the next step is making sure your home is a place where you can’t wait to be trapped. With all of the bells and whistles of winter holiday decor on the horizon, we welcome the simple subtlety of early fall decor with open arms. We checked in with our design team for some inspiration.

Chicago Event Designers from HMR Designs

Brittanie reminds us that décor includes all of the senses. Simmering oranges, cloves and cinnamon sticks on the stove when she gets home in the evening not only makes for a natural air freshener, but it builds the excitement of the season and helps make her miss summer just a bit less.

SImmered fall spices
Seasonally sensory: mulled spices and oranges.

As soon as September arrives, pumpkins begin appearing in grocery stores and farmer markets, and Brittanie reminds us that there’s no need to wait until Halloween to incorporate them into your décor. For a simple alternative to traditional pumpkin carving, spray paint the exteriors of your pumpkins one solid color–Brittanie suggests metallics, greys or ivory–for a monochromatic yet festive look.

Grey area: grey and ivory pumpkins also occur in nature.
Grey area: grey and ivory pumpkins also occur in nature.
Image courtesy of: http://danawolterinteriors.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG00579-20100918-1048-e1316563143878.jpg
Spray paint pumpkins metallic colors as an alternative to carving.
Golden gourds: simple and chic.
Image courtesy of: http://www.bhg.com/thanksgiving/indoor-decorating/easy-centerpieces-for-thanksgiving/#page=11

If you prefer the ritual seed roasting and internal illumination, Brittanie suggests swapping out your carving knife for a standard drill bit. The results are both intricate and delightfully clean. Plus, it’s a lot of fun.

Drilled pumpkin designs.
Know the drill: good, clean fun.
Image courtesy of: http://www.17apart.com/2011/10/how-to-drilling-pumpkins.html

When it comes to bringing fall touches into his home, John keeps his eyes on the ground. While out walking, John reminds us to be on the lookout for Oak Trees, which offer ample acorns for the taking. Using a variety of vintage bowls and dishes, John arranges acorns on his dining table.

Acorns are a free source of decor for your fall table.
From the ground up: acorns.
Vintage bowls pair well with acorns for rustic centerpieces.
Bowled over: the older the bowl, the better to hold your acorns.
Image courtesy of HMR Designs.

To add a little warmth, John suggests accenting your acorns with mustard pillar candles for a simple yet stunning look that will last you right through Thanksgiving for little to no cost.

mustard pillar accents for a fall table
Pair mustard colored wax with acorns for a simple, rustic look.
Image courtesy of: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetBeeHoney?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Rishi loves to decorate with dried elements of the season such as wheat, lavender, lotus pods and antique hydrangea. Working with one element at a time, create (mono-botanic) tied bundles to distribute around your home.

Dried seasonal offerings look great as tied bundles.
Tie and dry: each of these seasonal stems dries fabulously.
Dried lavender bundle.
Bundle up: monochromatic bundles of dried floral.

 

Image courtesy of: http://www.nettletonhollow.com/v/vspfiles/photos/310001-2.jpg

For a purely autumnal aroma, Rishi loves the bold fragrance of vetiver for its rich–but not wintry–tones.

MALIN+GOETZ_vetiverCandle
Rich and bold, but not at all wintry, vetiver is the perfect autumn aroma.
Visit https://www.malinandgoetz.com/candles/vetiver-candle for your own candle. 

Finally, Rishi reminds us that there is no better complement to sitting back and enjoying all of the beauty you create at home than enjoying a rich glass of Malbec, his favorite fall red.

ENjoy a glass of wine at home.

On behalf of all of us at HMR Designs, Happy Autumn. Now run along and beautify that home of yours.

Thanks to Brittanie, John and Rishi for their contributions.