House Rules Book releases April 23

23 Minutes to a Cozy Fall Home

One look at Instagram and you might think that in order for your home to get cozy and ready for fall, you need to run to the local decor store and buy a cartful of pumpkins, pile your mantle with plastic orange leaves and change out every piece of art on your walls for something with hand lettered words about autumn.

There’s nothing wrong with that. But….

… if you crave some instant fall that doesn’t add to your already full home, here are a few ideas on how to fall-i-tize your home right now without adding a bunch of extra stuff you’ll end up needing to pack away.

5 Minutes: Put dried things into a container

The trick to cozying up your home for fall without buying a truckload of plastic fall decor is to start with what you already have in and around your home. Why buy fake leaves when a quick walk around the yard or around the block will provide some beautiful, local fall foliage? When you’re done, you just throw it into the compost pile or fire pit instead of packing it away.

I look for dried or live branches, leaves, pampas grass, flowers and weeds that feel like fall. Our leaves haven’t turned yet either, but that doesn’t keep me from hunting for stuff growing around my neighborhood help usher in that fall look. Grab a vase, crock, planter, ice bucket or basket and pile it full of free autumn charm.

2 Minutes: Light your neglected candles today

Your candles are getting dusty, wasting their life away while they patiently wait for you to allow them to fulfill their life’s purpose: burning down. Gather up your random candles, set them together on a platter and right now, actually light and enjoy them. My favorite look is a family of white candles grouped together on a dark wood tray, or a bunch of black candles on a white tray or platter. Contrast is queen. Amen.

8 Minutes: Add fall scents to your daily routine

As we’re counting down the minutes to the first cold morning, we’re still washing the dishes, washing our hands and wiping off the counters on the daily. Why not incorporate a new fall scent into your routine? I’m currently using the brand new Mrs. Meyer’s scent Acorn Spice in my kitchen and even though it’s 90 degrees outside, it smells like autumn inside.

Right now you can get a free fall kit with your first purchase from Grove Collaborative :

Grove offers a huge selection of high-quality natural cleaning products, and you’ll never run out of products again thanks to their monthly shipment schedule (totally optional and super flexible – I order about every 6 weeks if I’m out of stuff).

Once you click over to Grove, your cart will auto-fill with some popular products as a suggestion. You can delete everything (but don’t delete your free stuff) and add different things to your cart, or keep everything as is.

3 Minutes: Shop your house for fall colors to bring to the forefront

Don’t underestimate the power that random things around your house have when they are grouped together with purpose. First decide what colors feel like fall to you right now–rusty reds and vivid turquoise? muddy browns with mustard yellows? creamy whites in every texture? There’s no wrong. Just choose your colors and walk around your house collecting anything in the fall colors you crave. Nothing is off limits.

I’ve been known to gather up stacks of orange books, the red pinch pots my boys made that usually find their way to the back the cabinets, my favorite knubby wool scarf in winter white, a random serving dish with a weathered patina –walk around your house like you are on a shopping trip and pull anything that could add some fall color to your current vignettes.

5 Minutes: Add layers of comfy texture around your seating

A throw tossed over the sofa or a cable knit pillow tucked into the corner of the chair both bring a moment of coziness to any room and add form and function to your seating. I have a faux sheepskin rug that I wrap around the Christmas tree to hide the stand, but in the fall, I pull it out and drape it over a chair to add some texture without buying extra decor. ?? Shop your house for pillows, throws, table runners and rugs that can be used to cozy up your seating for fall.

That’s it, I promise, if you follow those steps, your home will feel more fall-ish than it did 23 minutes ago!

*Please note that Grove currently does not ship to Canada, Hawaii, or Alaska

*I’m thrilled to partner with Grove as an affiliate