Break out the Turkey pants! (Yes that’s a F.R.I.E.N.D.S reference) Thanksgiving is over, and Halloween is close in tow. The menu may be set— traditional turkey, taters and yorkshire puddings in my case— but the festive fall colours & décor is just not living up to the well planned spread. The fall season has a lot to offer for inspiration and colour. A dash of seasonal décor or a pinch of fresh paint to compensate for the weather may be just the thing you need before the family and friends gather round.
The last thing you want is to make your house look tacky, which can be far easier to let happen when they have a whole aisle at the dollar-store of Thanksgiving & Halloween products. In this case quality is better than quantity. Instead of decking your house out in disposable themed objects, focus on a few essential areas. The best ways to make your home feel more welcoming for fall is by addressing the most used areas, primarily by your guests. The front door, powder room, living room and dining room of course, are typically the most occupied spaces during the holidays.
The front door is the first thing your guests see, and it’s the first impression they have. A well decorated entry establishes an inviting and welcoming home. Benjamin Moore’s new Aura Grand Entrance paint, is an excellent product to use this time of year, with what is sure to be another brutal winter impending. Not only do you get a super durable and resilient finish for such a high traffic area, the Aura Grand Entrance has beautiful colours, handpicked specifically for front doors. My favourite fall colours for a front door this season are 2127-30 Gravel Gray
Front Door Display 2127-30 Gravel Gray in Aura Grand Entrance High Gloss
– a spooky gray for October, but a neutral charcoal for the remainder of the year. Tavern Door and Impressionist Ruby are a close second. They both exhibit luxurious jewel tones to create definition, without overwhelming the area with an intense colour. Use your home’s natural colours and materials that already exist and expand off of it to create a complimenting colour scheme. Explore how a fresh colour on the door can have an impact on the entire house. A new door can make your entry pop, and layering it with festive décor will make your house look up to date, inviting and complete.
On the inside of your home, concentrate on areas most frequented, like powder rooms, living rooms, and dining rooms. The fall season offers some of the most beautiful colour combinations to get inspired. Orange, reds and yellows are evident fall colours, but combinations like washed blues can be paired down with orange and sandy browns. Earthy greens offset perfectly against white and rich browns. Bring the outside in, and utilize the season’s natural and organic elements to create décor displays. Items like corn stalks, pine cones, leaves and logs can be used as indoor décor to create a natural and rustic style. Blend textures for a layered look, especially with a primarily neutral colour palate. For instance, combining rustic textures with reflective or metallic surfaces can provide an unexpected but pleasant effect. By adding festive fall styles, your guests and family will feel the nostalgic effects of the comfy, cozy season.
Pumpkins are the go-to festive décor item. You can play with sizes and height, by including small bales of hay for instance, and combine them with different coloured and textured seasonal vegetation. White pumpkins are a fresh spin on the standard orange pumpkins and you can also try spray painting them in a metallic finish, for a little touch of unexpected bling. Get the kiddies involved in the design process too, by painting pumpkins with chalkboard paint, where they can creatively contribute a drawing to display. This holiday may be one of the last chances to implement the 2015 colour trends that we didn’t use during the year, such as AF-650 Caponata
& CC-620 High Park.
These rich and royal colours are the perfect tones to establish a warm, comfortable setting. Incorporate trendy finishing touches, like ribbons of burlap, glass dome covers, lanterns and mason jars, all of which carry an old world charm, much like the tradition of the holiday.
Whether you’re hosting for your own family or multiple families, with a few of these festive décor ideas and splashes of fall colours, they’ll surely feel right at home this season! So when you’re out for a brisk fall stroll to walk off all that turkey, be sure to give thanks for the abundant inspiration and creative solutions – from burlap wreaths to sparkling pumpkins – that can be found in our own backyard!
Sahra McFarlane
Interior Decorator
Creative Haus Designs
Check out Creative Haus Designs at The Paint People for more ideas on how to choose festive fall colours for your home!
