Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comWhile away in Italy on our anniversary trip, the weather at home certainly changed to feel very fall-like. We arrived home to temperatures that were at least 30 degrees cooler than when we had left. This welcomed change of season certainly put me in the mood to make some small changes at home over the weekend. I eagerly swapped out our textiles, reworked the front porch for autumn, and styled some spooky apothecary type curiosities for Halloween. We’re hosting our annual Halloween (also my birthday) party again this year, so I do like to consider that when decorating. This year I kept things pretty simple… cozy pillows & throws, plenty of candles, fall florals & branches, pumpkins, and I also brought out a few more lamps. Click through to see some snippets & details of our home feeling a bit more seasonally appropriate. Cheers to September, October, and the spooky autumn days ahead!

It’s crazy to think three years has passed since we replaced our front door. That made a huge impact in regards to the aesthetic of our home exterior. Our front porch is always the first place I begin when decorating for fall… probably because it’s the most festive and feels like a fun tradition. It pretty much looks the same as it did last year. I’ve grown to like the elegance of oversized mums in my pedestal planters, simple pumpkins, and candles in glass lanterns.

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comThis year, I swapped my real candles for these battery powered ones the are set on a timer. They’re not quite as elegant, but they’re definitely far more safe, and I like the ease of setting the time once for the season, then forgetting about them. They come on at seven in the evening and flicker until about ten before turning off on their own. They really add charming ambiance, and still have a nice warm glow!

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comCome Halloween, I always let my good friend Dru take over our porch and front yard. We’ve known each other since we were kids. Humble friend brag, he’s in cinematography and production and an Emmy-winner, at that! Since we’ve been hosting Halloween the past few years, he likes to go all out for our annual party… think fog machines, special effects lighting, animatronics, projectors, synchronized music, the whole nine yards. It’s wild- and a little scary, to be honest… but what’s Halloween with a little haunt? Here’s to hoping we don’t give the neighborhood kids nightmares. I’ll definitely document it this year, so you can see how next level everything looks. This year our theme is “Classic Halloween”, and we’ll all be dressing as the standard monster mash characters- like Frakenstein, vampires, mummies, ghosts, etc. Emmett and I will be going as vampires, to recycle old costumes we have. Anyyyway…

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comMy vibe is most certainly not all the scary horror things, as you already know. For me, fall is about participating in all the things I love about the season… gathering with friends, making fall foods we look forward to, enjoying the change of seasons & cool weather, and admiring the fiery foliage against the mountain landscape. It’s a magical time of year here, but then again- I’m a Scorpio and I adore Scorpio season. Inside, I kept things easy. The mantel is the next vignette I tackled…

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comI tend to stick to apothecary type Halloween items (in moderation) and standard simple fall decor (branches, a warmer color palette, candles, etc).

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comI gather up things I already own and display & style them in a different way this time of year- one that feels more interesting for Halloween. I also like to pull dark monochromatic items for a spooky look.

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comForaging the backyard also comes in handy… I’m glad I procrastinated on emptying the dead florals in my window boxes. Ha! Almost anything looks cool inside a cloche- a very specimen or precious type feel.

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comYou know I love a sculptural hand! This one floats around my house year round, but is especially fun to style for Halloween. Funny story though- Crosby is scared of it. I had it on our coffee table and ended up having to move it because he refused to walk through the living room to go outside. Ha! Doodles seem notoriously terrified.

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comI also like incorporating natural materials into my Halloween vignettes… things like dried florals & branches, horn, bone inlay, geodes & crystals, etc. They take on a different aesthetic this time of year for a chic look.

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comOf course candles are a must for the fall and winter seasons. I always add more to my collection this time of year, along with the accessories that accompany them: unique match strikes or matchbooks, pedestals, candleholders, wick trimmers, etc.

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comI also switched out some of my table lamps. As evening makes its arrival earlier and earlier, I prefer switching on lamps and sconces as opposed to overhead lighting. It just makes everything feel cozy, warm, and inviting.

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comFragrance is another area I pay extra attention to during the fall & holiday months. I’ve been switching my summer scents for earthy and masculine fragrances that accompany the season: vetiver, oud, leather, musk, spiced aromas, etc. I still love my porcelain floral diffuser (it’s cedar wood & musk scented)… isn’t it pretty? I need to pour some more oil in! This has lasted me months, but it’s ready for a refill.

