Cozy Up Your House for Fall With These 20 Interior Decor Ideas

Autumn is one of the best seasons of the year: There’s a nip in the air, maybe the leaves are changing color, and leisure time activity starts moving from outdoors to indoors. It’s also the time of year that we want to cozy up the indoor spaces, making everything more welcoming for the cooler weather and the winter ahead. Fall decorating often centers on the front doorstep with mums and pumpkin decor aplenty, but there are lots of ways to make your decor fall-friendly and feel snug and a little homespun, no matter what your decor style. Here are 20 ways to add a touch of seasonal spirit to your home interior.

Color

Dining table with fall colors

Switching over to warmer colors is the first and most obvious way to make a room feel autumnal. Of course, not everyone can repaint a room for the season — or even wants to — but there are other ways to incorporate fall color that go beyond swapping out the throw pillows in the living room. Try shopping what you already own. By this, we mean looking through your artwork, accessories, drapes, and even chairs for pieces that are in the right colors. Then, restyle the living room, bedroom or kitchen with those seasonally hued pieces. For example, mix up the chairs in your dining room for a more eclectic look and include the ones you have in the basement that are done in cozier upholstery.  If the room is already done in those colors that’s great! Amp up the accessories to emphasize its coziness.

New Lighting

Dining table with fall colors

As the days get shorter and the dark nights get longer, it’s a great time to add or upgrade lighting and sconces are a wonderful thing to start with. Warm lighting will make an entire home seem more welcoming. Try adding a pair — or one if the space is tight —  to flank your front door outside or in. Or, maybe the entryway is a little too dark and need something. Even a darker area of the living room can often benefit from extra light. Even if you already have a decent level of lighting, sconces add another layer that improves the ambiance.

Restyle Your Console

Dining table with fall colors

Whether you prefer a super-seasonal look like this or not, the entryway console is the first place to restyle come autumn. It sets the stage for the rest of your home and welcomes visitors with a dose of fall-time cheer. How you choose to decorate is up to you and your own preferences, but it can range from whimsical Halloween-driven decor to glam vintage pieces combined with sophisticated autumn accents. For minimalists, some candlesticks in an earthy color or a fruit or flower display is a good option, especially if you’re not a pumpkin fan!

Swap Out Centerpiece Elements

Dining table with fall colors

The second-most popular spot for seasonal decorating is the kitchen or dining room table. Swapping out your usual centerpiece for a more autumnal style or just filling the typical fruit bowl with autumn fruits and leaves are easy options.  Not into big centerpieces? Some candles and a runner can do the job in most homes, while a modern decor scheme can go the minimalist route with a run of apples or tiny pumpkins down the center of the table, or a vase holding branches of fall leaves. It’s easy to be really creative with centerpieces.

Seasonal Seating

Dining table with fall colors

Don’t be in a big rush to pack away the patio furniture as soon as the temperatures start to dip. Whether or not you have a fire pit, the back yard or deck can still be a nice place to enjoy an autumn afternoon or evening, especially on warmer days. Make your outdoor living space fall-friendly by swapping out colorful summer cushions for more earthy hues or just add some throw pillows and have a stack of blankets on hand when friends come over. Those summer lounge chairs can be very nice for lying in the warm sun on a crisp day to read a book or just enjoy the views.

Break Out the Blankets

Dining table with fall colors

The fastest and easiest way to cozy up a living room or family room is to add plenty of throws and blankets. The textures and colors they provide can quickly add a taste of autumn, no matter the color scheme. If the traditional reds and oranges don’t fit with the decor, opt for fuzzy textures in neutral shades or add blankets that have a graphic print in darker neutrals.  And, don’t be skimpy. Adding a generous number that are arranged properly will make it feel luxurious and inviting.

Rocking Chair

Dining table with fall colors

Next to a fireplace or not, a rocking chair is a great thing to have through the fall and winter months when the family is spending more time indoors. There’s something soothing about the motion — that’s why we rock babies — and when combined with some comfy throws, rocking chairs are a cozy spot for an autumn evening. Moreover, there are so many styles available, including modern ones like this from Roberta Schiller, that any style of decor can easily incorporate a rocking chair.

Moody Colors

Dining table with fall colors

Not a fan of the usual rusts, browns and reds associated with autumn?  Try creating a cozy space using moody colors that are supersaturated and deep like this earthy green. Ramp up the decor with textural accessories, seasonal appropriate prints or decor pieces that convey a more subdued feeling. This is a great option when larger furnishings are lighter and brighter hues, like this yellow chair.

