Give Your Home a Fall Makeover
© Barbara Hall
There's something about sweater weather that brings out the best in a room. We can wrap up in a coat of warm color (right), take the chill off with rich textures, and nestle into furniture pieces designed to give a hug. Sure, you can redo a whole room, or you can simply rearrange the furniture to make your favorite room especially snug this fall.
The Kitchen
Your kitchen may not have a fire, but you can have fun and relax with rustic, gather-round warmth.
Slide in a tall china cupboard. With its height and interior light, a piece like this (left) assumes the focal-point impact of a room.
Turn a corner into an irresistible dining nook with a ready-made booth. The paneled design adds instant architecture, while plump cushions lend softness.
Send new windows back in time, style-wise, with a cottage plate rail that includes pegs for curtain hanging. Here, the shelf visually knits the corner together and balances the height of the cupboard.
Mix the seating. Clean-lined classics-the benches, a bow-back Windsor, and a web-seated Shaker high chair-blend smoothly.
The Living Room
Turn your living room into a serene spot for gathering by the fire with tea, toast, and good friends.
Replace a coffee table with a higher, skirted table (right) to turn your living room into a friendlier and more functional place for snacks and chats.
Instead of lining your walls with seating pieces waiting-room-style, pull sofas and chairs in from the walls and anchor them with a lush rug.
Use a floor screen to define a floating sitting spot and to add intimacy on chilly evenings.
Bask not only in firelight, but in lamplight, too. For middle-of-the-room lighting, have a floor plug wired, or use a candle lamp for a soft illumination. Augment this with one or two other lamps both for reading and to provide a general glow.
Relax a classic camelback sofa with a slouchy lounge chair and a bit of rattan, wicker, or twiggy willow.
Gather the Details of the Season
Setting the scene with warm touches, no matter how small, adds instant coziness to a room. Here are some ideas to try out before settling in for the season.
Settle back and relax. A stack of obliging pillows can turn an ordinary sofa into a true winter haven. To reenergize a plain sofa, mix snappy striped fabrics with solids edged in high-contrast welting.
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