Partner Post: Bring the Outside In: 5 Tips for Nature-Inspired Home Decor This Fall

One of the most exciting parts of having a place to call home is the ability to make changes that positively affect your surroundings. There are the bigger projects, like a new roof or HVAC unit to keep your home warm, and then there are the smaller—and more fun—changes when you get to add personal touches. Whether you own your own property or rent, most of us like to switch up our decorative accents from time to time—and a seasonal changeover is the perfect time to inject a fresh feel into your home. After all, homes that are decorated with natural pieces add texture and color, as well as bringing the outside in to awaken the senses. Here are five of our top tips to help you incorporate nature into your home decor this fall.

1. Embrace the seasonal color change

One of the easiest ways to breathe new life into your home is by changing your color scheme. Make your interior design style reflect the changing seasons with a color scheme that matches the outdoors: include reds, oranges, browns, and yellows for a bold seasonal effect that will instantly change the feel of your home. These dark hues are perfect for fall, but don’t forget to offset these deep, warm colors with a few greens for balance. You can go all out by repainting rooms throughout your home, but this kind of change can just as easily be made by switching out summery textiles and accessories for more autumnal versions. Among our favorite accent pieces include cushions, throws, tablecloths, placemats, candles, centerpieces, and tableware.

2. Literally bring the outside in

If you’re inspired by the world around you at this time of year, incorporate the outside by taking cuttings from evergreen trees and other still-green bushes and plants to make arrangements, centerpieces, and wreaths. Add seasonal flowers (such as roses, dahlias, cosmos, chrysanthemums, snapdragons, Chinese lanterns) for a pop of color, and finish off with some leaves that have fallen from the trees in your backyard, like giant oak leaves for table decorations and homemade wreaths for your front door. Showcase any fruits or vegetables from your backyard—apples, pears, squashes, cranberries, and sweet potatoes are all harvested at this time of year. Finally, service and clean your chimney or wood burning stove if you have one and bring in some freshly chopped firewood for the fireplace. You’ll be well prepared for the wintry days to come. Plus, the logs in your fire will only add to your nature-inspired home decor.

3. Don’t neglect your exterior

Even as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, you can still decorate your outdoor living spaces and squeeze out every last possible second of outside time. Start by making sure your all-weather furniture is clean and tidy, then add a few seasonal decorative accessories such as varietal squashes and gourds for your front steps. If you want to encourage your family and friends to spend time outside during the cooler months, you can finish off your newly decorated outdoor spaces with a cold-weather basket containing blankets, hot water bottles, and all the fixings for a s’more or two.

4. Celebrate the holidays

Fall is full of holidays to celebrate, and decorating your home for each of them can easily incorporate pieces from nature. Autumn leaves, twigs, and pumpkins are perfect for Halloween, while Thanksgiving showcases a literal cornucopia of seasonal fruits and vegetables and can be accented with more gourds and evergreen sprigs. If you’re going to commit to holiday decorating, make sure to change up your decor for each holiday so your pieces don’t become wilted or boring—but the holidays come fast and furious during fall, so you won’t have to wait too long!

5. Get inspired by your surroundings

Whether or not you like to decorate your home for the holidays, you can always take a page from the natural world by adding home decor that reflects the outdoors at any time of year. Florals are timeless and on-trend, so choose textiles, decorative pieces, and even wallpapers that showcase your favorite flower varieties to brighten up your home. Wooden accessories like driftwood mirrors and live-edge wooden tables and islands, or stones used as placemats, in centerpieces, or even to line the floor of your bathroom, will further link your home to the outdoors. To incorporate fall fauna, choose cushions, pottery, and knickknacks with birds, squirrels, or other woodland animals on them to place around the house.

Now that you’ve got the look of fall outside and inside your home, grab a cup of your favorite fall-spiced beverage and sit back to admire it all!