Crackling fires, pumpkin spice, football games, happy harvest, cooler temperatures—there are endless reasons to celebrate the return of autumn. With the fall season rolling in, we can create a warm and cozy environment in our homes that adds to the overall enjoyment of our day-to-day and special occasions. Gerard Construction has tips for decorating your home.

Nature Inspiration

Fall is a season marked by obvious changes in the world around us. Take inspiration from those changes by bringing natural elements into your home. Use small cut logs of different sizes for entryway decor or smaller wooden cuts to elevate candles, food displays, or other pieces. Go on a scavenger hunt for acorns, pinecones, and brilliantly hued leaves to add to your decor.

Swap Out

Now is the perfect time to bring out blankets and throw pillows in fall colors and prints. By placing these items for easy access, you are not only making sure everyone is comfortable and warm, but it also sets a cozy tone. Look for patterns, weaves, and textures that you love and will want to curl up with on your couch, sitting chairs, and beds.

Giving Thanks

There are many ways to incorporate being thankful and grateful into your decor. From signs on chalkboards to etched wooden messages outside your front door, from a painted pumpkin to a banner, reminders to be thankful during this season are perfect for cozy decor and good for your mental health. The Mayo Clinic states that "gratitude is associated with a host of mental and physical benefits. Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood, and immunity." Family, friends, and visitors could also contribute to a thankful display in your home, adding to your decor.

Bring in Life

While certain elements may no longer be alive, bringing in plants, succulents, pumpkins, gourds, and apples is perfect for adding charming details throughout your home. There are a number of flowers, like mums, that tie into fall, and succulents can be used year-round and made into fall decor with a change of pottery. You can stack larger pumpkins to create height in a display, gather gourds as a centerpiece or mantle statement, and place apples and smaller pumpkins in little corners throughout your home. Remember to check these elements frequently to ensure they stay fresh.

Lighting Changes

As the nights grow longer and the days become shorter, you will want to add lighting to your home. Candles of all types, with fall scents or LED-operated, will add to the cozy atmosphere and enhance a sensory experience. Putting certain lights throughout your home on dimmers helps too. If you need to incorporate dimmable lights into your building or renovation plan with Gerard Construction, let us know. Don't forget to consider lighting, both wired and in candle form, for backyard and entertaining spaces.

You can continue building on these ideas to make your home as fall-inspired as you desire. There is no limit to what you can do or the ways you can infuse a little cozy charm into all the rooms of your home. Start with a foundation of a few elements you love and build from there, over the season or over the years. To learn more about building with Gerard Construction, so your dream home can accommodate all of your favorite fall decor, contact us today.