Decorate your room for fall

Fall room decor doesn’t need a whole new look. A few small things, put in the right places, do most of the work of making your room feel like fall. It takes an evening, and most of it is moving things around.

Start with the light

Light changes a room more than anything else, and it’s the cheapest thing to change.

• Turn off the big ceiling light in the evening and use lamps instead.
• Choose warm bulbs. Look for “warm white” on the packet, which gives a soft, yellow glow.
• Add a string of lights along a shelf, a headboard or a window, if you have them.
• Light a candle. Choose one that smells like fall, such as cinnamon, apple, woodsmoke or vanilla. Always keep candles away from curtains and blankets, and put them out before you go to sleep.

Add texture

Fall rooms feel soft and layered.

• A throw blanket on the end of the bed or over the couch. Wool or chunky knit look best.
• A knit or corduroy pillow case in a warm colour.
• A rug or a bath mat by the bed, if you have a cold floor.
• A big sweater over the back of a chair. It’s decor, and it’s also useful.

Bring in colour

You don’t need a lot. Choose one or two warm colours, like rust, mustard, burnt orange or deep green, and repeat them in a few places: a blanket, a mug, a candle holder and a pillow. When a colour appears three times, it looks planned.

Bring in something from outside

This is the best part, and it often costs nothing.

• Leaves. Choose a few that have kept their colour, and put them in a jar or press them in a book first so they stay flat.
• Branches. A tall branch in a vase looks beautiful and lasts all season.
• Pumpkins and gourds. A small pumpkin on a shelf or a desk is enough. You can leave them plain or make some clay pumpkins that last for years.
• Dried flowers. A small bunch in a vase looks calm and warm.
• Pinecones and acorns. Put them in a bowl.

Work one corner at a time

If the whole room is too much, choose one spot: your bed, your desk or the windowsill. Put your lamp, candle, a little plant or a pumpkin there, and add a blanket. One well-done corner feels more like fall than a room of random things.

What to avoid

• Too much at once. If every surface is covered, the room feels busy, not cozy. Leave space.
• Buying a whole new look. You already own most of it. Move things around first.
• Real candles near anything flammable, or lit when you’re asleep or out.
• Dust. Dried flowers and leaves collect it, so dust them occasionally.

A simple evening plan

1. Clear a bit of space and put on music.
2. Move your lamp and candle to where you’ll use them.
3. Put the blanket on the bed or couch.
4. Add one seasonal thing to each surface.
5. Turn off the big light and see how it looks.
6. Move one thing, and then stop.

Fall smells

Scent is a big part of how a room feels. A candle is the easy option, but you can also simmer a pot of water with cinnamon sticks, orange peel and a few cloves on the stove, as long as you stay in the kitchen and keep an eye on the water level. Opening the window for a few minutes before you light anything also helps, since fresh, cool air is part of the season too.

Moving things around

You can also change a room by moving what you have. Put the bed or the desk near the window if the light is good. Swap the summer bedding for a heavier duvet cover or a quilt. Take down anything that feels too bright and replace it with a poster or a postcard in warmer tones. Put a few books you love on a shelf or a table where you can see them.

Make it a fall evening

Finish with a hot drink and the lamp on, and sit in your room as if you were a guest. If you like it, you’re done. If you’ve recently done a closet switch, your room already smells of sweaters, and you’ll be set for the season.