7 Ways to Make Your Home Look Like Fall (Without Actually Using Fall Decor)

Whether you’re not ready for fall decor or you prefer to not invest in season-specific decor, there’s a real benefit to investing in home accents and furnishings that can transcend seasons. We’ve talked about it here many times before, especially over the past year or so. I’m still discovering what my personal threshold is for accumulating and maintaining it all, but putting more focus on items that could serve my home year-round or in multiple seasons has taken so much pressure off timelines. Today, I’m sharing seven ways to make your home look like fall, without actually using fall decor.

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I think if my home had was a season, it would be fall. Fall is a time to capitalize on layers, collections, curations, and coziness — IMO, all the hygge, love, and rest that makes your home reflect you and serve you and your family. Because I gravitate toward a lot of (what I describe as) fall tendencies naturally — mixing woods, building rooms over time, focus on functionality — I think my house could read “autumn” pretty much any time of the year. Regardless of where you/your home fall on the spectrum of seasonality, read on for seven easy ways to make your home look more like fall. (I say “look” because of course all your senses are involved in making your home overall feel like fall — from candle scents to what you’re baking and cooking for dinner.)

1. Brown is the Ultimate On-Trend Fall Neutral COLOR

Even when gray was the color, I tended to drift more toward warmer grays and greiges. Brown trending back around is an easy move and with all those wood tones we love and the natural warmth it gives, brown, as a color, just exudes coziness and fall. Of course, brown is a year-round, versatile neutral but incorporating a little more through textiles, rugs, etc. is an easy way to accentuate autumn. And, new rug alert! Remember a couple months ago when I shared an affordable rug I was planning to add in the conversation room? Well, I did it. Here is the room before…

Rug | Cane Back Accent Chair | Stoneware Vase On Cabinet

And here it is with the chair switched out and the new rug subbed in! Mine is the 8’x10′ version and it ships free. It’s thick and no rug pad is needed.

Rug | Window Pane Low Arm Accent Chair | Stoneware Vase On Cabinet

I absolutely love the print, the color tones, and the subtle color variations throughout.

Rug

The tan/beige/brown/grays make it easy to blend across several neutrals and while it isn’t too light, it still brightens up the ground against the black ceiling, greige walls, and dark wooden furniture pieces.

Rug | Window Pane Low Arm Accent Chair | Stoneware Vase On Cabinet

I have a lot of brown in this room — from more permanent furniture pieces to easy-to-switch-but-I-love-them-so-much-I-don’t-often pillows and throws.

Rug | Window Pane Low Arm Accent Chair

I’m on such a brown rug kick, I had to mention the one in the living room that I’ve previously raved about. I have the 8×11′ version (so, really really big) and it’s still incredibly budget-priced right now at just over $280 for that size! And, like the other Wayfair pieces I feature, ships free since orders over $35 ship free! It also has that “Cloudpile”, making it the softest thing my feet have ever experienced. I did add THIS rug pad to this one for just a little cushion.

You can browse brown/tan area rugs HERE and there are SO many good ones right now, great for year-round but PERFECT to switch now for fall!

Rug | Round Wood Side Table | Stoneware Vase On Hearth

It’s another one with SO many color variations, it’s really easy to incorporate it into just about any space. It also hides dirt really well.

Rug | Stoneware Vase On Hearth

2. Add Smart/Grandfather PATTERNS (& Even Layer Them)

A lot of transitional patterns are gorgeous year-round but those attributed to “grandfather aesthetic” especially (think plaids, argyle, houndstooth, etc.) scream “fall is here!” This kind of is-it-vintage-or-not? decor style is really big right now and layering and mixing patterns is totally fair game.

I haven’t had this kitchen runner for long, and I still love it so I rolled it up to store until later (next spring?) but there was a specific rug I had my eye on to add to the kitchen for the cooler months. Here is the one I had…

Runner | White Backsplash Tile | White Dutch Oven | Drawer Pulls (champagne bronze) | Cabinet Knobs (champagne bronze)

And here is the latest! I LOVE the chunky, bold diamond print and since I don’t think I would ever have the guts to do a bold checkerboard on the floor (like, with tile), I think this is an awesome alternative with a similar effect.

