INTERIOR DESIGNS FOR A WARM AND PLUSH SEASON

There’s just something about a crisp fall morning, with a cool breeze and colourful leaves that make you want to cozy up indoors. Fall is the season of layered textures, lush colours, and scents that wrap you in a warm hug. With a few smart swaps, you can turn your home’s interior into a snug retreat that embraces the season. Hot cider is optional but highly encouraged.

“Your accents are what’s going to make you transition (a space),” says Rose Luxton, owner of Lakeside Livin’. But you don’t need to overhaul your home with reds and oranges. Luxton notes that while burnt orange will always be in season, moody purples and earthy mushroom shades have grown in popularity, evoking a feeling of being grounded.

Fabulous FALL FADS
Contributed by FOR Living, Oakville

While autumn can be a homey and nostalgic season, decor can go far beyond the traditional. Traditional elements still have value, especially for their familiarity and comfort (think pumpkins, leaves, rich autumn tones), but designers are definitely experimenting — updating, refreshing, and reinterpreting the ‘look’ of fall each season. These may include…

Earthy, nature-inspired hues: Warm clay, terracotta, olive, honeyed ochre, moss — even smoky plums — are being used more intentionally, often in muted or mid-tone versions rather than oversaturated brights.

Mixed textures and layered materials: Combining velvet, boucle, raw wood, rattan, and stone, to bring visual interest and tactile warmth.

Patina, vintage accents, and finds with history: Instead of brand-new decorations that feel seasonal-only, mixing in thrifted or aged pieces gives character. Think antique rug pillows, found objects or historic art paintings.

Marnie Warman, Owner, and lead designer at InteriorDesign House, recommends decorating in “tones that reflect your current home colours.” Interior Designer Sarah Gunn of Gunn & Co. is also a fan of “layering in patterns that introduce richer shades of your home’s existing colours.”

Layering textiles for cozy comfort

From chunky knit throws to heavy quilts, throw pillows and textured area rugs, textiles can bring depth and coziness to a room, transforming your home into a warm autumn oasis. Don’t stop at the living room. Textiles can play a role in the bedroom, too. “Swap bed linens for flannel sheets (and) layer a quilt or blanket across the foot of the bed,” Gunn says.

Nature is your centrepiece

Welcome fall at the front door and beyond. Create a welcoming autumn entry by swapping summer container pots for colourful mums or hanging a seasonal wreath.

And don’t forget to give your house plants a seasonal update. Luxton likes to add a fall vibe by re-potting her existing house plants in fall containers.

Lighting is an important detail in creating your autumn ambiance. Softer light instantly activates snuggle mode. Luxton’s simple tip for making a room feel cozier is to swap lamp shades for darker, textured fabric shades.

Finally, aromas such as apple pie and cinnamon are so happy-making, scientific studies have confirmed their link to feelings of warmth, comfort, and nostalgia in the brain’s emotion and memory centres. Choose scented candles, fragrant mists, diffusers, or a simmer pot of cloves, orange peel and cinnamon on the stove, for a true experience of home-sweet-home.

Go big. Luxton reminds us that fall is not the season to be minimalist with decor. “People just love to add extra layers in their home (in fall),” she says. So, bring in the soft throws, pile on the plump pillows and let every corner of your home wrap you in fall’s embrace.

Inside the home, Warman uses her dining room table as a year-round stage for seasonal change. Using a container that suits the size and scale of the table, she begins with good quality artificial greens as the base and adds something new each season to reflect the time of year. Acorns, pinecones, gourds and branches are great natural elements for fall.

Faux florals are also a great way to add seasonality to your decor. “I have an oversized vintage basket filled with faux leaves that I set out each season,” Gunn says.