We welcome another wonderful article, Wrapping Up Summer’s End to Get Ready for Fall Inside, by Guest writer Rose Morrison. Please be sure to read Rose’s bio below and follow the link to her other articles on Slipcovers for Your Walls.
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Your summer fun is wrapping up, but there are so many reasons to get excited about fall. The weather gets cooler, you can make all your favorite soups again and it’s a chance to redecorate. Get the inside of your house ready for fall by checking out these tips that are perfect for families anticipating the autumn and winter seasons.
1. Switch Your Table Runners
Table runners are an easy way to decorate your home for a new season without too much work. They’re available nearly anywhere and fit any sized table. All you have to do is find inspiration in fall colors to pick the best one for your kitchen or dining room table.
You might think you’re stuck with oranges and reds. However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Forest Service, trees naturally form these shades as well:
- Golden bronze
- Purplish red
- Light tan
- Glowing yellow
- Yellow-green
There’s also inspiration waiting in the deep emerald hues of evergreen trees. Search for your favorite prints or patterns and lay a table runner wherever it would look best in your home. Even if that’s your living room coffee table, you’ll immediately add a fall theme to your household.
2. Invest in New Bedroom Lighting
Autumn also signals the start of a new school year. Your kids will need some help to tackle their homework and succeed in their classes. Investing in new bedroom lighting is a smart move that also creates room for new decorating possibilities.
New light fixtures like floor or side table lamps will ensure your kids have enough light in their rooms to study. You can also opt for warmer light to create a welcoming, calming atmosphere. Cold blue light suppresses melatonin by stimulating brain activity, so your kids might struggle to fall asleep after working on some late-night homework.
The upgraded lighting will also help if your kids don’t stay up late. The sun sets earlier in fall, so they’ll need their lamps for homework or study groups over video chat, even if they’re working before dinner.
3. Decorate With Chunky-Knit Blankets
If you love snuggling under a heavy blanket while watching movies with glasses of apple cider, you’ll want to decorate with chunky-knit blankets. The thick yarn mellows the vibe of a room and adds a comforting texture that invokes warmth. You can find chunky-knit blankets at almost any interior design or home goods store because they’re so popular when the weather begins to cool.
They’re useful through the winter because they contain heat so well. Just research how you’re supposed to wash the blankets you decide to purchase. They may need specific washing and drying cycles to maintain their unique quality.
4. Establish a Lunchbox Cabinet
Your kids will likely each have a lunchbox and bring food to school more often than not. Where will they go when fall and winter holidays cause well-deserved breaks in their school calendar?
Pick a cabinet or shelf in a hallway closet as your designated lunchbox storage. You won’t have extra visual clutter on the weekends because your kids won’t leave their lunchboxes on the countertop or table.
If you don’t have an extra cabinet for this purpose, think about hanging a floating shelf. You could place it next to your kitchen or the primary door your family uses to leave the house. No matter where you store the lunchboxes, it’ll be better than keeping them on countertops for the next year. You’ll have more visual focus on the autumn decorations you’d rather see instead.
5. Hang Heavier Curtains
Fall weather will be nice enough to pleasantly cool your home for a few weeks. After the temperature drops further, your HVAC unit will start warming each room to combat the colder weather.
Hanging heavier curtains on your windows could reduce your electricity bill when you start relying on your heating system. After drawing the curtains shut, the thick fabric will block the hot air from seeping through your windows. The HVAC unit won’t turn on as frequently, reducing your bill while keeping everyone comfortable.
6. Reseal Your Windows
Checking your windows for indoor air leaks helps with more than just minimizing your electric bill. It also prevents condensation from lingering on the glass, which creates the perfect environment for mold growth.
Even small amounts of mold along your windowsill can cause dangerous side effects like:
- A stuffy nose
- Itchy eyes
- Wheezing
- Skin irritation
- Asthma symptoms
Ensure no leaks are around your windows by scheduling a professional inspection. The expert may recommend that you apply new caulking before the colder winter weather begins.
7. Showcase Your Personality
Showcase your personality by adding bold pops of color to your home. Consider using warm shades of yellows, oranges, reds, and browns to add a cozy atmosphere to prepare you for the fall weather.
If you’re looking for a home project before the fall weather sets in, try painting an accent wall in your living room, painting your kitchen cabinets, or add some fun decorative wallpaper.
For a more subtle change, add some bold throw pillows or some candles. The added benefit of having fall-scented aromatherapy will help you beat the end-of-summer blues and welcome autumn with open arms.
8. Find Plaid Decor
Establish a fall theme in your home by utilizing decorative elements with plaid prints. Plaid has a sophisticated vibe that brings warm fabrics and layered clothes to mind. It’s also something people often reserve specifically for autumn, so it’s the first thing you’ll think about when viewing the print in your home.
Bring autumn into your household with pillows in rugs in the familiar checkered print. Some plaids even weave multiple colors together, which expands your decorating possibilities in the rest of the room.
9. Swap Your Closets
There’s a big difference between summer and fall clothes, so don’t forget to switch everyone’s wardrobe when the season ends. Pull last season’s clothing out of storage or go shopping to build a capsule wardrobe for everyone.
Once you’ve hung things like jeans and long-sleeved shirts for cool mornings and evenings, create a place to keep your lighter jackets, too. You could hang a coat rack in your entryway or build a hall tree to store your autumn coats and boots in one location.
Wrapping up – Get Ready for Fall
Wrapping up summer’s end is easier once you have a plan to prepare for fall inside. Think about which autumn decorations you like and what your home needs to match the season. A few simple projects and changes will transform your house into a fall getaway just in time for the changing leaves in your yard.
Click on these previous posts for more fall interior design for decorating ideas.
Many thanks to Rose for this article with lots of helpful transformation tips from summer to fall for our interior spaces
About the author:
Rose Morrison is a home improvement and design writer.
She is also the managing editor of Renovated. Follow her on Twitter to see more of her work.
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