Well.
Almost once.
One major decorating day at the beginning of the autumn season can get you through Fall and Halloween AND Thanksgiving! With two mini switch-out sessions.
That’s too long for a title, but you get the idea: with all the holiday and seasonal happenings, who’s got time for major decor changes?
No one. But we all want our homes to be poppin for Fall and Halloween–and let’s not forget Thanksgiving too.
Do you wanna know how to get your home decor through the entire autumnal season and make it look effortless, the Sprezzatura way?
Then read on for 5 easy tricks to transition your home decor from September through November.
INSPIRATION FROM NATURE: check out this crazy rare daylight sighting right outside our windows!! One of our resident Barred Owls. And all the pretty Fall colors happening that are making me gleeful for decorating the house for this season!
The essential element of this magic trick is having mainly “autumnal” decor in your arsenal. The slight of hand happens when you’re popping in Halloween, then swapping Halloween for Thanksgiving.
1. Fall and Halloween don’t have to be mutually exclusive!
You probably already have decor that is both: think black/darker accents like iron lanterns or branch bundles or those bare birch trees that are usually sold for Christmas decor. Take the red ornament off and voilà –it’s Fall and Halloween.
2. Keep to a color theme that will take you from September 1 through November 30.
Neutral tones like browns and creams, dusty rose or mauve, and sage greens with pops of rusty orange will still look great when you layer in the black cats, candles, and other spooky stuff.
Black and white is a great option for a modern minimalist approach in any season, in my opinion.
If you know you’re an orange-and-black Halloween decor Traditionalist, then make sure your fall decor has more orange, red, and yellow happening to accommodate and compliment it.
3. Leave strategic spots in your Fall decorating to pop in your Halloween-specific items.
This can be literal space between other objects AND/OR you can have objects you know you will be swapping out: wherever you’ve got the pumpkins, when October 1 rolls around, switch them out for Jack-o’-lanterns. If you’ve got your fall mantel looking amazing, don’t change it! Just add in some black feather crows and/or black mini trees. Bonus points if they’re sparkly with black glitter.
4. Then switch out your Halloween-specific items to Thanksgiving decor.
When November 1 rolls around, take out the Jack-o’-lanterns, put the pumpkins back in. Switch out the black mantel crows for ceramic turkeys and take the black mini trees out. Swap the skulls you scattered around for pine cones. Pop that “Thankful” sign in a spot where everyone can see you’ve officially transitioned into Thanksgiving. Easy, right?
5. Use the power of fragrance to signal the Fall and Halloween changes
Scents will always tell a good story! For me, it goes generally like this: September and it’s apples. Anything involving apple scents, from apple pie to fresh-picked. I’ve been going more towards the fresh and juicy side of the spectrum the last couple years.
Fall and Halloween is always a great time to release your inner Basic Bitch: break out the Pumpkin Spice and hold your head high. It’s a popular fragrance and flavor for a reason! It’s cozy and nostalgic. Embrace it.
If pumpkin spice isn’t your thing, that’s ok too–maybe take it dark and sexy for Halloween with notes of absinthe, oud, and dark florals. Or find a fragrance that reminds you of your favorite fall and Halloween activities, like crunching through fallen leaves. NEST New York came out with a seasonal candle, Autumn Plum, that, to me, had all the Fall Feels of plum, cinnamon, and woodsy notes.
For November and Thanksgiving, I like to go for “sweater weather” cashmere scents, or gourmand scents that will mingle nicely with the cooking and baking activities. If I haven’t caved to pumpkin spice before November, chances are high I will embrace it during the final month of the autumnal season.
We are gearing up for a big trip: 2 weeks in the UK! We fly into Edinburgh and will spend a few days exploring, then board the iconic Royal Scotsman, a Belmond Train for 5 days in the Scottish Highlands! Hopefully we aren’t too tired, because after that we take the short flight from Edinburgh to London. I’ve never been to any of these places, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m about to fly around (insert witchy cackle) and set the house, so our Fall and Halloween decor will be up to greet us when we return home!
