Today I’m sharing subtle ways to decorate for fall in our living room. This year I started decorating for fall really early, but it’s more or less a way of setting the stage for more fall color to come. I talked a little about transitional decorating in my Fall Home Tour With Neutral Colors post a few weeks ago, and I’m repeating that same idea in the living room.
Harvest Home Tour
I’m so happy to be participating in the 2021 Harvest Home Tour with a fabulous group of bloggers. Some I’ve known for a while and some I’m just getting to know, so this is a big treat for me. A huge thank you goes to our sweet host Kristi of French Creek Farmhouse for organizing such an amazing hop and inviting me to join in.
We have tons of ideas for fall outdoor spaces, entryways, mantels, tablescapes, living areas, recipes and crafts. Get ready for lots of inspiration, and be sure to check out all the links at the end of my post.
If you’re stopping over from Christin of My Homier Home, welcome to Thistle Key Lane.
Subtle Ways To Decorate for Fall
As you look around our living room you’ll see some subtle ways I’m introducing fall into our everyday decor.
- dried hydrangeas
- natural gourds
- dried grasses
- velvet pumpkins
- plaid throw
- throw pillows in neutral colors
- foraged branches
- warm wood tones
- picnic baskets
The living room is awash of neutral colors with the exception of the rug. I inherited a beautiful Persian rug many years ago from my mother, and I love it as much as she did. It has every color in the rainbow, although taupe and pimento are two of the most dominate colors.
In the coming weeks I’ll be adding pops of color with fresh flowers and pumpkins that will compliment the rug. So be sure to check back later this month.
Neutral Colors And Textures
I like to start my fall decorating by introducing more wood tones into the living room. Centered on the ottoman is a wood tray replacing a woven rattan summer tray.
The wood tray is wide enough for a few decorating books and a large glass hurricane candle holder. If you look closely, you’ll spot some mini dried gourds in the base. For the last couple of years I’ve had a thing for mini gourds, and it’s so much fun finding ways to decorate with them.
These naturally dried gourds have a soft neutral color and can be used year after year.
Do you love ironstone? Me too! A small serving plate on a stack of books is a simple way to display something special such as a key with a raffia tassel. Just that little bit of texture gives the eye something to pause and look at.
Click on my post How To Make Raffia Tassels, to see how simple they are to make.
More neutral color and texture comes from vintage grain sack pillow covers which are so easy to decorate with. They fit right in with my casual style.
Natures Decor
It’s too early in the season for fall leaves, but I still love bringing the outdoors in with foliage from our yard. Luckily the Mister was trimming our Japanese maple when I was getting ready for this photo shoot. The maple leaf branch looks so pretty in a vintage demijohn, and I’m happy I didn’t have to go foraging any walking trails.
By the way if you’re wondering if you can use a bar cart as an end table, the answer is yes you can. A bar cart can be one of the most versatile pieces of furniture in your home. I’ve also used it to serve food and drinks in multiple spaces including the patio.
On the other side of the sofa, I’m displaying some bunny tail grass in one of my thrifted vases. To see a before photo of these vases click on my Thrift Store Vase Makeover post.
Vintage Finds
Many of my vintage pieces are hand me downs. My dad was a real magpie for antiques including the secretary desk in the corner of the living room. This is one of my favorite pieces of furniture to decorate, plus it is multifunctional.
The top shelves serve as a liquor cabinet, while the drawers below are handy for storage. That leaves the desk for display.
I have a few ironstone pieces including a pitcher that was in my bedroom growing up. It holds some dried hydrangeas from an arrangement I created last fall. See my post Styling A Simple Fall Entry Table for flower arranging ideas.
One thing we all love about secretary desks are the little nooks and hidey-holes. I enjoy switching things out from time to time. On display now is a wooden shoe form, antique books, a miniature oil painting, binoculars, a fossil, floral frogs and French ironstone yogurt bowls.
Of course I love my sweet little velvet pumpkins with real pumpkin stems. The one on the desk is sitting in a silver rimmed glass dish, and the other adds a pop of green on the end table.
Be sure to follow Thistle Key Lane on Pinterest, where the boards are up to date with seasonal inspiration you can use right now!
Our Harvest Home Tour Continues
Up next on our Harvest Home Tour is Mary Beth of The How To Home sharing her Old Fashioned Carmel Apple Pound Cake. This is the perfect recipe to kick off your fall baking!
Michelle,
I loved your subtle fall touches. So happy we are doing this tour together.
Thank you Rachel! This is an amazing hop!
Beautiful decor and your subtle fall touches are spot on!
Thank you Cindy! I like keeping the decor simple and casual.
Love your simple fall decor! Happy to be on the tour with you.
Thank you so much Becky, this is a wonderful line up of bloggers!
I love your subtle touches of Fall! The mini gourds in the hurricane are wonderful. So many great ideas! Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you Meeghan! The gourds are a mini obsession right now! 😊
Love all of these subtle ways. Your spaces are so inviting without all the clutter! I need you to come to my house and help me purge!
Cindy, I would love to come to your house and help purge. Then can we load all your good stuff into my SUV. 😂
Lol. It’s the crap that needs to go. 😂
Loving all of your beautiful fall touches…and your bar cart is fantastic! Happy Harvest season…so happy to be on this tour with you. xoxo, Kristi
Thank you Kristi! The bar cart is such a fun piece of furniture in this corner and just begging for some drama!
It’s so interesting that many of us on this tour are very similar with texture and neutrals. I love all of your vintage additions to your decor!
Yes you’re right Lynn. The neutrals really make us appreciate those pops of color such as your pretty centerpiece!
Wow, Michelle…this is such a beautiful room that it’s tough to choose which part is my favorite! I did love the mini-gourds, especially, and the maple branch in the vintage demijohn. SO creative!! I’m pinning a bunch of inspiration! xo, Kristi
Thank you so much for the love Kristi and for organizing such a fantastic blog hop! I loved being part of the tour and getting to know some new (to me) bloggers is an extra special bonus!
Michelle, I love your Dad’s secretary desk; what a wonderful piece for function and beauty! I love how you styled all the vintage curiosities in the cubbyies. And that rug is beautiful; so many colors to use as accents.
Thank you so much Lora! Those sentimental pieces will always be my favorites!
You’ve done such a great job of saying fall without going overboard. That’s something that I struggle with. Very pretty and inviting!
Thank you Suzy! I can’t wait to buy some fresh pumpkins in a few weeks to add a few pops of color. Then it will really feel like fall!
Love every one of your subtle fall decor ideas. Your secretary is gorgeous!
Thank you so much Angie! Hugs!
Such beautiful touches and I do love subtle!
Thank you Mary Beth! Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m not the only one that resides here, and subtle is just easier to live with. 😊
Your subtle decor is so calming, I adore your bar cart, that green pop is the perfect contrast!
Thank you Laurie and you are so right about those little pops of nature that calms the soul.
I love these ideas for starting to bring fall into my home early!
Thank you Elaine! Sometimes it’s easier to decorate a little at a time.
Michelle…I need some of those mini gourds!! I’ve never seen them before!! They are the cutest.
I’ve had so much fun decorating with them! Thanks for stopping by Jennifer!
I’m loving the subtle touches of fall you have added Michelle – so classy! That grainsack pillow in the orangy-rust color is so pretty! I Haven’t seen that color grainsack stripe and I love it 🙂 Pinned!
Thank you so much for pinning sweet friend!
Nice beautiful colors, nice decorations. I love bright colors.
Thank you Mark!