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comI’ll quickly take you into the kitchen… I didn’t do any fall decorating in here. I did replace my artwork with the pieces we bought in Italy, but aside from that- I think cooking fall favorites, using seasonal ingredients, sipping warming beverages like spiced cider, mulled wine, hot coffee, and smoked cocktails make this space feel extra special this time of year. I guess it’s more about embracing the season from a culinary and gathering perspective that gives me the warm & fuzzies in our kitchen. I basically love it year round! You know I’ve already started baking pumpkin treats!

Autumn & Halloween Vignettes at Home - roomfortuesday.comI did snag a moss topiary from the shop, which I think works well for any season. It’s always nice to add something with a little greenery or life to a space.

https://roomfortuesday.com/pumpkin-streusel-coffee-cake-with-cinnamon-butter/I’m ready for fall festivities, to eat seasonal food, transition my wardrobe, watch some (not too scary) movies, and begin wearing my sweaters & boots again. Cheers to autumn and the fun that comes along with it! What are you looking forward to? Does your home feel like fall right now? Be sure to check back on Wednesday- Peggi is sharing a fantastic post on cloisonné! If you’re not familiar, you’re in for a treat. It’s absolutely beautiful. Here’s to a good, productive week ahead… and enjoying these cooler temperatures.

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8 Comments

  1. Good morning! I’m loving all the seasonal decor changes! I have never really decorated our small front entry due to its size, but I adore the classic look of bushy mums and piles of pumpkins. I also gravitate toward items from nature for that seasonal feel. Our local farmstand/pumpkin patch grows some of the wildest specimens every year! Your Halloween entry sounds next level! How have you never shared it before?! As for your interiors, I totally dig the addition of all the black! It’s such a subtle vibe shift. Your mantle is perfection. I chuckled at Crosby’s fear of the sculptural hand; I can totally imagine Jason being the same! He runs from my electric toothbrush. Ha. Switching out your lamps seasonally is real power move, Sarah. 😉 I’ve got plans to holiday-up my mantle lampshades, but now you’ve got me pondering entire fixtures! I stocked my cozy candle stash, so I’m ready when we cool off a bit more; we’re hovering around the 80s many days. We’re also still in fresh tomato, cuke, and pesto mode in the kitchen, but the apples are about to start rolling in. I’ve been craving some pumpkin bread lately, too…probably because of all the recipes floating around IG! I know fall temps are on the horizon. Thanks to your inspiration this morning, I’ll be ready when they finally arrive. Here’s to a stupendous week!💜

    1. Hello, hello! Thanks, Peggi! I’m hoping I can keep my bushy mums alive for the duration of the season. Fingers crossed! I’ve never shared our Halloween entry, but this year I have a feeling it’s going to be crazy (based on Dru’s ideas, ha). I’ll be sure to document it properly this time around. Crosby is scared of everything (also the toothbrush!). I don’t understand their logic or reasoning… doodles. My musical lamp shift was pretty fun. I only added one to the mix, but I moved them all to different rooms- just to change things up. It was a fun little exercise (and maybe a weird design flex, lol)! We got some new candles in at the shop this week and I definitely snagged one of each. I wish I would have had them in time for these photos. There are some really pretty shapes made of natural beeswax. We’re still eating tomatoes and zucchini over here, too… but I’m definitely ready for apple and pumpkin baked goods. We’re hoping to hike this weekend and see some changing leaves. It’s officially feeling like fall over here! Have a great day :) xo

  2. Good Morning!
    As always Sarah your home looks beautiful for the exciting season ahead. I love the changes on the mantle, you have such a talent for styling and I appreciate being able to see what you have created. So fun! Love the new art in the kitchen 😍
    Fall is my favorite season and Thanksgiving my favorite holiday. So I adore getting in the fall spirit in our home and outside. I didn’t buy the traditional mums this year, instead I picked up celosia in a beautiful burgundy. I have purple fountain grasses and stonecrop in my front garden bed that greets our front porch so I don’t need to much but the flaming blooms of celosia called out to me this year. And I picked up a boxwood to put in my rattan planter. I pull out decor that I have collected over the years, switch up pillows and throws, definitely order plenty of scented soy candles (I always choose the same scent and get two or three to burn in different areas of our home) our temperatures have dropped like 20 degrees and my sumac trees at the back of our property are starting to change. Yay! I’m totally into it :)
    Things are quite busy this year and I’m short on time but I’ll appreciate everything fall has to offer. Food, gatherings, colorful trees and cozy clothes 🧡 Cheers to everything fall!

