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7 Fall Decorating Trends
Autumn is a beautiful time to slow down, reflect and wear a scarf. Your wardrobe is getting cozy, and your home is also a place to add warmth. It’s time to change your summer decor for bold, dark colours, rich woods and textured blankets. Refreshing your home for fall doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are a few inspirational trends to help you get started.
1. Fall Porchscapes
Porchscapes are forecasted to be the hottest trend of the season. The easiest way to bring the fall to your doorstep is with pots of mum flowers and a scattering of pumpkins. To elaborate on this trend, try a mixture of lanterns, wooden signs and twinkling lights. Other than adding a lot of curb appeal to your home with porch arrangements, it also is the time when people get together outdoors.
If you have an oversized porch, you can quickly add a table and chairs, invite guests, and have an instant setting to entertain.
2. Earthy, Nature-Inspired Colours
Oranges, reds, and yellows come to mind when thinking about Autumn, but if these colours are too vibrant for you, there are a few other colours to consider. If neutrals appeal to you more, try decorating with browns and tans. For a more rich colour palette, explore navy, greens and chocolates. Using these colours will elevate your space and add a sense of luxury. While these tones aren’t classic fall colours, they are worth trying.
If you still prefer the classic colours for Autumn, try one or two earth tones to mix things up. Experiment with pillows in navy or greens, or line your table with a bold runner to contrast with the orange and yellow decor. Try integrating metals like gold and bronze to add more flare to your space.
3. Entertaining-Ready Spaces
Following almost three years of enduring a pandemic, people are looking forward to the holiday seasons again by preparing their homes for entertaining. Living rooms and dining rooms should be the primary focus for autumnal decorating. This season engages all five senses by experimenting with textures, like comfy blankets and pillows, candles or oil diffusers, visually pleasing decor like pumpkins and fun place settings. Get all things cozy this fall and winter!
4. Textural Fabrics
Try laying out some throws and textured pillows for the ultimate cozy vibes as it gets colder. Think chunky knit blankets and pillows in velvet materials or with tassels, and incorporate rich colours to welcome the fall season. Refreshing your sofa or bedding can be as easy as adding a layer of bold-coloured pillows and throwing on various textures.
5. Cozy Sanctuaries
In the past few years, most of us have been at home longer than usual and are seeking coziness over style—why not achieve both? Take the cooling of temperatures as a sign to create a comfortable place to rest after a long day. Outfit a chair or a window seat with a lush pillow and a textured throw, and add a few books next to it and a candle for the ultimate comfort.
6. Dark Kitchens
Dark kitchens are slowly returning in the last year or two, which is exciting. White kitchens have had their moment, but it’s time for a change. Autumn is a great time to renovate or experiment with bold colours in the kitchen. It’s time to update your kitchen with warm earth tones and deep jewel tones.
If you want a simple and inexpensive kitchen renovation, install a new dark tile backsplash in various colours or textures. Additionally, you could change out your faucets and lighting fixtures for bronze or gold tones to usher in those fall vibes.
7. Bold Patterns that Add Personality
Bold patterns are a great way to add personality to any space. Start by adding patterns to smaller rooms such as mudrooms, bathrooms or even hallways to spark happiness. Adding a stunning texture wallpaper with bold colours and patterns is a surefire way to liven up any space. If hanging permanent wallpaper scares you, trying a vibrant paint colour will also do the trick. Add an accent rug to a hall or mudroom to bring coziness and a pop of colour.
Enjoy these autumnal ideas and decorating tips inside of your home this fall. It’s as easy as adding an earth-tone colour, various textures and a sprinkling of coziness.
Don’t forget to maintain the outside of your home and prepare it for fall.
Contact your local REALTOR® to find a fabulous home to decorate for fall.
How to Make Your Bookshelves Shine
I have often thought about having wall-to-wall bookshelves and a library, but then there is the issue of trying to fill up the shelves thoughtfully. Careful curation of objects and books can add charm and personality to your space. Here are a few great ideas to mindfully decorate without cluttering up your bookshelves.
