Fall Home Tour: Living Room

Fall is officially here!  I've had my living room decorated for a couple of weeks now, and I just love how cozy it feels this time of year.  My living room is full of neutral colors so it's always a breeze to get it decorated for fall.  I love adding the pops of orange and tons of texture throughout!   I wanted to share with you the complete tour of my fall living room as well as a short rundown of how I do my seasonal decorating for those of you who had asked.  I will try to give sources for just about everything I can, but if I forget anything don't hesitate to leave a comment and ask!  Happy fall and enjoy!

xoxo 

Emily

Storage:  All my seasonal decor is stored in our walk-up attic and is organized by holiday.  My fall decor is further organized by theme, so I have a couple tubs of "neutral" fall decor, and some tubs for my spooky decor, etc.  I have an old spinning purse rack up there to hang all my wreaths from so that they don't get crushed in tubs.  This also works out well because I often change out wreaths during the year in between holidays, and this way I can easily access them and see all of them at once.  

Collecting :  I have some staple items I use year after year, and I always purchase a few new things too.  Many of the vintage decorations (like my squirrel bookends, wood leaf plaques, horse pictures, etc.),  I collect throughout the year and save for the holiday.  Thrift shops, garage sales, and peddler malls are treasure troves for seasonal decor as long as you keep your mind open about it throughout the year.  For example, I ALWAYS buy good wreaths whenever I see them.  The gold fruit/leave wreath on my big white mirror was from a thrift store and I just spray painted it gold!  I use it for both fall and Christmas in that same spot.   Twig wreaths and pine cones wreaths are a couple of other kinds of wreaths that are easy to find while thrifting.  I also always buy natural elements (like greenery, pinecones, twigs, etc.)  If you continue collecting these, you will never have to pay full price for them at the craft store and you can use them to fill space all over your room (empty vases, jars, baskets, etc.)  Any time I purchase a holiday decoration out of season, I bring it up to the attic and place it in the proper section (even if I'm just setting it on top of a tub or to the side).  When you start unpacking your decor it's so nice to have new decorations that most of the time you forgot about!  

Add Nature: Real, natural elements like pumpkins, gourds, and flowers are so important to my decor every year.  If you don't want to store decorations, this is one thing you can add to any space to make it feel seasonal.  Trader Joe's always has a good selection of unique pumpkins and beautiful florals.  The farmer's market is also a great place to get unique items (I got my white Indian corn there this year and all of my mini squashes).  I never skimp on these items and think they are so important to completing the space.  Here's a tutorial I use to preserve my pumpkins so that they last the entire season. 

Antlers: Hobby Lobby (spray painted gold)    |    Wreath: Smith + Hawken from Target bought at Bargain Hunt    |     White paneled shutters: thrifted     |     Leaf plaques: thrifted    

New Items:  I love mixing vintage and new, and every year I purchase a few new items to freshen up the space.  This year for example, I got the adorable acorn garland from Target (not available online, but check your local store-only $7.99!),  as well as some new textured pillows from Target, and a new accent rug by the door.  I also got the wreath above my television from Bargain Hunt, but it is Smith & Hawken brand from Target.  If you have never been, Bargain Hunt, is similar to Big Lots but with better brands (including TONS of Target stuff).  They offer major discounts on items that have been returned to stores, maybe opened, but they are still in perfect condition.  They also discount items the longer that they are in stores!  Many times you can find items that are at Target right now for half the price.  Other places I like to find new decor are Home Goods, TJMaxx, Marshall's, and Hobby Lobby.

Wheat vase filler: Hobby Lobby

The Process:  I start by pulling items that need to go from the room.  Anything too summery or that won't match with the look.  I will pack these things up in the empty tubs after I have removed all my fall decor from them.  Next I start placing the items that I put in the same place every year.  For example I always fill the white vases beside my television with wheat.  I always hang a wreath above the television with the wooden leaf plaques on each side.  Sometimes you might decide to change things up, but start by placing things that you know for sure where they are going.  Next I start doing more involved areas like my shelves, which I sometimes have to switch around several times before I find what I like.  Thankfully this room is pretty easy for fall because I already have a lot of fall colors and horse items that can work with the theme.  I like to switch out pillows with each season and add more knits and textures for fall.  I keep a stock pile of pillows (also in my attic).   Basically any time I see a pillow that I like on sale or clearance, or while thrifitng, I buy it.  Even if I can't use it right away, I might use it somewhere for my holiday decor, or I might use it when I redecorate something in the future!  I complete the decorating process with finishing touches like the pumpkins, gourds, and flowers.  I try to change every part of the room up just slightly so that it feels fresh and new.  

vintage cypress clock: vintage/thrifted (similar here)    |    vintage horse pictures: thrifted

Wreath: Smith + Hawken from Target bought at Bargain Hunt    |     White paneled shutters: thrifted     |     Leaf plaques: thrifted    

Acorn garland: Target (not available online but try your local store or similar here)

Horse pictures + clock: thrifted    |   blankets: Target + thrifted     |   metal rolling basket: thrifted     |    "Our Home is a Swell Place to Gather": Target via Bargain Hunt  

Flokati pillow: At Home    |     Velvet pillow: TJMaxx      |     Lampshades: Target     |   Gold wreath: Home Goods    |    Barnwood letter: similar

Orange knit pillow: Target    |    Horse pillow: vintage/thrifted    |    Mirror tray: Target (old)

Florals: Trader Joe's

Mirror: Thrifted    |     Fringe pillow: Nate Berkus for Target     |    Area Code Pillow:  similar here     |    Other pillows: TJMaxx    |    horse pictures/candle sconces: thrifted

Gold fruit wreath: thrifted + spray painted

Lampshades: Target    |    lamps: thrifted     | planter: Anthropologie (from this summer)

All thrifted    |   Indian corn + squash is from the farmer's market

all vintage/thrifted minus the pumpkins that were from TJMaxx many years ago

all vintage/thrifted minus the pumpkins that were from TJMaxx many years ago

DIY upcycled painting: thrifted (get the tutorial here)   |     Baskets:  thrifted    | Pouf: thrifted     |   Produce/indian corn: farmer's market    |   Gold eucalyptus above painting: thrifted    |   Concrete horse heads:  Home Goods    |   letter "R": vintage/thrifted

DIY upcycled painting: thrifted (get the tutorial here) 

DIY upcycled painting: thrifted (get the tutorial here)   |     Baskets:  thrifted    | Pouf: thrifted     |   Produce/indian corn: farmer's market    |   Gold eucalyptus above painting: thrifted    |   Concrete horse heads:  Home Goods    |   letter "R": vintage/thrifted

Chevron accent rug: Target   |  Plaid scarf: Miss Molly Vintage   |    Sheepskin: Home Goods    |   Trunk, Bulletin Board, Baskets, Deer Foot Hooks, Leaf Shelf:  all vintage/thrifted