The one aspect of the Midwest I miss the most is the fall season. I love nothing more than the scent of pumpkin bread in the oven, as I enjoy a fall scented candle, nestled in a blanket, while drinking a cup of tea. However, as September and October days can often some of our warmest days here in San Diego, I still desire to create the feeling of fall, even if the weather outside doesn’t seem so. Thanks to Homes and Gardens, we’re sharing 12 tips on how to transition your home from summer to fall in our latest blog post below.

1. Create a warming and inviting glow with candles

Decorating with the best candles can not only help to make a room feel more warm, inviting, and cozy – as well as smell great, they are a wonderfully versatile decorating tool, and can help to add character and style to almost any room in the home.

Whether you give your home a signature scent and use candles to make your house smell like fall, or decorate with pretty candles and candleholders in stylish shapes and in a palette of pretty fall colors – think deep reds and beautiful burnt oranges – never underestimate the decorating versatility of candles.

Look to bring some taper candles into your tablescapes and some heavenly, warming scents to your entryway to greet you and guests on arrival.

2. Switch out textiles and throw pillows

'I love to subtly lean into the fall season with colors and textures that evoke coziness and comfort,' suggests interior designer Kathy Kuo. 'Try swapping your decorative sofa pillows out for seasonal ones with chunky knits and autumnal colors like russet, burnt orange, and mahogany.'

Cozy living room ideas are pretty much top of most people's lists at the moment – for obvious reasons when you consider that the most used space in a home is the living space. Fall decor ideas should be functional and, above all, comfortable – particularly if all you crave is a soothing space to unwind in at the end of a busy day.

Colors that mimic autumn leaves are always popular, but moody green and foliage prints can also bring a new dynamic to a neutral space, as seen above.

'I also love to add some branches of fall foliage in rustic vases to my decor landscape and tie everything together with a luxe scented candle,' adds Kathy.

3. Add more ambient light with sconces and portable lamps

Lighting trends really come into their own in the fall. Not only do you require more task lighting in autumn, due to the fact that it is darker outside, but you want to dial up the coziness too.

Portable lamps are a huge trend, with loads of your fave brands offering their own iterations – from luxury to really budget-friendly portable lamps at Amazon.

Lampscaping, aka the art of creating vignettes and design-led moments around lighting in your home, is also important in autumn. Try adding a small lamp or sconce to an unexpected place, like in the bathroom or kitchen to make it feel warmer – and help you avoid the big light.

4. Uplift your home with fall foliage

Nothing quite embodies the changing of the seasons like the changes found amongst nature; from the colors of the leaves on the trees to bright summer blooms being replaced by rich fall foliage.

Bringing the beauty of the outdoors indoors with the best winter houseplants and fall flowers and foliage can be a quick and easy way to switch up the look of a room and help make it feel more fall-like.

Interior designer, Tess Twiehaus from Tess Interiors states, 'My favorite thing about fall is watching the leaves change. Bring those rich shades of gold and auburn indoors by gathering branches from your very own neighborhood and putting them on display. Bonus points for a branch that's extra large and brings a sculptural element to your decor.'

In this cozy corner, the Artificial Nandina Leaf Branch from Aflora makes for an eye-catching design feature in the space; uplifting the area with wonderful natural texture and color – and the branches perfectly complement this room's color scheme.

5. Consider some al fresco fall decor

Your fall wreath ideas need to be given pride of place, which is why they are simply the best for fall front door decor, though we love to see them used above the mantel in a living space or as a table centerpiece in a dining room or kitchen.

It's finally that time of year when fall wreaths are hitting the shops, and can be paired beautifully with lanterns and some faux (or real) pumpkins and gourds for a harvest-themed display.

You could also try your hand at creating your own fall porch decor by making a fall wreath from foliage picked from the yard. For an eye-catching front door wreath, group the same type of foliage together to create clear sections. Mix dried foliage, grasses or flowers, with sections of fresh greenery like eucalyptus and fresh herbs such as thyme, sage or rosemary.

6. Warm up your colors for fall

Fall decor doesn't need to be a seasonal touch: you can use favorite fall paint colors to warm up cool rooms quickly and easily. Terracotta decor, deep purple hues, and brown living room ideas are wonderful for fall.