Stack Books Horizontally and Vertically
The secret to styling a bookshelf is to create areas of interest. Start by stacking your books horizontally and vertically to engage the eyes. If you plan on adding objects around the stacks of books, leave gaps. A few well-placed items or artwork give the bookshelf a flare of your personality and break up the visual cues.
Pro tip: Mix and match the colours of books in the stacks to add an eclectic flare, or if that isn’t your style, format the books with like colours for an organized look.
Lean Art
Artwork is a fabulous way to style your bookshelves like a pro with added visual interest. Create a bookshelf design moment by placing framed art and ornate objects amongst your books. Place taller artwork and objects on the top shelf for added drama. Try to layer different art and frames to create a relaxed multi-layered look.
Create Vignettes on the Shelves
To prevent over cluttering your shelves or having it look like a thrift store, try to create vignettes (curated style statements) on each shelf. Focus your efforts on creating cohesive vignettes one by one to not overwhelm yourself. Start by adding books vertically and horizontally, then consider adding complementary objects and artworks—be careful not to overfill the space and keep some blank space to visually break things up.
Hot tip: Arrange your vignette books and objects in different ways, changing up the colours, style, textures, heights and shapes. A great rule of thumb is to arrange in odd numbers.
Add Greenery
Plants bring a lot of beauty, life and freshness into a home. When paired with a matching decor pot, they add vibrancy and colour to your shelves with little effort. Plants are ideal for creating height or adding a stunning trailing plant to cascade over a ledge. Check out fake plants or statement vases with twigs/dried grasses if you are worried about keeping live plants.
Use Bookends
Bookends are not only art pieces but also functional to showcase books in various ways. Unique bookends can add a lot of style and texture to your vignettes. If you aren’t keen on bookends, using heavy potted plants to prop up books is a great alternative.
I hope these tips have given you an idea or two on how to style your bookshelves with purpose. If you feel overwhelmed, take a step back and carefully select your best pieces and books to display. My all-time favourite shelving units are from String Furniture.
Contact your local REALTOR® to find a great house to create your little library!
Basements, More Than Storage!
Basements are a waste of space to some people, but they don’t have to be. They can serve many different purposes than just a storage facility. If your basement is finished or you’re thinking about finishing it, consider some fabulous ideas below!
Home Theatre
Take that extra living room and turn it into a home theatre. It is a perfect option for those cold winter days. There is nothing like cozying up with loved ones and watching a movie or binging a tv show. A basement is the perfect open space to have a projector on the wall and a comfy sizeable sectional couch. If you want to splash out, install some home theatre chairs with cup holders to make the viewing experience truly unique.
Personal Gym
A basement gym would allow you to pump the tunes and drop weights without disturbing the neighbours or other floors. A one-time single investment in gym equipment is all you need to get started. The convenience of having a home gym would put money back in your pocket and help you lead a healthier lifestyle. The excuse of travelling to a gym would be a thing of the past, and the whole family could get into a fitness routine.
Playroom
A playroom is another excellent option for all that extra space. Kids toys can quickly take over the whole house, and creating a dedicated playroom would keep the clutter downstairs. Brighten up this semi-hidden home area with a bold colour paint choice and install wall decals for an added flare.
Library
We all have books scattered around the house—imagine if they were all in one place in a library-like space. Some ideas would be to install custom built-in shelving (or a wall of bookshelves), oversized rugs, cozy chairs, pillows and lots of soft lighting. Create a special place to read, enjoy, and relax after a long day.
Home Office
A designated workspace might be your ticket to being more productive overall. The basement is separate from the rest of your home, making it the ideal location for a quiet home office. Since the basement is a wide open space, there is a lot of room to get a large desk and chair then you normally would have. Plus, your body will thank you for going up and down the stairs during the day for added movement.
Basements are blank canvases and can be used in many different ways. Try maximizing the extra living space and make a perfect escape for you and your family.
Contact your local REALTOR® today to find the perfect space!
