It’s been a couple of years since I photographed my kitchen for fall, so I decided it was time for an update. This year, my fall kitchen decor ideas are all about small changes rather than a full-blown seasonal makeover.
Most of what you see stays in my kitchen year-round. For fall, I swapped a few colors, changed some artwork, brought in warmer textures, and added a handful of seasonal touches. Basically, the same kitchen with a different fall feel.
That’s the takeaway here. Seasonal decorating doesn’t have to mean putting everything away and starting over. I usually look at what I already have and figure out what small changes will shift the color, texture, or mood.
Small Fall Changes Around the Sink
The sink area is probably the best example of how little I actually changed. My little topiaries live on the counter all year, but for fall I replaced their green moss with Spanish moss and tied on some copper-colored ribbon.
Sometimes changing one small detail on something you already own is enough to make it feel seasonal.
And then, of course, I added pumpkins.
Apparently there’s an anti-pumpkin trend happening in fall decorating lately. I know. I’m clutching my pearls, too! Needless to say, I am not on board.
I love little white pumpkins and can find a spot for them just about anywhere this time of year. Mine stay out from September through Thanksgiving, when they usually end up as part of my tablescape.
White pumpkins are one of my favorite fall staples because they work with almost any color palette without making a room feel overly themed.
Related: Decorating with White Pumpkins
Some Things Didn’t Need Changing
On the other side of the sink, I barely changed anything. The amber soap bottles and wooden brush live here all year, but their warm colors already work perfectly for fall.
Before adding seasonal decor, look around for everyday pieces that already have the right color or texture. Amber glass, warm wood, brass, pottery, baskets, and old books can often do half the work for you.
Although I did tuck in one little white pumpkin nearby, because apparently I can find a spot for a pumpkin just about anywhere.
A Few Changes on the Island
The large basket tray stays on the island most of the time, but I changed what was inside for fall. I swapped my usual green branches for these deep burgundy stems and traded the apples in my bowl for pears.
Swapping the color of branches or the fruit in a bowl is an easy way to change the whole mood of a vignette without changing the pieces themselves.
The pears are actually faux, and I absolutely love them. I’ve had them for probably 20 years and wish I could remember where I bought them because I would buy them again in a heartbeat.
The branches are another story. They were one of those unfortunate Amazon purchases that I didn’t return in time, so now we’re stuck with each other. 😂 I love the color and the overall shape, but the individual branches don’t hold their position very well, so I would not recommend them.
Once I wrestled them into something resembling the shape I wanted, though, I really liked the burgundy color in here.
The white pumpkin is real, while the little greenish one is faux. Years ago I started saving stems from real pumpkins to use on faux ones, and it makes such a difference.
Tip: If a faux pumpkin looks too fake, replace the stem with a real pumpkin stem. It’s one of the easiest ways to make it look more believable.
The small brass piece on the tray is a vintage silent butler. Traditionally these were used to sweep crumbs from the table, and I keep mine here for sweeping crumbs from the island. Its workload is fairly light considering I don’t cook.
My Grandmother’s Recipes
The old glass jar on the island is from Elsie Green, and I believe it was originally a pickling jar. These days it holds my grandmother’s handwritten recipes.
I should probably clarify that I’m not preserving these because I’m constantly pulling them out and cooking from them. I don’t cook, as my family can attest. I just love looking at her handwriting. So instead of keeping the recipes tucked away in a drawer, I keep them in this jar on the island where I can see them.
The Basket at the End of the Island
The large basket leaning against the island is actually an old ammunition basket that was originally made to hold artillery shells. Its current job is slightly less exciting.
I use it to hold part of my breadboard collection, and unlike my grandmother’s recipes, these I really do use. I pull them out for charcuterie, appetizers, and serving whenever we have people over.
For fall, I tucked in some dried stems for a little extra color and texture. The wicker, old wood, and dried stems add so much warmth against the darker island that I didn’t feel like it needed anything else.
Tip: A collection can be part of the decor and still be useful. Look for ways to store everyday pieces where they can also be seen and enjoyed.
A Small Art Swap Inside the Dish Cabinet
I didn’t change any of the dishes inside my glass cabinet for fall. Instead, I changed the artwork.
I swapped my regular pieces for a few small still lifes that feel more fall-like without actually being fall-themed. Fruit, muted colors, and warm gold frames give me the seasonal feeling I wanted without adding another pumpkin. See? Apparently I do have restraint!
Tip: Seasonal art doesn’t have to show pumpkins, leaves, or anything obviously “fall.” Color and subject matter can suggest the season just as well.
The artwork is all public domain, and I simply printed it at home. This is one of my favorite ways to use small art because you don’t need a big empty wall.
Small art can tuck behind dishes, lean on a shelf, sit inside a cabinet, or fill one of those awkward little spots that doesn’t need a full decorating moment.
Related: Where to Find Free Public Domain Art for Your Home
A Few Fall Touches by the Range
The little area beside the range got another easy seasonal swap. I normally have a white platter leaning here, but this year I replaced it with an antique breadboard and layered in a few fall elements around the things that already live here.
The wheat bundle adds height and texture, while the pear, pumpkin, and bowl of nuts repeat some of the colors and shapes I used elsewhere in the kitchen. The vintage brass mills stay here year-round.
One of the easiest ways to make a vignette feel seasonal is to keep the basic arrangement and swap just one or two elements. In this case, changing the backdrop from a white platter to old wood immediately made the whole area feel warmer.
My Favorite Kitchen Update Since the Remodel
One thing has changed since the last time I photographed this part of the kitchen, although it isn’t technically a fall update. I added a small framed still life to the pot rail, and I think it might be my favorite kitchen update since the remodel.
I already loved having the old copper pots, utensils, and little hanging basket here, but adding the picture completely changed the grouping for me.
It’s such a small addition, but now the rail feels less like kitchen storage and more like a collected display. Apparently I will now find a place to tuck a piece of art just about anywhere.
Fall Decorating Without Starting Over
Looking around the kitchen after I finished, I realized how few things I actually added specifically for fall. There are a handful of pumpkins, because I refuse to participate in their cancellation, but otherwise it’s pears, wheat, branches, old wood, copper, wicker, artwork, and ribbon.
Most of those things either live in my kitchen already or could easily work during another season.
My favorite kind of seasonal decorating starts with the room you already love, then changes just enough color, texture, and detail to make it feel different.
No complete decorating overhaul required. And in my kitchen, apparently no cooking required either.
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