It is time to decorate for fall!
Drag out your pumpkins and throw cinnamon on everything and enter into a fall festival of cinnamon scented orange candles as you sip your favourite nutmeg laced beverage.
It is the best time of year to pull out all the stops and enter into a frenzy of fashionable fall footwear and cozy scarves. Bring out your cheerful thick socks and slip them into those long forgotten boots you have dragged out of the back of your closet. Its time!
If you were able to read through the syrupy sweetness of that first paragraph, I congratulate you.
We are bombarded with fall ridiculousness which makes us think if we aren’t walking a copper coloured dog through a riot of leaves wearing the latest knitted fashions then we aren’t doing fall properly.
If our house isn’t wearing the right finish or showing the correct types of candles burning on our stone hearth fire place, then we are fall failures.
How about taking things easier this fall?
What about the mindset that puts us back into lazy Sundays where we put warm comfort food in the oven and relax while it is simmering away?
Why don’t we enjoy a few cool days where we can wear boots so we don’t have to worry and stress over our pedicure? Don’t we all secretly love cooler temperatures where we can wear long pants which possibly cover an unshaved leg or two?
Fall is for covering up and being cozy and warm but it is a fantastic season for comfort and a little bit of relaxation on our impossible standards.
Instead of worrying about the perfect fall accessories; revel in the beauty of what this season has to offer and adorn your house with natural scents and products.
Dive deep into markets offering jewel-toned vegetables and use them for a beautiful display which is at the ready for you to create a delicious borscht or to present a sizzling pan of roasted root veggies in all splendor of colours from purple to red, orange and golden yellow.
Your warmth can come from delicious scents of baked goods and rich coffee which you can have ready for guests who may stop in or for neighbours you can invite in from the cold after leaf raking or a fall garage sale.
I guarantee people will be more impressed with your presentation of fall beauty than they will with the latest ‘must-have’ from Pier 1. Displays and décor can have dual purpose and can warm your home perfectly while providing hospitality and nourishment.
Last year, I went to a party and saw a dish of homemade pickles on the counter which another guest had brought. Was I impressed with her décor and festive touches around the house? Sure I was but when I saw that dish it looked like the most beautiful thing in the world for me and instantly it made me feel festive and seasonal because it reminded me of my mom.
You never know what nostalgia awaits when you decorate FOR fall WITH fall; the colours are gorgeous and will bring warmth and stunning depth to any décor and will be waiting for when you have a craving for butternut squash soup to sip while you walk your dog.
Kim Wyse is a local freelance designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Ask a Designer/Ask a Realtor’.
