Although it may still feel like summer here in sunny Florida, the fall spirit is undeniably in the air! With its cooler days, comfortable evenings, and all the lovely changes that come with the season, now is the ideal time to update your home. Considering Thanksgiving is almost approaching and Christmas cheer will soon follow, why not make your home as cozy and welcoming as possible?

Here are some simple tips and things to keep in mind from Jessica Woodward, Principal Interior Designer at Welcome Home Styling, as you shift your space for the new season. With our help, updating your seasonal decor is easy and stress-free. 

We believe the best seasonal home decor refreshes focuses on simple swaps —think vases, decorative bowls, stems, and cozy blankets. That said, keep reading to discover how you can prepare your home with touches of warmth, luxury and elegance that last throughout the holiday season!

#1. Warm Up with Fall Colors

As autumn unfolds, the natural world offers a stunning array of colors that can inspire your interior design. Think rich hues like deep oranges, earthy browns, and warm gold. These colors evoke a sense of comfort and coziness, ideal for the Thanksgiving season. Here are some simple ways to incorporate fall colors:

• • Throw Pillows and Blankets: Replace your light summer cushions with ones that are softer and fall colors. Your couch can feel cozier with throws of velvet, wool, or faux fur in shades of deep red, mustard yellow, or forest green.
  • Area Rugs: Place a warm-colored area rug beneath your dining room or coffee table. It gives a layer of comfort underneath in addition to changing the space’s appearance.
  • Accent Decor: Jessica Woodward loves using clay, woven, or wooden bowls to add texture and character to any table or shelving unit. These versatile pieces can be easily filled with seasonal items like pinecones, acorns, dried orange slices, or decorative gourds, making them perfect for fall and ready to be refreshed for each new season.

You don’t have to commit to a full makeover—just a few small changes can create a big impact!

#2. Set the Perfect Thanksgiving Table

Nothing compares to spending Thanksgiving dinner with your closest friends and family. Make your table the focal point of the room, creating the ideal atmosphere for delicious food, stimulating discussions, and even more memorable experiences. The following are some simple interior design tips on making the perfect Thanksgiving table:

• Use a Tablecloth or Runner: Choose a rich brown, maroon, or deep orange tablecloth or runner. You can also stay to more neutral tones like cream or beige and allow the centerpiece to shine. 
• Layer Your Plates: You may create a colorful, diverse design by mixing and matching your dinnerware. Consider pairing patterned salad plates with fall-themed patterns with a solid-colored plate.
• Include Natural Elements: For a festive touch, Jessica recommends miniature white pumpkins and bunches of wheat. Even genuine or fake leaves from your backyard can be used to create a centerpiece with a natural theme.
• Remember the Candles: Any dinner is made cozier and more enchanting by the soft, flickering glow of candles. To keep things interesting, choose candles of various heights and types.

Do you want to add even more special touches? Attach personalized name cards, affixed to a napkin ring or tucked inside a small pumpkin. These kind gestures are what give a Thanksgiving dinner its genuinely spectacular atmosphere!

#3. Declutter and Organize for the Holidays

Do a quick cleanup before you put out new decor. In the end, less is more, especially when you want to make a space feel warm and inviting. Some things you can do to declutter include:

• Focus on the Main Areas: Start with the living room, dining room, and kitchen since these spaces are likely to see the most action.
• Use Decorative Storage: Bins, baskets, and even stylish ottomans can hide clutter and make a room look better at the same time. They’re even great for hiding things like blankets, papers, or kids’ toys as well.
• Use the Kitchen to Your Advantage: You may be cooking a lot over the holidays, so it’s a good time to do a deep clean. Clean the countertops, apply a marble sealer, put your spices or pantry items in order, and do a deep cleaning on the fridge to make room for the holiday food. 

With a clean slate, you can focus on adding seasonal touches that make your home feel ready for guests!

