above TORY BURCH
Each
fall, my nesting instincts return in earnest. Thoughts of homemade breads and
pies begin to percolate. Apple pie. Pumpkin muffins. Debbie Koering’s Biscotti.
Sharon Segerstrom’s persimmon cookies. And the big golden loaves of bread I’ve
been baking since I was a young mom.
above GRANT GIBSON
Entertaining
and decorating in the fall takes on significant meaning because of
Thanksgiving. I love keeping various decorative items in my home for the change
of seasons but because space is limited I have to pick and choose carefully.
Here
are some lists and tips to help make autumn decorating and entertaining a
little easier.
My
Own Fall Decorating
I
especially love decorating with anything that has a purpose such as platters,
bowls, vases books, tea sets, et cetera.
above RALPH LAUREN
In
the entry, I generally swap out my faux boxwood picks for a fall bouquet of
Nandina Heavenly Bamboo from the yard. For years I didn’t care for Heavenly
Bamboo. Now I appreciate it for its low maintenance and consistent fall color. I
also love to bring out my cream colored ceramic turkey candlestick holders and
place them on my entrance sideboard, on a tray, next to my silver service set.
They add a subtle reference to Thanksgiving that I love. I have eight of them
and they hold small, tapered candles.
In
the dining room, I add faux or real autumn fruits to the serving pieces already
there and place seasonal tea towels on the ends of the glass bar cart. With its
curtains, slipcovered end chairs, pair of 20 inch potted olive topiary and
dining table centerpiece/tray of wine glasses and bottles of liqueur, the room
is fairly festive to begin with.
above via DUST JACKET ATTIC
In
my kitchen, I do a small autumn floral arrangement and put out fresh pumpkins
and persimmons. I also have a bunch of little pumpkin shaped candles that I
place on my counters and window sills providing it’s not too hot outside.
For
fall decorating, swap out or add to your rooms a few of the following items:
For
Every Day
Seasonal
wreaths
Lap
blankets in autumn tones
Coffee
table books featuring fall themes
Salt
and pepper shakers
Pinecones
and best quality dried and faux fruits and vegetables
Ceramic
and iron statuary (stags, turkeys, horns of plenty, wheat sheaths, pumpkins)
Tea
towels with fall images
Autumn
shaped and autumn scented candles
Best
quality faux and dried floral and foliage
Fall
themed napkin rings
Theme
based hand towels for the bathroom
above STEPHEN BRADY
For
Festive Occasions
Tablecloths
in tones of burnt red, chestnut or deep olive green
Napkins,
paper and fabric
Serving
platters, rustic or refined
Special
vases (as opposed to plain, clear glass)
Fine
china, crystal and silver
Handmade
ceramic dinnerware and serving pieces
Rustic
wooden salad bowls
above MY DESIGN CHIC
The
fall colors below go with many decorating schemes and can be added for a
beautiful, seasonal change:
Russet
Dijon
Chestnut
Teal
Pumpkin
Terra
Cotta
Sage,
emerald or Kelly green
Apricot
Warm
white
Plum
Pomegranate
red (a brownish red)
Deep,
dark brown (brown textiles tend to be flat so look for items that have a sheen
to them such as chenille, velvet or mohair)
above via INDULGY
Any
fall foliage is beautiful indoors. If you’re lucky enough to have them and know
how to work with difficult materials, branches of maple, fig, pomegranate, and
pear can be spectacular entrance arrangements. Remember to pulverize a few
inches of the ends of the branches so they can absorb water. Use a tall, narrow,
heavy vase for such arrangements and a sturdy, heavy “frog”. Some suggestions:
Nandina/Heavenly
Bamboo
Liquid
Amber
Pyracantha
Boxwood
Persimmon
Pomegranate
Pear
Myrtle
(lasts forever, or almost!)
above COTONEASTER (ko-tone-ee-aster)
Decorating
the table for fall is something we all love. For important occasions, my best
advice is to do a mock up table a week or so in advance. For residential events
I always start with the room’s overall design. What is the color scheme? How
many people will be seated? How much room will you have for the centerpiece? Try
finding a common thread between the occasion and the existing interior. If your
dining room is in shades of blue, you can add pumpkin colorations because blues
and oranges together are complementary on the color wheel. If your color scheme
is in olive green and shades of red, you can play off the red with russet and
brown because russet has a lot of red in it to begin with.
Start
with the table cloth and dinner plates, of course. I like to add a contrasting
salad plate for visual interest. Add the napkins. As you go, keep in mind the
floral materials that will be readily available to you. Focus first on
practicality. Nothing too high for sit down dinners at home. If you have say,
eight to ten tablecloths or two or three dish sets to choose from, it will
allow you more creativity. If not, start with the basics you do have and use stuff from your garden
or nature for decorative touches.
above TONY DUQUETTE
Lastly,
do the centerpiece and choose the napkin rings or place card holders if you
have them. The napkin rings or place cardholders are where you can be really
clever such as with a sly reference to the event or a thoughtful take away
favor for your guests.
Happy
October!
above NANDINA HEAVENLY BAMBOO
above JOHN SALADINO
