Lately I’ve been thinking about how over the years my idea of holiday and seasonal decorating has changed quite a bit. I remember growing up my mom would go all out decorating for fall with pumpkins and scarecrows and ghosts and jack-o-lanterns and candy corn. No shelf, tabletop, counter, or wall space was left undecorated… not even an inch. So when I finally had my own house to decorate that’s what I did too. Each season I would pull out boxes and boxes of knick knacks and cram our little house full. And then when that season was over I would have to spend another few days taking everything down and putting it all away to start the next season of decorating. While I find so much joy in celebrating these moments with my family, it became less exciting each year and felt like more work, not to mention I was quickly running out of space to store all this extra “stuff” that only came out once a year.
Over time I sold or gave away some of the decor I didn’t love and consolidated what used to be dozens of boxes down to just a few. I fine-tuned my decorating “strategy” to make it as quick, easy, and clutter-free as possible so that I’m able to spend more time carving pumpkins and picking apples than organizing boxes of stuff I don’t need. So I thought I would put together a few posts for you guys letting you in on my minimalist holiday decorating secrets so you can enjoy this beautiful season more too! Be sure to check out my favorite items you can shop for this fall at the end of the post!
My first step in decorating for fall probably isn’t a huge secret to any of you who follow my blog…
Pumpkins! More specifically, faux pumpkins. When I decorate outdoor spaces like our front porch or back patio I do splurge on the real deal and buy as many beautiful pumpkins as I can carry out of the pumpkin patch (did you see my fall patio yet this year?). But for inside the farmhouse, I typically spend my money on faux pumpkins that I can use again year after year, which helps me justify the cost. And I can also display them from the very beginning of fall all the way through Thanksgiving without having to worry about them rotting… bonus!
There are so many easy ways you can decorate with pumpkins, and I used them all over the house this year.
I piled them in a basket under the bench in our entryway…
displayed them on the shelves in our living room hutch…
created a centerpiece with them on our coffee table…
used them in a table setting for our dining room…
and scattered a few of them on end tables and the kitchen counter and anywhere else that needed a touch of fall.
I love the soft, cozy neutral colors in our home, and this year I used all white or neutral pumpkins to decorate with so that they felt like a natural fit in our space. They give the feeling of fall without being too loud, and I’ve discovered that is my absolute favorite way to decorate now.
Of course these faux pumpkins aren’t nearly as beautiful as the real ones I have stacked up on my back patio right now, but they are pretty close and I’ll have them again to decorate with next year! Here is a bunch of beautiful pumpkins I found while shopping online that I think would be beautiful in your home… enjoy, sweet friends!
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which allows me to make a small commission from your purchase, but your purchase price stays the same. Thank you for helping support our blog!
row one: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
row two: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
row three: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
row four: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
row five: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
SOURCES
ENTRYWAY SOURCES
bench – tutorial here
gray knit pillow – Birch Lane
rug – Rugs USA
boots – Target
side table – Birch Lane
white pumpkins – Joann Fabric
pompon throw blanket – Joss & Main
denim jacket – similar
hat – similar
coat hooks – Ikea
board and batten wall treatment – tutorial here
wall/trim paint color – Du Jour by Valspar
LIVING ROOM SOURCES
chesterfield tufted sofa – Joss & Main
coffee table – Birch Lane
jute rug – Rugs USA
cream sweater blanket in hutch – Target
white bowls in hutch – Joss & Main
pompon throw blanket – Joss & Main
glass lamp on side table – Target
round wood tray on coffee table – Joss & Main
velvet pumpkins – Joann Fabric
pitcher – Magnolia Market
velvet curtains – Target
cream fringe pillows – At Home
wall/trim paint color – Du Jour by Valspar
KITCHEN SOURCES
White pitcher with cooking utensils – IKEA
Dove White cabinets – KraftMaid purchased at Lowe’s
Cup cabinet pulls – Hickory Hardware
Cabinet knobs – Hickory Hardware
Quartz countertops – Silestone by Cosentino purchased at Lowe’s
Wall color – Du Jour by Valspar
Slate appliances – Lowes
Matte black sink faucet – Delta
DINING ROOM SOURCES
farmhouse dining table – tutorial
french dining chairs – Target
wooden x-back chairs – World Market
wood lamps – Wayfair
lace table runner – Heritage Lace
large ceramic pitcher – Wayfair
small ceramic pitcher – Wayfair
velvet pumpkins – Joann Fabric
horse – Painted Fox
stripe pillow – World Market
crochet edge napkins – Heritage Lace
monogram silverware – Birch Lane
tufted chair pad – World Market
LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!
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I’ve adopted the “less is more” method for seasonal decorating as well! I can honestly say it feels so good. Each season I have started to go through those endless boxes of décor and like you said, either sell or donate it. If I’m unsure about something, I usually keep it for that year and see if I use it. If not, then I’ll get rid of it the following year. I used to have an emotional attachment to my décor but now it feels amazing to get rid of all the things I don’t truly use and love. The more things I had and didn’t love, the more they cluttered my mind and stressed me out. I was nervous to start but now that I have it’s like a domino effect and it”s strangely freeing! I thoroughly enjoyed this post, thank you!