This fall mantel brings rustic, outdoorsy elements together in an asymmetrical display. The leaves, pumpkins, wheat, and apples capture the outdoors in a celebration of the harvest season.
Can I be honest with you?
I know I can, because we are friends like that. And friends are honest with each other … so here goes.
I didn't want to decorate for fall.
*gasp*
I know. I just haven't been feeling it this season.
I normally love decorating for fall. I love cozying up the house to get it ready for cooler temperatures and nights spent sipping hot chocolate by the fire. I usually get really excited and have a clear vision for how I want to decorate my home for autumn.
But this year has been a challenge. Maybe it's the 99° weather this past weekend that makes it hard to picture sipping spiced apple cider? (You think?! Just maybe.) But the struggle has been real. And sometimes that happens, and that's OK!
What to Do When You Don't Want to Decorate?
I know. First-world problems. But it's a real thing sometimes, so let's talk about it.
For me, when I need to decorate for a party or a season and I'm just not feeling it, the trick is just to start. I move past the feelings and start decorating with what I already have! Most of the time, once I jump in and start moving stuff around, I find myself getting inspired and enjoying it.
You see, normally I find the inspiration first. But sometimes that inspiration just doesn't show up.
By the way, did you know there's a science behind decorating mantels and tabletops? Yep! So if you ever find yourself stuck, you may want to check out the basics here. It can help to go back to the fundamentals when you're struggling to get started.
The gorgeous blue vintage Ball jar candle is from my favorite candle shop (click here)!
So I just started adding things to my mantel and bringing in rustic, cozy elements that evoke autumn, warmth, and harvest.
Once you start moving things around, just begin layering textures and heights. Obviously you'll want to bring in all kinds of nature that suggest the season. I shared how to decorate a mantel last year, and it may help you too!
I started out with this look on the mantel and lived with it for a few days.
Then I decided it did not have nearly enough color for my taste! I had tried to go neutral-ish and just add creams and grays to my blues. But in the end, I just had to have some of those traditional fall colors
(Living Room Shopping List: glass vases, large white faux pumpkin, small white faux pumpkin, Blessed Pillow (DIY), leather armchair, turquoise ball jar candle, turquoise colander, basket with chalkboard (similar), oversized plaid pillow (similar), wood drum table (no longer available), plaid chenille throw (similar), acorn art, Curtains)
So I ended up with something a little more traditional, with those fall leaves taking center stage.
Sometimes you just have to live with a look for a few days to decide whether it's right for you. And it's OK to change it!
I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out, and I'm happy it will be a lovely reminder as Mother Nature ushers in the cooler temperatures this coming week and weekend. #finally
The faux foliage is some of my favorite fall accents. They're from Hobby Lobby, and I love the fun and whimsy they add to the space.
I've been eyeing those glass mason jars with metal hangers for years, and I finally bought some. They are super inexpensive, so I'm not sure why I waited this long.
We eat a ton of apples at our house, so we love to pile them into our turquoise colander and set it out for a healthy snack. I think we go through 3 apples a day!
One of my favorite purchases has been this Art for the Traditional Home book. It comes with 40 fine art prints you can tear out and use throughout your home. I've used many of them over the past 3 years.
I thought the acorn art was the perfect little addition to the window frame on my mantel. Art doesn't have to be expensive or complicated.
Speaking of art, I recently filled the frames on my gallery wall in the living room. But these are my family photos, which are the best kind of "art" in my book.
I added a few autumn touches to the space, including my favorite fall purchase this year: the hand-carved wood pumpkin. I'm obsessed and keep moving it around the house. Ha! (They don't seem to be available online anymore, unfortunately, but I found mine in the store.)
(GALLERY WALL SOURCES: Console Table, Faux Sage Plant, Be Grateful Sign (similar) or DIY tutorial, Rustic White Candle Holders, Gray Buffalo Check Pillow Cover IKEA (no longer available), Cotton Boll Wreath (similar), Turquoise Abstract Art (DIY), Mercury Glass Votives)
I probably should have shared this with you first, but let's just go backwards, shall we?
I love my new front door wreath that I made last week. It's so pretty to see when we pull up to the house or when I walk out front to water the plants.
See my latest layered fall doormat faves here!
We'll see how long they last. I have been known to kill a mum faster than you can say, "it's hot in here."
And from here you can enter the house and come see the living room, which you have already seen by now! Ha! Nothing like a backwards fall home tour.
Hopefully it will be my favorite look by the time Christmas rolls around.
Just to recap what to do when you don't know where to begin decorating …
- Just start!
- Get back to the basics.
- Layer textures and heights.
- Take away and rearrange if needed.
Thanks for checking out my fall living room. I have a few more fall posts up my sleeve in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
