Simple Tips for a Fall Home Refresh

Over at Provisions, we're all about collections of beautiful, useful products to help make the most of good food -- and we don't want you to miss out on the fun.

Today: It's September. The leaves are falling. So of course we're nesting (home nesting, that is).

We look forward to fall for a lot of reasons, like cozy sweaters, an excuse to eat apple pie once a day, and blazing red leaves. But after weeks of postcard-perfect summer weather (when we’re loathe to be indoors), we’re mostly excited about finally wanting to stay in.

In anticipation of all this lovely curling up on the couch and movie-watching and soup-making, we turned to some of our talented Provisions merchants to find products to help transition to fall. We’re ready to nest -- so we asked them: Short of an entire house makeover, what can we do to refresh our home?

1. Think about color. You don’t need to re-paint your dining room deep crimson for a seasonal update. Little changes in color, like swapping in a copper-edged serving platter for brightly-hued serveware or planting a window box with vibrant microgreens in place of summer flowers, keep your rooms vibrant in a more toned-down palette. 

More: Make your meals more colorful too.

2. Scent matters. You can easily evoke a new season by making cinnamon-scented applesauce or herb-trussed roasted chicken. But you shouldn't always have to turn on the stove: The founders of Portland Apothecary -- a shop dedicated to plant- and herb-based remedies -- suggest using scent to influence the mood of a room. Woodsy, earthy scents like cedar, vetiver, and fir are natural ways to make the indoors inviting. Use hand soap, lotions, or small candles to create subtle scents that don’t overpower. We like to use lavender in the kitchen -- it’s fresh and bright but not overly summery. 

3. Adapt to a changing routine. You’ve likely been eating no-fuss meals outside all summer. Come fall, most of us start cooking in earnest again, which means dinner parties (or just weeknight meals) inside at the table. Swap out a seersucker tablecloth for a linen table runner that is neutral enough to match more robust winter food, but will also carry you through to spring.

Tell us, what decorating tips do you have for saying goodbye to summer and welcoming fall?

Photos by James Ransom