Fall has officially arrived! To usher in the new season, we accented our living room with the first splashes of fall decor.
You may recall that our decorating plans for this year include a muted palette of orange, sage green, and soft gray-blues mixed with black, white, and tan. The goal is to create subtle, seasonal accents that feel like autumn without screaming “fall is here!” at the tops of our lungs.
(Note the placeholder for a piece of art above the piano. We are still on the hunt!)
This floral arrangement is one of my favorite examples. White, cream, and tan leaves form the base for two sunflowers offset in the center. Then I just added sprigs of sage green leaves along with some cream colored berries, tiny apricot flowers, and a couple of brighter orange leaves.
The arrangement is secured in a piece of floral foam set in a rectangular wicker basket. The mix of colors and textures creates exactly the subtle richness inspired by my mood board.
I created two of these baskets to place on either end of our fireplace mantle. Since our mantle is quite high, tilting the baskets forward about 45 degrees allows the arrangement to be seen much better. Thanks to hubby for that tip!
In addition to the baskets, a birch log votive holder adds to the organic elements. Hubby made it from a downed tree found on our property. I love any chance I get to use natural elements!
To a pair of glass hurricane candle holders, I added acorns (from our many oak trees) and shredded wood “grass”. They flank art pieces including a wonderful chickadee watercolor painting (an eBay purchase)…
…and a delightful oil painting by my Godmother. Her painting is further illuminated by black metal and glass sconces from Pottery Barn (seen a few pics above). Those are outfitted with remote controlled, battery operated candles for easy operation.
The baskets were purchased on Amazon and all of the floral accents are from the dollar store and Joann Fabrics.
In the sitting area, a vintage Royal Doulton bowl featuring a painting by Andrew Wyeth overflows with fall leaves and flowers in the same tones as the fireplace arrangements. We refreshed the covers on the sofa pillows with subtle, autumn-hued versions, too.
I think the light, muted colors look so pretty. I especially love the little apricot flower stems – they add just enough bright color without being overwhelming.
On the credenza (custom made by hubby), a loon carving by our late friend, Bob Landrigan, separates a mix of rustic wood candle holders and nature-inspired accents.
One one side, a white washed pumpkin shares space with a preserved boxwood ball in a galvanized pot.
On the other, I added a grapevine pumpkin I’ve had forever. It creates a lovely texture next to the smooth wood candle holders.
Across from the credenza, I added three dollar store vases to the dining table.
The hobnail texture and jute rope handle are fantastic. Then I just plunked in a few sunflower stems (another dollar store buy).
I love the simplicity and the pop of color from the sunflowers brightens the room just enough.
We’ll be sharing more as our fall decorating progresses, so stay tuned!
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