    1. Hi Colleen! Thank you so much. Fall is the best- I love this time of year. I like that you used celosia this year in place of mums. I’m hoping I can keep my giant mums alive for the duration of the season (I’m slowly getting better). They’re tricky though! Your purple fountain grasses and stonecrop in the garden bed sounds absolutely beautiful. Boxwoods are timeless and pretty year round. I’m impatiently waiting for our trees to change. It has been so dry here this year, I’m not sure if the leaves will have much color. We also have a very busy season planned, so I can relate. Hopefully we can both enjoy it despite being on the go with a crammed calendar :) Have a great day, Colleen! xo

  3. Good morning Sarah! I love your fall decorating inspiration- it’s so simple, chic, and classic. The addition of cloches, curiosities and crystals adds an element of unexpected. I’m so glad you mentioned swapping out books based on color- such an impactful way to change things up for the season. We are still very much in the throes of childhood Halloween. I have paired down our decor to some of the simplest items, and a few wreaths. The kids have been going wild for Nightmare Before Christmas- we have a few craft pumpkins painted like the characters. This year they’re loving skeletons as well so I finally get to creep up the place a bit. We typically don’t focus much energy on the exterior for Halloween since we’re always gone Halloween night and a south facing house wreaks havoc on real pumpkins. We do have a giant creepy pumpkin that’s motion activated and puts out the most shocking creepy laughter…it’s our tradition to spend a bit of time in the dark after trick or treating, listening to the kids get startled when they come to the door. 😂🤣 I’m not sure what this year looks like for us- I think Jeff may have birthday plans for me up his sleeve- which is always tricky with a Halloween birthday and kids. We’ll see what happens. Your party tradition sounds awesome, and has me convinced there’s a better way to do a Halloween birthday. Haha! Is your birthday actually Halloween as well? I would love to see a glimpse of your porch on Halloween night! That sounds incredible. I’ll be pulling out decor in the next few days and taking notes on how to simplify the season. Thank you for your inspiration and ideas! Have a great Monday!

    1. Hi Lauren! Our friends just went to Disney for the Haunted Mansion turned Nightmare Before Christmas situation. It looked amazing! So fun that you have pumpkins painted like the characters. Haha! I had to laugh at you listening to startled trick or treaters. Lol! I’m with you on the Halloween birthday- it’s always fun, but tricky logistically. Mine is on the 30th, so usually the night of trick or treating in our neighborhood / parties. Fingers crossed Jeff plans a fun surprise for you :) I’ll definitely share our Halloween porch & front yard once Dru is finished with it. If you want to fly in for your birthday to attend, come on over. Hah! I hope you’re having a good day! xo

  4. Hello! Hope you are having a good day so far. I love fall! The colors, foods, clothing, travel, holidays…all of it! Seeing your topiary in your kitchen gave me the needed idea using greenery I was looking for. Are those the pictures you got in Italy next to your stove? Great finds!
    I enjoyed looking at how you styled your mantle & tables for the season using mostly items owned or from nature.
    Halloween is one of my favorites and I too am not fond of the dark evil side of Halloween. I cannot wait to see your porch and your costumes. Dru sounds very creative! Please share with us. We will be home this year and the theme I am going with is Ghostbusters. We usually do costumes ourselves but I am using life-size skeletons instead.
    I have never heard of cloisonné so had to look it up. Look forward to Peggi’s post on Wednesday. Hope your rv trip was a delight! We have a busy week ahead. Again appreciate your email with suggestions on Italy. Meant a lot to me and my daughter. xoxo

    1. Thanks, Danna! I’m with you- fall is the best :) Those are the prints we brought home from Italy. Aren’t they lovely there? They’re making us so happy! Dru is really talented and so into Halloween- his daughter (we call her our niece) always has the cutest costumes. I’ll be sure to share what he pulls together this year. Apparently it’s going to be a big production. We’re inviting all of our neighbors, and are hoping for lots of trick or treaters. So fun that you’re doing skeletons this year. I just read Peggi’s post for tomorrow and it’s so wonderful- I loved having a peek into her home. Our camping trip was short, sweet, and a nice change of pace. I hope you had a great weekend, too. I was happy to share the recs for your daughter! I hope she has a wonderful time. One more thing I thought to add (if you want to pass along)- have her bring a scarf or pashmina, if she plans to enter cathedrals. Sometimes they make you cover your shoulders, midriff, or legs (if wearing a shorter outfit). Have an amazing day! xo