New Kitchen Rug

Dining table with fall colors

Give your kitchen a dose of fall color with a new rug. This is another easy option for any style of kitchen, even one with an all-white palette like this. Sure, countertop accessories can provide a seasonal feeling, but if adding things to the counters is not desirable, then put down a fresh new rug in some characteristic colors. Job well done!

Plaid

Dining table with fall colors

Plaid prints are another route to a more autumnal feel, especially when the colors are in the earthy end of the spectrum.  This works well in the bedroom where simply changing out the comforter can transform the space. If the bedding is already neutral, try some plaid throws in a color that complements your decor.  In other rooms, add accessories that are plaid or pillows and throws. Feeling bold and want to go all-in with plaid? Add an armchair chair that is upholstered in a seasonal plaid or re-cover your dining chairs in a plaid textile.

Add a Rustic Touch

Dining table with fall colors

For a more fleeting touch of autumn decor, setting your table with some rustic pieces is the way to go. This is especially true if your home is more modern and doesn’t generally accommodate rustic pieces very well.  Seasonal table settings let you entertain in elegant fun, but don’t change the vibe of the overall space. This elegant but rustic place setting is different and fall-friendly.

Play with Fire

Dining table with fall colors

A fire — whether in a fireplace or an outdoor pit — is synonymous with coziness. It used to be if the house or apartment did not have a flue, you could not enjoy a fire. Modern technology has, however, made it possible to have the ambiance if not the heat with all kinds of options. Gas fires, like this one by Ortal, electric models, and the latest innovations using lighting and water vapor mean you can have a fireplace anywhere.

Vintage Elements

Dining table with fall colors

Vintage elements convey autumn and coziness in a very special way. Whether it’s because of their age or weathered look it’s hard to say, but the end result is great for autumn decor. While these pieces from VIP Home and Garden look more rustic, using vintage pieces from any style genre can work. For example, to decorate a more glamorous space, opting for an antique or vintage element from the appropriate era can add seasonal depth to the decor.

Copper

Dining table with fall colors

If there’s one metal that practically screams autumn, it’s copper. More than just a jolt of orangey color, copper adds shine and perfectly accents the other elements that you typically associate with fall: Colored leaves, dried plant material and gourds. Of course, copper is used year-round in decor, but it’s a total natural when it comes to this the season, especially when paired with other seasonal elements.

Seasonal Flowers

Dining table with fall colors

Those who prefer fresh flowers need not feel limited to mums and decorative kale for fresh seasonal arrangements. Combining natural greenery with a few springs of a darker color and some blooms in a muted hue creates an on-point vaseful of freshness.  This natural floral bouquet atop the Lawson Fenning coffee table has a handcrafted and homespun feeling. This is another option for those who don’t feel the love for piles of pumpkins.

Indoor Wreaths

Dining table with fall colors

Wreaths for the front door have escaped the confines of the Christmas season and can now be found in all sorts of seasonal variations, especially for autumn. While the door is an obvious place for them, they are increasingly being used in interior decor too. Hanging a wreath in front of a mirror or window, or perhaps on a wall immediately adds a touch of fall fashion. Or, use one as a table centerpiece with a big jar candle in the middle.

Rustic Tray

Dining table with fall colors

Rustic trays are another way to add a touch of seasonality, even if you have a more contemporary or modern home.  Because they are used for a limited period and can be stashed away, trays can work anywhere. Serve drinks in modern glasses from a rustic style tray like this from Park Hill, or use it as the base for an otherwise minimalist piece of autumn decor.

Sheepskin

Dining table with fall colors

Textural pieces are an easy element for adding warmth and coziness to a room. These Persian lamb pillow from Moe’s add both to this bed. The same types of pillows, along with cushions, ottomans or benches covered in sheepskin are good additions to a living room or family room. Even more luxurious spaces can use sheepskins, especially where rustic elements just don’t fit.

Add a Lamp

Dining table with fall colors

Most rooms can always use another layer of lighting, and adding a lamp to cast a warm glow in a dark area of the living room or den is very welcome in the winter months. This is another easy-to-do option that can also be achieved by pulling a lamp from another part of the house. This floor lamp from CDI Furniture is glamorous and edgy at the same time and could light up a variety of interior styles.

Cozy up the Bathroom

Dining table with fall colors

The bathroom probably doesn’t jump to mind when you think about fall decorating, but adding some seasonal touches in this space can really warm it up. If it doesn’t much matter to you, it’s still a very welcoming thing to do in a guest room or a powder room. Adding season colors by switching out towels or replacing the contents of a vase with dried natural materials makes it feel fall-like. Even a small candle on the vanity when guests come can make it seem cozier.