Fall Decorations

Share this post!

Fall is here and the weather is starting to cool, thank goodness! It’s time to move entertaining indoors and add some Fall Decorations and Autumn warmth to your Kitchen. The kitchen is often viewed as the heart of the home. As the center of nurturing and gathering family for meals, it’s easy to see why. My family spends all our time and entertaining in our kitchen and I love my new great kitchen (more on my new kitchen on a future blog!)

I’m so happy that the season is changing and I now need a sweater in the morning when I take the kids to school.Now it’s the perfect time to make an extra effort to use fall room decor to bring warm touches into your kitchen and home. As with most of my fall decorating, I like to layer my autumn touches into my rooms, and strike many similar notes in the various rooms. I tend to go beyond the visual, evoking the season through a variety of senses! While I will be highlighting mostly decor ideas in this blog, one cannot underestimate the delight that autumn foods brings, as well.

Round pumpkins or squash with flat bottoms make great vessels for plants. Cut off the top and hollow out the bottom two-thirds, leaving about an inch of flesh al the way around. Add a small amount of potting soil, then arrange succulents inside. Fill in any gaps with more potting soil.  Use a small paring knife to cut a thin layer off the rim for a clean look.  When the pumpkin or squash is past its prime, repot the succulents!

Celebrate autumn with a centerpiece inspired by the harvest season. When it comes to DIY fall centerpiece ideas, look no further than your own backyard. Autumn tables-capes are all about showcasing the natural beauty of changing leaves and bountiful harvests. Gather up bright leaves, fallen acorns, and pinecones for quick and simple rustic displays. I loved making this center piece which usually just holds all my fruit but for fall I added pumpkins, quash, acorn squash, pears, oranges, tangerines, leaves and anything else that inspires the fall season.  Then as Halloween approaches, I add a little spookiness!

Following are 6 ways to add autumn warmth to your kitchen this fall:

1.  Light – Soft overhead lighting and especially candlelight are the first things that come to mind when I think of adding warmth to a room. I keep candles in various spots around my kitchen.

2.  Color – Autumn is a season awash in magnificent color.  If you’re going to add candles or other decorative accessories, why not add them in a nutmeg, cinnamon or caramel color?

3.  Seasonal Dishes – Beautiful plates can play the role of lovely artwork when displayed on the walls. I like to use gilded plate racks that are pretty in themselves, and make it easy to change plate motifs in a matter of minutes.

4.  Spicy aromas – There’s nothing quite like the smell of autumn. Spicy aromas like cinnamon and the like can be found in potpourri and candles and add a delightful feeling of warmth to the room.

5.  Nature Imagery – In addition to the imagery on dishes and ceramics, you can use actual items from nature like pinecones, acorns and leaves to bring the season indoors. I like to use these tiny treasures as filler around my candles.

6.  Food – No autumn decor could be complete without gourds and pumpkins. I have them sprinkled throughout my house and in my kitchen I have a basket of warm toned gourds.There are many other seasonal touches I like to enjoy in my kitchen, but one thing they all have in common is that they are pleasing to the 5 senses.  From the beauty of flowers to the crackling sound of candle flames, and the smells and tastes of autumnal foods to the feel of a soft blanket thrown over a chair; all these sensual touches add to the warmth of a home and to the kitchen, in particular, that is the heart of that home.How do you like to celebrate the arrival of Fall?

Happy Fall!

Ali in the Valley is a lifestyle blog about healthy, delicious food and simple lifestyle tips on how to be a great host or hostess…all while staying on a budget.

I create simple recipes for the urban soul and live by my motto:

“Home Grown Cooking – Down To Earth Living!”

Like most women, I’m the Energizer bunny that keeps going and going. And, actually… I LOVE IT. Power mom! Power life!

I’m an entertainment biz executive who loves to entertain at home, as well as abroad!!

I passionately blog about it, share recipes and write cookbooks––plus produce a web show centered around live music and good food.

Discover more...