The October Edit: Small Details, Fresh Start

There’s something about that first stretch of cooler weather that makes me want my house to feel a little different. Not completely different. I’m not pulling out bins of fall decor or putting a pumpkin on every available surface. But once the temperature drops, I’m ready to put away the lighter summer throw, light a warm candle and make things feel a little cozier.

I’ve never really been a seasonal decorator. Christmas is definitely the exception, but otherwise, I’d much rather make a few small changes that shift the feeling of a room without changing the room itself.

And honestly, I think that’s all you need.

Color, scent, texture and pattern can do a lot of the work.

Start With How Your Home Feels

For me, the change usually starts with the temperature. As soon as it gets a little cooler outside, I want things inside to feel warmer.

One of the easiest ways to do that is scent. A spicy or warm scented candle can completely change the mood of a room, even though you haven’t technically changed anything at all. There’s just something about lighting that first pumpkin candle of the year that makes it officially feel like fall.

Texture does the same thing. I’ll swap out a lighter summer throw for a heavier, cozy blanket. I might change a few kitchen towels or bring in different fresh flowers. None of these are big decorating decisions, but together they make the house feel a little more like October.

Bring In the Colors of the Season

You also don’t need something to actually say “fall” for it to feel like fall.

Brown, dark wood, olive green, rust and warm shades of orange all give me that feeling without being overly seasonal. You can bring them in through things you already use and love.

One of my favorite little tricks is changing the taper candles in my candleholders. It’s such an inexpensive swap, but it can make a surprisingly big difference. Instead of my usual candles, I might mix a few fall shades together, like yellow and orange or different shades of green.

Even something as small as changing your coasters can work. A deeper color, leather or an interesting texture adds another layer of warmth without screaming I decorated for fall.

Shop Your Own House

Before I buy anything new, I love just moving things around.

Sometimes I’ll switch out my decorative books or simply open one to a different page. I’ll move an accessory to another spot or rearrange a few things on a table. It sounds almost too simple, but seeing something you already own in a new place can make it feel new again.

You don’t always need more stuff. Sometimes your house just needs a little edit.

And when I do buy something new, it’s usually because it feels like it belongs in the space I’ve already created. Maybe it’s the color. Maybe it fills a spot that needed something. Or maybe I see it and immediately think, that was made for my house.

I pay attention to trends, too. I think they’re fun. If something is trending and it genuinely works with my style, I’m all for bringing it in. I just don’t think you need to change your whole house around it.

Small Swaps Can Make a Big Difference

This is probably my favorite way to change the feeling of a room.

Throw pillow covers are one of the easiest swaps, and H&M is one of my favorite places to find them. Candles, coasters, kitchen towels and blankets are all relatively small changes that can introduce a new color or texture without turning into an entire decorating project.

Pattern is another really easy way to do it. A pillow, rug, blanket or even a Door Detail Strip can bring in color and personality in a way that feels fun and very low commitment.

It’s actually one of the things I love most about changing my Door Details with the seasons. You don’t necessarily expect a door to be part of your seasonal decorating, which is exactly why it’s fun. It’s a small, unexpected place to introduce a different color or pattern and make the room feel just a little different.

No major makeover required.

Or Don’t Change a Thing

Here’s the other side of all of this: you absolutely do not have to decorate for fall.

If your house feels like you, it doesn’t really matter what season it is.

If you love pulling out bins of pumpkins every September, go for it. If you love decorating for every single holiday, do that. If you’re like me and Christmas is really the only time you go all in, that’s completely fine too.

There are no rules.

For me, October is less about decorating for a season and more about responding to it. The temperature gets cooler, so I pull out the cozy blanket. The days start feeling different, so I light a warmer candle. Maybe I bring in a little olive green or rust, move a few things around and suddenly my house feels fresh again.

Sometimes that’s all a fresh start needs.

Live your style. Change what you want, keep what you love, and let the little details do the rest.