Fall on the Farm

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” -L.M. Montgomery

Although this year October in Coastal North Carolina cannot be described as crisp, nor cool, I tried to embraced the colors and ‘feel’ of the season at the farm. As it is for many, Fall is my favorite season.

Not only did I embrace the more traditional colors of fall in the farmhouse this year when I decorated, I also took a more simplistic approach. I love looking back and seeing how my design style changes over the years. (Thank you, Instagram!) With each passing year, I am noticing that the theme of simplicity continues to be more prominent in our home. Maybe it’s an age thing, maturity? Wishful thinking! Or maybe I’m just too tired and I’m getting lazy? It’s more than likely the latter, but I like to think it’s an evolution of my design style- it sounds much more legit!

My styling in the farmhouse throughout the year almost always includes my Four Favorites: pillows, florals, candles, and blankets. These four things are a wonderful and inexpensive way to celebrate the seasons in your home. Pillow covers are an economical and easy decor piece to change out. I keep my covers on skirt hangers in a closet when I’m not using them, which make them very easy to store. I have a hanger for each season. Florals are my favorite way to celebrate the seasons. Amaryllis, Paper Whites, and Evergreens in Winter, Peonies and Tulips in Spring, Dahlias, Hydrangeas, and Zinnias in the Summer, and Sunflowers and Fall foliage in Fall. If you have been here for any length of time, you know I have a candle addiction. Could be worse things, am I right?! I pretty much burn a candle everyday, all day. I love scents like Pine in the Winter, lemon in the Spring, herbs in the summer, and spices in the Fall. Finally, blankets are a great way to add color and texture in your home. Everyone loves a cozy feel no matter the time of year!

Now that you know  my decorating basics for styling a space, I would like to welcome you into our home and show you how I added a touch of Fall to the farmhouse. C’mon in y’all!

As you come through the front door the fist thing you see is our hanging door basket. I arranged it with faux fall stems from Hobby Lobby and Michael’s Craft Stores. I love this hanging basket because it’s so versatile and fun to rearrange throughout the year. Entering into the farmhouse to the left you see our black iron wall easel.  Thank you Pottery Barn for creating such an incredible piece, if only you still carried it! It’s one of the most asked about pieces in our home. Maybe they’ll see this post and bring it back… I wish I had that kind of pull!

To the right of our entry, you see our DIY shelf with hooks for hanging jackets, sweaters and scarves in the cooler months. I love to style the top shelf for the seasons. It’s perfect for displaying family photos and farmhouse signs. As you can see, I like to switch things up in the farmhouse depending on the function and purpose of certain items. This bench moves from one side to the other depending on my mood.

As you make your way through our foyer, you enter our breakfast nook and kitchen. Now, obviously our table is not decorated like this throughout Fall… Can you imagine?! I bet Martha Stuart’s breakfast nook is all decked out, but not Cali Girl’s. However, I did set this tablescape up for a tour I did on Instagram and I thought it would be fun to share it here. This is an example of one of my favorite ways to style a table in Fall when we entertain. There is nothing like a pumpkin, eucalyptus (and/or Fall foliage), and floral centerpiece adorned with candles in the Fall.

Just beyond our breakfast nook is the kitchen. In the Fall, I break out the copper. I don’t think anything screams Fall in the kitchen more than copper.   I try to keep a rustic feel in the kitchen by incorporating wood and white.

As you make your way past the kitchen you will find yourself in our sunroom. Yes, the window wreaths are up! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that the wreaths in these windows have become a signature of mine. It certainly wasn’t intentional, but I sure love how much they are loved. Throughout the month of October I have changed things up in here. I started with a more neutral look with Hydrangeas and white pumpkins. As the month grew on, I started adding Fall foliage and pumpkins. There’s nothing like using natural elements during the season!

Fall in the bedrooms. Many people don’t decorate for the seasons in the bedrooms. In the last couple of years, I have enjoyed it. I think bedding is the easiest way to celebrate the seasons. We have full, queen, and a king size bed in the farmhouse. I always order king sized bedding, this way I can use all the bedding on all the beds. Each year a bedroom gets a refresh for the season that was different than the last year because I use the bedding from a different bedroom. It’s also a great way to save money.  In our master bedroom I used a more neutral floral print this year, while in the guest bedroom I embraced this year’s ever so popular mustard yellow for the season. Of course I used my Four Favorites too, I added some Fall pillows, cozy throw blankets, flowers (or in this case Fall foliage) and some candles. BAM- a fall-ified bedroom!

With Summer being so hot and humid in the south, Southerners anxiously await Fall so that the outdoors can truly be enjoyed. Now that you have seen some of the ways I added Fall to the inside of the farmhouse, I would like to invite you to some of our outdoor spaces. The front porch bed swing is definitely the most utilized outdoor area on the farm, by family and cats. Lots of pillows, blankets, pumpkins, flowers, and candles were added to this spot. The hammock out back may be one of my favorite things to style in Fall. The whole family knows that when the hammock comes out, summer is officially over and hammock lounging can begin. The little dock out at the pond with it’s simple bench is such a tranquil and quiet spot on the farm. It is close to the barns and animal pens, so it’s always fun to go out there, listen to the animals, and watch them run around. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a visit from a turtle. Last, but certainly not least, we cannot forget about the new chicken coop. What a treat it was this year to decorate it for Fall. Since I can see the coop from my kitchen sink window, decorating it for Fall was not only a gift for ‘the girls,’ but a gift to myself. I LOVE looking out the window and seeing our Fall coop. It makes me smile every time!

I’m so happy you joined me on this little Fall tour of Hidden Acres Farm! I hope you’re having a wonderful October. I wish you all the best things this Fall season has to offer.