#4. Make Your Living Room Extra Cozy

Everyone loves a cozy living room when the weather gets cooler. So let’s make it look even better! Here are a few simple ways to make your room extra cozy:

• • Switch Up Your Furniture: Hosting Thanksgiving dinner, a fall book club, or a small gathering? Consider rearranging your furniture to create a fresh perspective. Bringing chairs and sofas closer together can encourage better conversation flow, making the space feel cozy and inviting for guests. If you’re looking for a change, simply shifting your furniture to face a different focal point can create a new vibe without the need for major updates.
  • Refresh Art or Gallery Wall Photos: Personal touches will automatically make a space feel more like home. Keeping gallery walls of family photos or refreshing wall art is a great way to add a personalized touch and update a space. 
  • Use Soft Rugs: Putting down a soft area rug immediately makes the room feel cozier. You can put it under the coffee table or make it a comfortable place to socialize with friends and family. Make sure the front legs of your chairs are on the rug for the best look, or put the whole set of chairs on the rug for a more uniform look..

Another pro tip: put a stylish basket next to your couch to hold extra throws arrange a throw artfully on the arm of a chair. It looks nice and is useful when the temperatures begin to drop in the evenings.

#5. Let Your Home Glow with Lighting

With shorter days, having the right lighting makes all the difference. It’s not just about seeing clearly; it’s about setting the mood. The following are three simple things you can do:

• • Layer Your Lighting: To produce a cozy glow, mix accent lighting, floor lamps, and table lamps with ceiling lights. 
  • Incorporate candles: Battery-operated taper candles or votives add a nice flicker of light that can help set the mood. 
  • Warm Glow: Don’t forget about fireplaces and any exterior lighting features of your home. These give a nice warm glow in the home or through the windows. 
  • Dimmable Bulbs: Use dimmable lights to modify the brightness to suit the time of day or the atmosphere you like to establish.
  • Lanterns: Place lanterns around your front stoop, on the mantel, or in a staircase for a festive touch. Warm-toned lantern lamps also create a mystical, homey atmosphere.
    

In addition to improving the appearance of your room, warm lighting gives it a cozy, hug-like feel.

#6. Infuse Your Home with Fall Scents

It’s time to talk about one of the most enjoyable aspects of autumn: the aromas! Incorporating seasonal scents into your house, such as apple cinnamon, pecan pie, or pumpkin spice can significantly contribute to the creation of a warm and inviting ambiance. A few easy ways to add the aroma of autumn are:

• Scented Candles: Pumpkin spice, cinnamon, or vanilla are some of the scents that are recommended for scented candles. You should put them in strategic locations such as the living room, the dining room, and the doorway.
• Essential Oil Diffusers: You can also use diffusers with oils like clove, orange, or nutmeg. It’s a safe and subtle way to keep your home smelling festive.
• Stovetop Potpourri: For a potpourri that can be made on the stovetop, try simmering a pot of water with cinnamon sticks, orange slices, and cloves. It’ll make your home smell like the holidays!

Scent is one of the first things your guests will notice and one of the strongest ways to create memories, so let those cozy aromas fill your home this season.

#7. Refresh Your Entryway

Your entryway is also another component your guests see first when they enter your home, so let’s make it count! A welcoming entryway sets the tone for the rest of your home. Simple updates for the entryway include:

• Change Your Rug: Putting down a new rug in the entryway can change the color palette immediately towards a more fall or winter look. This helps to immediately set the tone upon entry.  Jessica loves her machine washable Ruggable rug. It makes it easy to change your look frequently. It’s a must-have for families with pets or children. 
• Entryway Console Table Decor: The entryway table is a great place for seasonal decor. Change out your table lamp or add a festive candelabra or candle holders. Add a textured vase to hold some fall stems or even just a single full stem. Magnolia leaves are one of Jessica’s fall favorites. Afloral is one of our go-to shops for high-end faux stems. They always have a lot of variety and they hold up well from year to year. Faux stems give a gorgeous pop of fall colors. Next, add a small stack of beautiful coffee table books topped with a brass pumpkin and voila.
• Underneath the Console Table: Some people may not realize that you can also include decor underneath the entryway console stable. Baskets, pumpkins, wooden crates, or even pretty bundles of firewood all give a welcoming vibe upon entry. 

