ShareThisFor me, there is no better color palette than the rich hues of autumn -- burgundy, chestnut brown, mossy greens, pumpkin orange and amber. And there are no better decorating props than those Mother Nature provides this time of year, from gourds, harvest fruits, vegetables, dried grasses and vines to acorns and hedge apples.
So as soon as the weather turns cooler, I'm itching to weave all of autumn's glory into my interior and exterior decorating. Here are a few of the decorating tools I can't get enough of this season and tips on how you can use them to transform your home for fall.
BURLAP: I adore burlap, with its rough and rugged fibers and earthy tone, and take every chance I can get to mix things up by combining this humble fabric with things that are more refined and stately. So when I came across a burlap table topper edged in luxurious cocoa-brown velvet, I knew I had to include it in my signature line of home accents. I can't wait to get this edgy piece of linen on my dining-room table this fall. I'm going to dress it up with some of my very finest pieces, like five-armed candelabras, silver servers, crystal and china, so I have an intriguing look that's neither humble nor haughty.
I'm also going to use lots of burlap ribbon in my fall decorating because it's a quick and easy way to add a bit of fall to my home and garden. Burlap ribbon looks marvelous on fall wreaths, twisted around topiaries and woven into mantel displays of autumn vines and berries.
WICKER: I like the twiggy, uneven texture of wicker, so this fall it will be front and center in my decorating. I'm going to use inexpensive flat wicker trays as chargers on my dining-room table, then top them with my finest china for a nice contrast in tone and texture. I selected a set of wicker trays with adorable handles I can weave the napkins through.
I've long been a fan of cake plates because I think everything looks regal when it's shown off on a footed riser. So when I ran across wicker cake plates, my mind flooded with fun ways I could use them this fall. Top one with a transferware to serve appetizers. Use it to display a pumpkin sitting on a bed of moss, covered with a cloche. Or decorate it with succulents in rustic French pitch pots.
HONEYSUCKLE: We all adore honeysuckle vines in the summer, with their sweet-smelling blossoms. But in the fall, when this vine is stripped of its foliage, it turns into a versatile decorating tool. Pick up a coil of honeysuckle vine and let your imagination go wild.
Unlike faux vines, real honeysuckle can't be positioned or bent to fit into your arrangements. Instead, it coils naturally in wonderful, loose curves. Work these meandering tan twists into fall wreaths, around summer topiaries or on chandeliers. For killer floral displays, fill a large urn with 3- to 4-foot-long fallen branches, then drape honeysuckle vine around the branches. Fill in with a medley of fall grasses, berries and foliage.
BITTERSWEET: Even though bittersweet has long been a cornerstone of fall decorating, it's still a huge hit with me. Right now, I'm crazy about Oriental blue-and-white porcelain vases, and nothing looks better in them than simple bouquets of bright orange bittersweet.
Why not create a tabletop display that shows off this fresh color combination? Top your table with a blue-and-white tablecloth, then set it with blue-and-white transferware dishes and blue stemware. Then, cluster an assortment of blue-and-white vases filled with bittersweet at the table's center. For a dramatic effect, let a strand of bittersweet garland loop around your chandelier, cascading to the tabletop, or from your centerpiece over the edge of the table.
(Mary Carol Garrity is the proprietor of three successful home-furnishings stores and is the author of several best-selling books on home decorating. Write her at nellhills(at)lvnworth.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
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