Fall is here - decorate with me!

     Seasonal Decorating 

     Decorating is something that calms my soul, and always has for as long as I can remember.  As a little girl I was always redecorating or rearranging my bedroom, and thankfully my parents supported that need for change and rolled with it.  It has trickled… actually no… it has snowballed into my lifestyle now which encompasses decorating on a social media platform where I get to share my style, my methods as they relate to layering and arranging, budget shopping sprees, and sometimes even my crafty side.  

     I think seasonal decorating is so much fun, and fall is my favorite décor season.  There is so much warmth and coziness that comes with the fall tones, and I can’t get enough.  Holiday decorating is its own layer, which I will get into come October.  For now though, I wanted to share some of the spaces in my home that have been fall-ified.   

     Layering is one of the most important concepts when it comes to styling a space, in my opinion.  The look I enjoy creating most would be considered "lived in."  Even though decorating involves intention, placing things in a specific spot that looks best according to your eye, I'm not necessarily attracted to a space that really looks intentional. In this vignette for example, an oversized basket contains a pillow, scarf, decorative candle ring which I'm choosing to use as more of a wreath, and a pumpkin I've turned on its side.  It has the look of things just thrown into it, which makes it all the more cozy, in my opinion.  

     Texture is one of those things that often gets overlooked.  It's so important to add dimension and texture to your designs, especially seasonal ones. Texture, meaning different types of materials.  On this bench are a variety of textures including a vintage wicker basket, a wood lantern, smooth pumpkins, leaves, several woven baskets, a blanket and a wreath.  All of this adds so much to the level of interest in a photograph.

     If there is one thing that you take away from this blog it's that decorating is a skill that is ever evolving.  Styles change and trends fade, but one thing that stays true is symmetry.  This buffet is the definition of symmetric, with its matching wheat bundles and lanterns that flank the pumpkin and wreath.  I like to use the term symmetric loosely however.  Often times, we don't have two of the same object, so balance has to take over, meaning you will have to add height to one side to try and match the height of the other, as well as dimension.  Pictured below is an example of how to create symmetry without matching pieces.  I've put a easel sign and small house on one side of the wreath to balance the height and depth of the lantern on the other side.  

     If you couldn't already tell, I absolutely love lighting candles around my home.  Nothing beats the ambiance candles can create.  Some of my candles are real and others are battery operated matchless, which are just as nice and safer if you have little ones or curious pets.  Either way, light them!  It makes a space look and feel so much nicer. 

     I know we aren't all "crafty" in terms of being able to create something unexpected from scratch, using materials that have nothing to do with said object that's been created.  At least that's what the youtubers I watch for inspiration do.  I have yet to really delve into that world, but I have made a few simple things out of materials that are\ meant to be used for something else.  This wreath for example... It was a fall garland.  I needed a little something to hang on this armoire and it dawned on me.. what if I rolled it up into a wreath.  Voila .. my kind of crafty! 

     Who says a dining room hutch can only hold fine china and dining related pieces?  When The Christmas Tree Shops wanted to collaborate with me to showcase their new fall items from their Grainhouse line, this hutch was their top choice of locations in my home to decorate.  This look was one of my favorites thus far, and trust me, this hutch gets rearranged a lot!  In it, you can pick out all of my decorating tips mentioned in this blog.  More from this collaboration can be found on my Instagram account - www.instagram.com/cottageharborhomes     

     I hope you all have enjoyed the tips I've shared with you today!  I'll be back next month to talk Halloween, budget friendly finds and decorating hacks including how to shop your own home.