Fall Decorating for Your Apartment

Leaves are turning and there’s a chill in the air — clear signs fall has arrived.

You don’t have to let Mother Nature have all the fun.

Fill your apartment with fall flavor by decorating with autumn decor. Take your cues from the great outdoors and transform your interior before the first frost.

Changing colors
The color palette outside is transforming, and so should your apartment decor. Bring your favorite fall colors inside by adding accents of red, gold, orange, forest green and brown. The easiest way to shift your apartment color palette from sunny summer to festive fall is to replace inexpensive accessories. Swap out your spring-colored throw pillows for more autumnal colors such as hunter green. Put out new table linens in warm tones like orange and red. Store your brightly-colored cotton throw rugs and bring in brown and gold wool versions. Adding traditional fall colors to your existing apartment décor will make every day feel like a harvest festival.

Embrace the Earth
Fall decorating is also the perfect time to add an outdoor element. Go for a walk outside and notice the natural items that you could bring inside (for free!) There are a lot of creative options for table centerpieces that you can make yourself with leaves, dried corn and miniature pumpkins. (If you can’t find all of these items outside, hit the local grocer or farmer’s market.) Invite friends over for a decorating potluck where everyone brings their favorite autumn item to use for a craft project. Try making a few different fall centerpieces for the dining room table, coffee table and end tables.

Go cozy
Now that there’s a nip in the air, warm up your space by making the most of your fireplace. Dress it up with fall decor by adding a garland of gorgeous leaves that weaves its way through colorful red and gold candles. This creates a nice cozy atmosphere for fall entertaining or relaxing on your own at the end of the day. And when you are picking out candles for your fall apartment decorating, think beyond color to your favorite smells of autumn. Choose favorite scents that remind you of harvest time, for instance. Scents like pumpkin pie, apple orchard and candy corn will get you in the mood for the cooler days ahead.
Take it outside
Don’t limit fall decorating to the inside of your apartment. Bring autumn accents into an outdoor hallway by adding a wreath on your door or a leafy swag around the doorframe. Set out a trio of different sized pumpkins or a Jack O’ Lantern near your front entrance. Decorate your apartment patio with fall-themed window boxes and strings of tiny orange lights. You might even want to add a Halloween or Thanksgiving themed doormat to welcome guests.

‘Tis the season
In addition to all-purpose fall decor, add some holiday-specific items to help you get geared up for Halloween parties and Thanksgiving dinners. You can go classic with witchy napkins and cornucopia centerpieces or blow it out with an inflatable turkey and fake tombstones. Remember that for some folks, football season is a national holiday! Proudly display your favorite team colors around your apartment. Be bold and hang a sports-themed flag by your front door to let your neighbors know which team you’ll be cheering for on game day.

The cool autumn sky’s the limit when it comes to decorating your apartment for fall. Window shop the stores and

browse home decor magazines for ideas,

then go wild with fall color and nature’s bounty