Inexpensive Tricks to Bring Luxury into Your Home
Want to jazz up your space to be luxurious but don’t have a lot of extra income? There are numerous things you can do on a budget to give your room a touch of class.
Keep reading for great tips and tricks to get those luxury vibes without burning a hole in your pocketbook.
Impactful Lighting Fixtures
If your light fixtures look dated or no longer fit the vibe of your home, think about updating them with statement light fixtures. A statement light fixture is an excellent investment, it creates an elevated look and focal point in your space.
Some excellent affordable options would be buying a cylinder shade or drum for your existing lights. Vintage shops or discount home stores might be another great place to look.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…
Mirrors reflect a sense of space and openness. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to find, to hang and instantly change the look of any room. Mirrors visually add square footage and bounce light to create a brighter space.
Try adding mirror closet doors to make any bedroom look bigger or create a statement wall of different mirrors, ornate frames or otherwise. Mirrors are great for mixing and matching sizes and styles.
Accent Tables for Practicality and Style
An accent table is a practical solution to add a touch of elegance to any room. Go for a mixed material table to add flare. Placing a table between two chairs or a sofa can elevate any space.
Fresh Painting or Wallpaper
Painting is probably the most common way to change a room, and it boasts a lot of impact for not a lot of money. Once popular paint colours like whites, greys and blues are fading away, clients opt for natural, cozy tones like creams, taupes, and beige. For an eclectic vibe, seek purples, chocolates and even hunter greens.
Wallpaper is a little more complex to install and pricy, but a great one can be a showstopper. It is also great for hiding existing wall imperfections or covering an unpaintable older wall. Try wallpaper in a hallway, accent wall in a bedroom or make a mundane small bathroom pop.
Switch out Furniture Hardware
It is easy to forget how much furniture impacts a room. If your furniture feels dated or isn’t fitting within your space anymore, try changing out the hardware. Updating the knobs and handles of a piece can bring a more modern or vintage look, depending on what style you like. In the kitchen, it’s nice to update the handles frequently to keep it chic.
Transform Chairs with Fabric or Paint to Luxury Seating
For the past few years, painting and reupholstering old furniture has been all the rage, and it’s not stopping anytime soon.
Having a set of chairs that coordinate with the rest of the room brings in a luxe custom feel. Pick a paint colour that is part of your existing room colour palette. Paint your chairs and then look for fabric to upholster them.
Choose a fabric that encompasses the colours of the existing room’s decor and the new paint colour. The textile can be as tame or wild as you want. Try a solid or bold pattern.
You only need a little bit of fabric for this transformation project, so go ahead and invest in a luxe, high-end or designer one.
Dramatic Floor-to-Ceiling Curtains
Layers, whether in clothing or a home, always make everything look put together. Instead of adding just a basic curtain, try hanging curtains from the top of the ceiling for a dramatic effect.
Curtains hung from the ceiling help to visually create more height and space by drawing the eye upwards. Pick a light, airy fabric to let the natural light seep in.
Buy curtains that are longer than needed and trim them from the bottom, rather than getting custom-made curtains—an excellent cost-effective option.
Make an Impact with Small, Bold Accessories
Accessorize your space with objects that don’t blend in; pick unique ones that will stand out. Choose a bold colour palette or mixed material pieces, like an ornate or gold mirror over a fireplace.
Lamps, decorative boxes, fresh flowers, antiques or coffee table books are also impactful in any space.
Update Hardware and Re-paint Old, Outdated Cabinets
Refresh and renew kitchen and bathroom cupboards with a fresh coat of paint.
Adding a new set of hardware, like drawer pulls and knobs, can also help complement the new paint colour.
The average cost of this makeover is under $500, compared to installing all-new cabinets, which would likely set you back a few thousand dollars.
These tips and tricks will help you spruce up your home in no time! Whether you are staging your home to sell or want to enjoy your decorating efforts, these inexpensive tips are sure to please.
If you want to sell your home, contact your local REALTOR® today!
