Fall Home Decor Trends To Embrace This Year (& Which To Leave In The Past)

Autumn is about to arrive, bringing crisp weather and crunchy leaves, shorter days and several holidays, including Halloween, Día de Muertos, and Thanksgiving. That means it's time to store those lightweight throw blankets and linen curtains that worked perfectly all summer, and replace them with thicker, cozier options. However, this year, retire those fake plastic pumpkins and overpowering scented candles. Bold colors, biophilic design, and earthy maximalism are at the heart of this year's decor trends, making it easier than ever to decorate your home for fall.

"Once fall starts, most people resume their everyday routines, making it easier for friends to get together and socialize," Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist who believes in a whole-person approach to health, told Very Well Mind. Preparing to host special meals and gatherings doesn't have to be stressful or expensive. We recommend looking to natural colors and accessories, incorporating cozy elements and family heirlooms, and avoiding overpriced or single-season decorations.

According to the color experts at Pantone, this fall's color trends are inspired by warm natural pigments that push a connection with nature. "Strive for balance between the more familiar and the new and exciting," suggests Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. She adds that embracing current color trends can create "moments of magic."

Instead of using bright pumpkin orange and brilliant berry reds, try using moodier jewel tones like umber, rust, mushroom, and juniper in your living spaces. Warm and inviting, these colors mimic the changing seasons. When your fall decor revolves around these colors, by picking textiles and accessories in muted and lower saturation hues, your living spaces can still feel calm and neutral. Even when the weather gets too cold to throw open the windows or linger on the patio, by incorporating nature-inspired colors into your home decor, you'll be able to bring the outside in.

Whether it's indulging in breakfast in bed before heading to a fall festival or curling up with a good book in front of a roaring fire, cozying up is one of the most delightful pleasures of fall's cooler temperatures. This is a good time to swap seersucker bedspreads for heirloom quilts, crisp cotton sheets for soft flannel sets, and gauzy throw blankets for chunkier knit ones. Dress up your interiors and add interest with throw pillows in vibrant silks, woven patterns, and plush velvets.

If you'll be hosting frequent family gatherings, include heirloom pieces in your tablescapes or mantel vignettes. Bring out your grandma's china or fine silverware for the season. Use salt glazed or vintage ceramic pots for simple arrangements of dried wheat, branches, or flowers from your garden. Consider swapping out coastal artwork on a gallery wall for more pastoral scenes, and update family photos while you're at it. Nothing makes guests feel more loved than seeing their own pictures holding pride of place on a sideboard display.

Even if it just doesn't feel like fall without at least a few pumpkins adding curb appeal to the front porch, getting into the spooky spirit doesn't have to cost a fortune. For example, scarecrows are cheap and simple to make from a few old clothes, foraged sticks, and inexpensive straw stuffing. For those of us who can't wait to unbox our flocked black cat figurines or carve jack-o-lanterns, decorating for Halloween with vintage inspired items is frightfully good fun. If you don't like the mess or want your pumpkins to last longer, use paint or markers to decorate them.

And, if you don't like pumpkins at all but want to use inexpensive nature-inspired materials to decorate for fall, try gourds, dried corn, or hay bales instead. DIYers may want to try crafting a Thanksgiving wreath using only items from Dollar Tree. No matter your budget, adding something fun and playful to your fall decor is always in style.

After being developed by seed companies in the 1980s, white pumpkins exploded in popularity thanks to their familiar appeal that works in neutral homes. Today, the ubiquitous squash inspires a papier-mâché set for sale at Crate and Barrel, carvable craft versions at Michaels, and countless other options. There's clearly still a demand for these creamy gourds, which can look stunning when paired with gingham napkins or monochromatic mantel decor.

But it turns out, whether they're white or not, pumpkins aren't the one fall decor element people can't live without. Colorful leaves are one of the most popular fall decor trends this year thanks to the many possibilities for their vibrant hues. As maximalism makes a comeback, and bolder hues take center stage, the popularity of white pumpkins may fade — with one exception. White pumpkins have become a special symbol of pregnancy and infant loss, a powerful fall tradition that will last as long as the cherished memories of those gone too soon.

It only takes one trip to a party supply or craft store to amass an alarming collection of themed plastic tat that won't last very long and creates a ghoulish amount of garbage. Instead, visit your local farmer's market and craft shows to support local artisans who make decorative accessories you'll treasure over the years. Keep an eye out for handmade baskets, macrame plant holders, or crocheted blankets that can be used no matter the season. 

Rather than buying sickly sweet scented candles that may be hazardous to your health (via the National Library of Medicine), make a DIY pumpkin spice cleaner instead. If you love the look of candlelight, opt for natural beeswax tapers. For a lasting scent in your home, simmer cinnamon sticks in a small pot of water on the stove. Add fall garlands made of leaves or bunches of dried florals to entryways and bedside tables. Leave a cinnamon broom on your hearth, and hang eucalyptus in your showers. Use natural elements to decorate wherever possible, and your fall home decor will be absolutely spellbinding.