Celebrate Seasonal Color Change by Decorating For Fall
Signs of autumn in North Texas greet me everywhere I turn.
Temperatures have moderated, nightfall arrives earlier, and gardens display newly planted yellow and bronze chrysanthemums.
After spending the latter part of summer in our Colorado home, and watching a steady progression of color change from pale green to gold in the willows and aspens, I’m thrilled by autumn’s arrival in Texas.
While we were still in the mountains, an intimate dinner party in the 1890s cabin located behind our historic home provided all the inspiration I needed for an autumn decorating makeover.
“These seasonal touches, plus a lush autumn wreath on the front door and containers of mums on our patios, continue nature’s outdoor seasonal display within our home.”
Our one-room cabin most likely served as an office for the gold baron who built our home in 1898.
Nowadays, it’s outfitted with a rustic set of bookcases from my Fort Worth television studio, a glass and metal buffet table with a large mirror above, and a dining table and chairs we transported from Dallas.
Deep snow prevents us from reaching the cabin in the winter, but during summer and early fall, it serves as a magical destination for cocktail parties and candlelight dinners with friends.
I love the instant gratification of transforming a space devoid of décor into a charming room in a matter of hours. For our dinner party in the cabin, I arranged two lengths of silk autumn leaves along the back edge of the buffet table, inserted a large cluster of leaves at each end to add depth and texture, and completed the look with pine cones, small pumpkins, and two tall candlesticks to reflect light in the mirror.
The top of the bookcase became the cabin’s focal point, thanks to several lengths of silk garland, decorative picks, clusters of wheat, pumpkins, a few sprigs of blue spruce from our yard, and a string of tiny white lights.
I secured the garland in place by inserting clear pushpins into the top of the bookcase and tying them with pipe cleaners.
The dining table featured yellow placemats, moss green napkins secured with yellow and orange napkins rings, seasonal dinnerware adorned with pumpkins and squash, tall candlesticks, bronze votives, and a simple centerpiece of spruce sprigs, fresh pears, and tiny clusters of bright yellow and green mums in glass containers.
Now that I’m home in Dallas, similar accents with gold and copper finishes decorate the tops of my china cabinet, buffet, and other surfaces.
These seasonal touches, plus a lush autumn wreath on the front door and containers of mums on our patios, continue nature’s outdoor seasonal display within our home. They also set the stage for our next dinner party!
