Today, my blog is the second-to-the-last stop in the Finding Fall 2015 Home Tour. There are a lot of amazing homes and decorating ideas that have been shared so far, so be sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post if you’re just jumping in on the tour.
If you’re stopping from Unexpected Elegance and are new to my blog, welcome!
Before we get into the pictures, I must be a bit transparent for a minute. Getting ready for this fall home tour was tough for me. I imagined getting a bunch of beautiful heirloom pumpkins and putting fall touches in every room, but I didn’t realize what a challenge that would be. I have never tried decorating for fall this early and the pumpkin pickings were slim in my neck-of-the-woods. I drove 45 minutes to a local Wegman’s only to find the tacky orange pumpkins with cartoon faces painted on!
As I unpacked my bags of produce, I was feeling a bit defeated. This tour wasn’t going to be what I wanted it to be.
I was able to find a few white pumpkins, so it wasn’t a total loss. I also live in a town known for its fruit orchards, so I had apples aplenty to work with as well. I started plopping little pumpkins on antique ironstone cups, tucking some green moss around them, filling a bowl with apples and it all started coming together.
Fall decorating for me is just about adding seasonal natural elements. I don’t have big bins of fall decor…just a box of pinecones.
So, I add a few pumpkins here and there and I also brought out a couple of things stored in the linen closet to cozy up the living room…
I brought in the needlepoint cotton boll pillow to the checked chair and a plaid wool throw to the Gustavian-styled sofa (a $100 Craig’s List find.) They both add a bit of warmth to the mostly white room.
And I nestled a couple of mini pumpkins in a plant on the antique factory cart/coffee table. I think it’s a nice way to bridge summer and fall.
And I gave my milk-painted rocking horse a garland of seeded eucalyptus.
And I added some pumpkins and pinecones to the primitive hutch I found on Craig’s List…
I love the play of the green moss against the white pumpkins.
In the dining room, I decided to set the table in a simple, but pretty way.
What I love most about decorating with natural elements is that they look beautiful all on their own. Just a grouping of white pumpkins, smokehouse apples, mini pears and pinecones end up looking like it took a lot more effort to make it pretty than it actually did.
In the kitchen, I just nestled a couple of pumpkins and pears on the custom built range hood.
And I carried a few natural elements into the family room as well…
We have such amazing apples this time of year that they have ruined all other apples for me. I’ve become a seasonal Adams Co, PA apple snob. It only took nine years.
This season, I learned that Fuji apples are my favorite. They have knocked galas and golden delicious down a notch.
You can see that the little mossy pumpkin nests didn’t get old for me.
My only tip on these would be to check the bottom of the pumpkins now and then to make sure they aren’t rotting.
I wish I had more to share, but I just didn’t have time to mop the kitchen floors and pick up all of the Legos! If you’d like to see a detailed tour of my entire house, click HERE.
Don’t miss the last stop on the Finding Fall Home Tour, the home of the lovely and very talented Jeanne Oliver.
Here’s the full listing of Better Homes & Gardens and all 17 bloggers involved in the tour and my “teaser” about each space…
Better Homes & Gardens – Top 5 fall decorating ideas
Finding Home Farms (filled with personal touches that tell a story)
Liz Marie Blog (flawless styling; like walking through a show house)
Inspired by Charm (eclectic & inviting)
Jones Design Company (sophisticated, but not too serious)
Thistlewood Farms (farmhouse perfection, like a bouquet of wild flowers)
City Farmhouse (on-purpose neutrals & rich textures)
Four Generations One Roof (traditional meets colorful)
Home Stories A to Z (autumn in coastal colors)
French Country Cottage (pure eye candy that will tickle the Francophile in you)
Southern Hospitality Blog (warm & homey)
In My Own Style (cheerful & creative)
Julie Blanner (simple & elegant)
The Handmade Home (playful & family-friendly)
23 Responses
Thank you, Marion for sharing your ideas! Fall is my favorite time of the year and I hope we have a long one here in Elko, Nevada. As always, you’re an inspiration!
I think you did a wonderful job! One would not know that you didn’t plan it that way. I especially love your centerpiece on the dinning room table…just stunning! The decorations really go well with all your decor. Nothing else would have blended so well. Great job!
Love the naturalness of your decorations. Also, I thought the brown needlepoint pillow on the blue checked chair looked fantastic.
beautiful as always! Your chairs are absolutely swoon-worthy! ;}
Very nice. I love the natural feel this fall. I too used a lot of natural elements and stayed away from the orange colors. It looks so inviting. I love all the texture in your home. Beautiful transition to fall.