This season sees a return to simple, restrained palettes – and being close to nature has moved from just simply greens of the forest.

Look to a neutral palette of fossil tones, raw materials, and natural elements, such as stone, textures of cotton, and linen. And then deepen the scheme with eggplant purples, soft earthy browns, warm terracotta and pumpkin tones as a contrast.

7. Indulge in fall crafts

There's no better time than when the weather is cooler to indulge in fall craft ideas. While Halloween decor ideas will take precedence, with pumpkin carving ideas easily the most popular way to decorate, we love no-carve pumpkin ideas, too, which will allow you to display your pumpkin for the holiday then, just before it starts to soften, repurpose it for the pot.

Picked from the vegetable patch or found in farm shops aplenty, pumpkins, gourds and squashes are a great starting point for creating a seasonal display in the entryway and beyond.

Often associated with Thanksgiving decorating and Halloween celebrations, the humble pumpkin is not just a kitchen staple at this time of year, it is also ideal to display in the home, especially on entrance. Pile them up on a console, sideboard or lone chair for an authentic fall welcome.

8. Max out fall table decor for an occasion

Any celebration at this time of year is the perfect excuse to indulge in fall table decor ideas. From Thanksgiving to the harvest festival, and of course any autumnal birthdays, fall is a great time to finesse your tablescaping.

'I love to use colors that really represent nature at this time of year – terracotta to represent the best trees for fall color and bright blue to represent the crisp, sunny morning sky we often have. It's a fabulous contrast,' says H&G's Lucy Searle.

Above, the team at Blackberry Farm Design laid down a plaid tablecloth with matching napkins to create a soft and cozy base and then layered the middle of the table with vegetables, pumpkins, and florals mixed with taper candles. Take notes.

9. Roll out some cozy rugs underfoot

If you can only add one item to your fall decor shopping list, an area room rug is an excellent choice.

One of the easiest ways to add color, warmth, and texture to your room this fall is to introduce a versatile – and easily changeable – rug. More flexible than a carpet or other form of fixed floorcovering, rugs and runners offer a fantastic way to soften a hard stone, tiled, or timber floor, and can also be layered onto soft floors to provide extra interest or to define zones.

And, when it comes to style, it can add a whole layer of personality to any room, even in the kitchen.

10. Dress a fall mantel to impress

Your mantel is excellent real estate for creating really beautiful decor moments and vignettes. Of course, you can look to nature with the best plants for fall color and fall flowers for ideas for your fall mantel ideas and wreaths, but don't be afraid to choose dried arrangements that can be carefully packed away after the season and reused or even repurposed with the addition of fresh flowers.

Alternatively, we love the use of interesting candleholders and tapered candles in the snug living space seen above. You can also try a lineup of small pumpkins, or simple foliage in vases mixed with your existing decor like family photos.

11. Introduce some unexpected red to heat things up

In a cool or neutral room – or simply one that you want to feel more warm and welcoming – red tones will make for a great addition this fall.

'Red has become enduringly popular lately – and is a very stimulating shade. In this palette, it also represents the moment during exercising when you are at the top of your game,' according to trend forecasters, TrendBook.

Look to the unexpected red theory, a term coined by TikTok creator and interior design Taylor Simon, that suggests a pop of red will help improve any room. Accessories and accent pieces like vases, lighting, or throw pillows will do a great job or you could go bolder and paint a cabinet or cupboard like in this kitchen seen above.

12. Mix up your gallery wall

An eclectic, gallery wall with mismatched frames and art is the perfect recipe for fall.

Create a gentle fall color scheme with your artwork to add sophisticated elegance and refinement to any room in your home. Switching out your wall art is an easy seasonal update that can even be done without making new purchases, as you can mix and match different pieces from across your home to make new curations.

Sepia and vintage-toned art is a go-to for anyone who wants an easy-to-live-with hue that will go with almost any other color, even beyond fall and winter. ‘Sepia tones are a decorating staple – and can be combined in both classical and contemporary decoration with ease and elegance,' says Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene.

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