A Subliminal Approach to Fall Decorating

Such great ideas, especially the FAKE candles! Love the ones that look real but have no smell-- being so allergic to any smells or lit candles. I'm grateful someone made battery ones!
I do hope in the near future ALL wood burning fireplaces will be outlawed so I can breathe! A gas burning fireplace is just as lovely without the caustic ash and we have beautiful cement logs...look real without the breathing problems.
Being asthmatic, I stay away from any wood burning fireplaces lit or not.
Also, I love the smell of cinnomen during fall...makes whole house smell like baking.
Hot mulled cider is also great this time of year. And even with summer the same week as crisp, cool fall..we ,too, bring out the plaid wool lap blankets for cozy evenings (with the windows open) or for sitting outdoors. This way we can pretend southern California gets fall, too..

Great article, beautiful ideas that can work well in anyone's home any location. The tiny gourds in many colors are already filling a glass bowl from the 1950's my Mom, RIP, always had on her dining room table- think retro/vintage/modern! Mix the traditions. The vintage things blend so nicely with the contemporary, find some old baskets, use vintage books stacked in colors that blend and add that touch of a theme color, art! Trays are so wonderful and useful at the same time, I love the way it's shown here as well as loving the clear/bright containers with long branches on mantels.

I always use candles; thanks for the reminder for perhaps arranging them differently, and although more expensive, the indoor-outdoor ones placed on timer-mode and in lanterns are a heavenly welcoming entrance on cool nights, everywhere, do hang some from a branch in your entrance outdoors, or larger ones arranged along the porch or courtyard. If you are a Halloween fan, as I am, it will help you gradually ease into more candles and decor in your front yard and entrance! Boo!

And the "furry blankets" do come out! We adore them, they are not real of course, but do the job of creating warmth. I placed one on our space on the hearth that is seen when you first enter the front door; a good place to sit and warm up by the gas fireplace. In warm weather it serves as a bright seat for little entrance area gatherings! Of course, place one on the end of your sofa and perhaps across a bed, diagonally folded for interest. I love white and colorful, but one must pay because the imitation ones just look like what they are.

My comment on the termite problem due to wood inside your home: I have ALWAYS been told not to bring such a large stack of wood inside. I love its' texture, colors, so how about this: take the pieces you select to go ahead and "stack the fire" attractively, so it is ready to light, "Girl Scout" style is good ; it is enjoyed in the meanwhile! I do love the silver tones of the wood stacked in the photo above in a fireplace. Also try a few choice pieces standing up, within a container such as brass; I have a huge old half of a mortar shell my grandfather must have brought back from the days he "drove"a tank in France during the War. It now makes a lovely round brass container for wood, matches, or other things like the smelling-good pine cones mentioned in your article).

It's becoming cool enough already for these functional and yet decorative ideas here in the South East, thanks to the weather systems we are enduring! Have a Hurricane Party open house (God bless those effected and flooded, and keep candles lit for hope!), and yes get those hurricane candle holders- they are diverse and beautiful in clear glass

, to motivate you into a decorative spirit...summer activities have been hectic on the coast in particular, due to the lifestyle, and how we run in and out for boating, beach days, throwing shoes and towels hither and yon, and we now seek grounding, peace-creative space.

p. s. Sandovalstyle, I love to bring things from nature indoors, too~ driftwood is heavenly, as is any kind of crystal and collection of river rocks washed ashore and placed in a bowl; try if you can, to place a water feature or bowl whatever on the hearth; mine is actually on a hearth that is in the E somewhat N direction, yet it's warm and the brass water bowl is a fountain I discovered at at local crystal store; little brass floating discs create a bell like sound as they circle in the water, striking the center brass fountain , propelling them at different speeds you control manually, and also making water noises. I have read that it supposedly is a good thing to have water things for fire places. I adore it, all seasons!