Everything is just so beautiful! I am in love with your tablescape…. the natural elements are perfect!
Jessica @ Four Generations One Roof
Your home looks beautiful! I wish I could tour in person!
Marian, dear, I can’t believe you didn’t think to PAINT those pumpkins! Painting is your specialty!
Paint is you! OK…maybe you were short on time. Everything looks just great, though!
Absolutely charming! I love the apples and pears representing fall even more than the pumpkins.
By the way, if you love Fuji apples, keep your eyes open for Honey Crisps. Also very delicious. <3
Miss Marian, I think your autumn home is “simply lovely.” Thank you for taking time to share your beautiful home with us once again.
For years, I pulled out boxes of seasonal decorations and fluffed my home. It got old. Or, maybe I was just getting older. For me, I finally decided to minimize my decorating and focus on bringing in a few things from outside (we live in SW Florida) more frequently. For example, a giant palm leaf or an elephant ear or some fresh spanish moss hanging from one of the oaks. It has been so less stressful and gives me more time to enjoy other things in life.
it’s nice to see a different take on fall….i’m glad you didn’t put a bunch of orange pumpkins all over! have you thought about putting up curtains for fall and winter? it would cozy up the space and send the message that the house is well prepared for the upcoming cold weather. just psychological but nice like a casserole on a winter day.
It’s beautiful, as always! I love the way you flawlessly integrated blue for fall.
beautiful job Marian, your home is beautiful, it is a little early for fall for me to, we still have high 80″s and 90″s days hear in New England, they do have orange pumpkins in out markets but, not ready, fall is my favorite time of the year to, football, world series, fresh baked pies and antiquing.
Again thanks for showing your home, can’t wait for the next.
Beautiful! You may have had slim punkin’ pickings but it didn’t make one bit of difference, in fact, I think the white pumpkins are more suited to your amazing home. It looks every bit as good as those decorated with orange and your fall decor has inspired me to start on mine right away, rather than waiting until October. Thank you for another delightful tour of your home!
Just lovely!!You inspire me to kick it into gear to put away summer, and get fall going here! Also, have you tried Honeycrisp apples yet??? Here in Lancaster, they are a short season, but they are now my favorite!!
I LOVE your fall decorating…classy as always. As I age and my children have left home, I cringe when I see lots of orange pumpkins and things decorating a blogger’s home. I much prefer the restlullness and natural look of your white pumpkins and pears, and the way you have used darker and heavier colors in pillows and throws. Makes the home a soothing haven, still recognizing the transitin of colors.
Not sure if it is early enough for your decorating next year but there is a cute little place called Pumpkin Hill right outside of East Berlin on 234 that has lots of pumpkins and fall items for sale in early September.
I think it turned out perfectly….Probably my favorite tour this year. Just starting to add fall touches here….a wee bit early. Don’t want to waste one day of summer. Loved the pumpkin in a cup…I have a little collection of ironstone and added an apple and sphagnum moss to the display. Great minds think alike.
Marian, I really love the “restrained” look of your Fall decorating. I’m not sure that’s the right adjective to use, but it’s the over-all effect of the more muted colors or the white pumpkins and the brown pinecones and the green moss– just a more calm effect I think. Quite refreshing compared with the traditional oranges and yellows and reds associated with the season. It may have been “by necessity” but it works for me! I think I will go look for some white pumpkins! Good job, girl!
Marian, I love your blog and your sense of style! I love the white pumpkins and more natural textures of the season. For something that was thrown together, it looks pretty great to me!
What great little additions and they really do make all the difference. I really like the white pumpkins with the green! So chic 🙂 Great job Marian
Lauren Baxter | Lovely Décor
xx
Thank you for sharing your always beautiful home. I appreciate that you take close up pictures and give details on each photo. After taking your home tour, I realized nothing takes the place of real pumpkins, fruit and greenery. The extra time you take with each post is so worth it. Your blog is my favorite!
I love your fall decorating! If you hadn’t mentioned it, I never would’ve known that it wasn’t what you planned. I’m with you on the natural decorations. When my boys were younger, I pulled out all of the orange Halloween-y decorations because they loved them. We’ve gotten rid of a lot of our seasonal decorations in the last couple of years, and are sticking with natural materials.
What kind of plant is growing in your white cache?