Small details like this create a more welcoming atmosphere in your foyer and set the mood for the cozy interior. Below is a video from @JoannaGaines on Instagram showing how she likes to make use of fall stems.

#8. Transition Your Décor from Thanksgiving to Winter

Once Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to start thinking about winter holidays. There is no need to start from scratch; all it takes is a few simple adjustments to maintain a clean and inviting atmosphere in your home. This is how you can easily transition your decor:

• Switch Your Pumpkins for Pine Cones: Replace objects with a fall theme, such as pumpkins, with components that are associated with winter, such as pine cones, holly, and berry branches. In our minimalist Christmas blog post last year we touched on a lot of different natural elements that you can include in your decor. 
• Bring in Winter Flowers: Rather than using faux fall stems, switch to winter flowers such as poinsettias and amaryllis. These are pretty easy to keep alive for a season. Faux holly berry stems, cranberry stems, or evergreen stems also make a nice addition.  
• Add Winter Greens: Winter greens such as real or faux cedar, pine, or fir garlands, wreaths, trees, and swags always add a classic touch of holiday elegance. While the smell of real cedar or pine is hard to beat we appreciate that the faux garlands do not constantly drop needles!

We like the minimalist idea that less is more when it comes to decor. Focusing on quality over quantity and creating a serene, clutter-free holiday atmosphere.

#9. Add Personal Touches that Matter

It is important to remember to add some personal touches to your home during the holidays since they are a time for family. Your house will feel more like a home when you add these tiny touches here and there. Ideas for personal touches are:

• Personalized Stockings: Use personalized stockings that have family members’ names or a monogram embroidered on them. This is a great way to personalize your seasonal decorations. 
• Heirloom Ornaments: Display the unique ornaments that have been handed down through your family’s generations. It’s a great approach to respect customs and give your decor personality.
• Personalized Ornaments: If you have a Christmas tree, decorate it with ornaments that are representative of the special history and memories of your family.

Your home should reflect who you are and what you love, so make it feel as personal and welcoming as possible!

#10 Be Ready for Gatherings with Functional Spaces

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving or other holiday gatherings, ensure your home is ready to accommodate guests comfortably. Arrange extra seating as needed and prepare your dining area to handle a larger crowd. Opening the doors between your inside and outside living spaces will extend and optimize the space for your guests. Ensure your kitchen is also well-stocked and organized to make meal preparation smooth and stress-free.

Create designated spaces for guests to relax, eat, and mingle. You can also consider adding additional serving stations, a coffee bar, or snack areas to keep everyone comfortable and satisfied and to help with traffic flow. Your goal is to make your home as welcoming and functional as possible to ensure your gatherings are enjoyable and memorable.

Let Your Home Shine with Seasonal Style

Fall and the holiday season are some of the most exciting times of the year. Preparing your home for Thanksgiving and beyond involves more than just decorating. It’s about creating an environment that reflects the warmth and joy of the season, making your space inviting and comfortable for all who visit for any occasion. 

By incorporating seasonal colors, textures, and scents, and updating key areas of your home, you can set the stage for a memorable season. Remember, interior design is intended to reflect who you are, and this may be accomplished through simple changes to your home. 

At Welcome Home Styling, our interior designers in Jacksonville are here to help you make the most of your seasonal refresh this year in person and virtually. Jessica can help you make your home not only look beautiful but also feel like a real haven for all events, whether you need help remodeling a kitchen or getting your guest rooms set up for holiday visitors. 

Embrace the season, enjoy the process, and let your home shine with warmth and elegance this Thanksgiving and upcoming months! Contact Welcome Home Styling today to get started on your project.