Runner | White Backsplash Tile | White Dutch Oven | Drawer Pulls (champagne bronze) | Cabinet Knobs (champagne bronze)

I think the print makes for a great cozy kitchen, but it’s also available in several full-sized area rug options HERE.

Runner | White Backsplash Tile | White Dutch Oven | Drawer Pulls (champagne bronze) | Cabinet Knobs (champagne bronze)

It’s thicker than my more recent runners, which I’m really loving.

Runner

Runner | White Backsplash Tile | White Dutch Oven | Drawer Pulls (champagne bronze) | Cabinet Knobs (champagne bronze)

Back in the conversation room, speaking of layering plaids, the pillow isn’t that different from the windowpane chair pattern and it still works with the aesthetic I’m going after. Layered plaids… I’m all for it this fall.

Window Pane Low Arm Accent Chair

But then again, I guess I’m always a proponent of layered and mixed plaids since I also love them during Christmas…

Rug | Window Pane Low Arm Accent Chair

3. Incorporate Organic and Warm FINISHES — Terracotta, Clay, Stone, Warm Wood, Leather, and Brass Are All Game

Anything that looks found, inherited, or like it could be sourced in nature is top tier in making our home feel like fall. But TBH, I’ve been so focused on minimal effort and maximum coziness that this is another aesthetic I’ve naturally incorporated for a long time now. Our built-ins don’t have a ton on them and I minimized the contents about two years ago, but what I do have was intentional, balanced, eclectic, and warm.

Warm finishes just make everything feel lived in.

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4. Include Chunky Textile TEXTURES — Wool, Boucle, Sherpa Are a Visual Snuggle

I think this one speaks for itself but it’s so easy to get your hands on these textures right now since more and more accents are being upholstered in these kinds of fabrics. Some of my most pronounced sherpa and boucle fabrics that come to mind… my storage bench in front of our bed, Eliza’s headboard and frame (see her bedroom HERE), and this storage ottoman in the reading nook of our bedroom.

Round Boucle Storage Ottoman

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5. Gathered and Layered COLLECTIONS Like Stacked Books Evolve Your Space Into a Library Cafe

As a caveat, I have a threshold for collections but I love tastefully curated gatherings and stacks. And, grouped together thoughtfully, I think collections and curations look lived in, therefore evoking a cozy welcome. Like a bookshop or cafe. Seriously, stacks of books on coffee tables are my favorite!

6. Modestly Displayed Cookware/Bakeware Will Make It Feel Like Your Kitchen Is the Constant Source of Fall Comfort

Keeping a piece of prominent bakeware/cookware/prepware out in your kitchen totally says “hot pot of soup simmering” or “I’m baking so much, my kitchen tools don’t even have time to disappear.” I love a busy kitchen in the fall that that gives the feeling of “family” or “gathering” and I think seeing something (functional but attractive) like my big Le Creuset Dutch oven sends some type of subliminal messages to the brain. And truly, this cookware is always in use in the fall — whether it’s pots of chili, soups, or stews, or hearty one-pot meals.

White Backsplash Tile | White Dutch Oven

7. Invest in An Oversized Vase or Two

BIG, nice vases aren’t cheap but they will be displayed and used a million times more than trendy or seasonal decor. In the fall, it’s so cool to have a substantial way to display big faux stems, but also big, live, pruned tree branches.

White Ceramic Vase | Accent Cabinet | Mirror

I have a few now and they all maintain their respective homes, only rotating positions with one another.

White Stoneware Vase

They’re heavy but they’re some of the most versatile decor, looking great with or without stems. Having a way to bring the outdoors in in a rustic way gives an element of “cabin in the woods autumn.”

Stoneware Vase

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I love our home during fall for… 1. how it serves us, comforts us, and how we use it; 2. how easy it is to make it feel like the season with minimal effort; 3. how simple it is to up the cozy vibes. Where are you on your fall decor stance this year? Minimal changes? No changes? Is your home starting to incorporate more traditionally fall decor year-round? For all the upcoming seasonal posts — from food to books to decor and more — be sure to subscribe to emails at the bottom of the post!