Happy Fall Decorating!

It's officially the first day of Autumn, even though it still feels like Summer in so many places. Despite global warming, the inner clock of humans says that it's Fall. Don't you have the urge to get out your Fall clothes? Aren't you ready to do a little Fall decorating too? Or even to get out the soup recipes?


There are some things to keep in mind when using Fall colors to refresh your rooms. The first thing to remember is that a color can be considered a Fall color when you see it during the Autumn months. If you love a color that you see in nature in the Fall, then by all means be inspired to use it. Fall color is so different depending where you live. If you love a color from another region, use it! If you love the Fall color outside your door, use it! The idea is just change a little something with the season.

Another thing to think about is the fact that so many of Fall colors are on the darker side. This means that if you decide to choose the main paint color of a room as a Fall color you'll want to consider the amount of light it will take away from the room if it is a darker tone. It can create a cozy cocoon of color for the Winter months ahead. But you don't have to repaint the whole room to add a little Autumn spice.


There are lighter colors, like gold or greens, that you find in the Fall that can inspire you to use lighter colors for the majority of a space. Rather than having four walls in a room painted in all the same rich color that you find on the changing Autumn leaves, consider doing an accent wall. This way you can still get color on the walls but you can choose a lighter color for the rest of the walls and still allow the room to be bright. Keep the value of tones in mind.


There are some ways that you can incorporate Fall colors in a room that won't require you to permanently change your walls. Add new Fall color lamp shades to your lamps and/or pillows to the furniture that you have. A new area rug is another way to change the season in your room. If you have Summer sea grass, add a rug with another texture and color on top of it.


We all get a little restless with a change of season. People who love to decorate feel the urge to change something in their spaces. Curtains or drapes in Fall colors will dress up even the whitest of walls. Changing the simplest things and adding the smallest details can really make an impact.


Ready for even more color? The 2009 Apartment Therapy Color Contest is launching later this month - keep an eye out for all the details in the coming weeks! The images above are from the Southwest 2008 entries. Go HERE to see more entries from last year and to get details for the 2009 contest.

I just did a couple of little things in my living room and office to introduce some things for the change of season. I'll be posting photos in a couple of days.