A couple of weeks ago I began to notice how the light was changing in my house throughout the day, shifting and moving from room to room in a way that was different than it had been even just the week before. It was subtle, but it signaled the very end of one season and the very beginning of another.
I realized in that moment that while I absolutely love all of the bold, dramatic elements of Autumn, perhaps my most favorite aspects are those that are a bit less obvious.
The ones that creep up on you.
It’s the way the fields have a soft golden glow about them as they approach the harvest.
Or the way the mornings suddenly have a bit more ‘snap’ in the air and you reach for your favorite sweatshirt.
It’s the slight curling of the leaves on the trees outside my windows.
Or the way that my hydrangeas go from brilliant white to pale green to having the softest pink tint.
All of this was on my mind this year as I began to decorate my home for fall. I knew that I wanted to try to capture the essence of that subtlety. To have the colors in the decor match the way the light was shifting and the golden hues of those beautiful fields we pass each day as we drive to school.
While being smack dab in the middle of Autumn is a glorious thing to behold, I always have that sense of how fleeting it is and that the long winter months are right on it’s heels and this tends to leave me feeling that old familiar ‘mellan-fall-y‘ feeling creeping in.
Maybe that’s why I love the early days of the season so much. Because we are still in that ‘looking forward to’ stage instead of the ‘oh no it’s going too fast’ stage.
For many, Autumn seems to signal the beginning of an end. We know that the leaves are going to begin to fall and lushness will be replaced with bareness. And yet, we tend to forget that dormant isn’t the same as dead.
It’s just a slowing down, a suspension of time so to speak.
So, as much as I love Autumn and welcome it each year with open arms, I am in no particular hurry for it to show off just how fabulous it can really be.
I’m happy to celebrate the small changes, the subtle ways in which the season unfolds.
And how the most beautiful thing about this new season isn’t what happens in my home but what happens in my heart.
Much love to you friends,
Take a look at last year’s fall tour for more inspiration!
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7 Comments on "Fall Mantel with Traditional Colors"
Love the new pull down chart. The colours are perfect for fall. Is it an original or repro. I would love something like. Your living room looks beautiful.
Thank you Sue! It’s a reproduction that I found at a consignment store and is normally in a hallway in our home but I moved it to above the fireplace for fall. So appreciate you stopping by and I hope you have a great weekend!
Love your decorating. Just wanted to let you know I used your book for a lesson at church this week. I used Harvest and Melan”FALL”y. Love you book.
Oh Joann! Your comment just literally made my whole week! I can’t even tell you how much it means to me that you enjoy my book so much and that you used it for a lesson at your church. Thank you! xoxo
P.S. If you ever felt so inclined, would you be willing to leave a review of the book on Amazon? Authors rely on those so much!
I love how you have used the colors of fall in your home…shades of brown, gold, cream and pops of orange. Fall is such a wonderful time of the year with the cooler, crisp air; and, it is so much fun cozying up our homes as we prepare for what follows. Thank you for the inspiration!
Your fall mantle is simple, elegant and beautiful. Though I enjoy seeing others use non traditional colors for autumn, I use the traditional natural colors in our home. God has given us different seasons and each has a their own colors dictated by nature. I am not an orange person, but when fall comes it’s a must in my decor and brings that element of seasonal color and warmth to our home. Thank you for sharing not only your lovely mantle, but your heartfelt thoughts on life’s seasons.
Love this use of traditional colors, they’re the best!