Simple Cozy Thrift Store Decor for Fall

Happy September! It is probably my favorite month of the year--the days are warm and sunny, the nights are cool, the trees put on a spectacular show and the light and air has a different feel. It is also the time of year to start adding the cozy back into our homes. As I said back at the beginning of March, I am doing less seasonal decorating in my home. I have definitely stuck with that and haven't changed up anything for six months. But, I decided a few small changes to add a touch of autumn was necessary. I started with a few changes in my front entryway, brought to you courtesy of some thrift store shopping.

This space is so much fun to style and it welcomes guests into our home. Here is what it looked like for the past six months.

As you can see I only changed out a few things to bring some fall into the area.

I hear (or see in posts) the word COZY a lot when describing our spaces. I know I have overused the word. I am not sure everything I see described this way is actually cozy. I have a few simple tips to make your home feel unique and inviting and cozy. My first hint to add some fall coziness to your home is add some COLOR. Think of fall colors--yellows, golds, dark or olive green, orange, browns, rust, and dark reds--and find small ways to include these colors in your decor.

I painted this forest trail from a photo of a favorite walk we took several times when we lived in North Idaho. The frame and mat are from the thrift store and cost me a whole dollar. I cut the mat bigger and painted it a deep mustard yellow. Other decor items to use to incorporate fall colors include throw pillows, blankets, faux stems, planters, antique gold or brass objects. You don't have to paint an entire wall, just include small pops of autumn colors.

A thrifted, velvet tapestry with browns and golds and oranges adds more color and TEXTURE, which is my next tip. Use a variety of textures in your home to create visual appeal. Cozy textures include velour (the yellow pillow), velvet, sherpa. wool. Warm leather like with the camera and binocular cases is another lovely texture. I thought about adding mums to the head planter, but decided to stick with the green moss. This planter is weird and quirky and I love it. It gives our home unique personality. Just say no to boring, cookie cutter homes and decor!

I liked the shape of the painting I had here for spring and summer. I didn't have and couldn't find a long, landscape orientation painting to replace the daisy painting. Instead, I used a a groovy, vintage, hand-stitched crewel that I found (along with a larger one) at the thrift store.

It had black metal hangers on the end. I removed those and found a pallet board the same size of the stitchery. I hot glued it to the board. This is a temporary fix as I can peel the glue off easily when I might want to use it in a different way.

The colors were perfect and the needlework adds a different texture. I tucked it behind the baskets. Baskets add another texture layer to the entryway.

A couple 25 cent, faux, thrifted stems replaced the small white flowers.

I don't use many fake flowers or plants in my home preferring real plants to fake. But, in this space the fake works. If you use fake stems PLEASE make sure they are really good looking. Hint--fake ivy is rarely good looking. Here's a secret: I keep the fake stems I am not using, along with other season decor, in the gold suitcase under the entryway bench.

My last tip or hint to style a cohesive and comfortable home that reflects personality and thought is to create layers and repeat colors and textures. The colors in the painting and mat are repeated in the tapestry and pillow. The leather cases and the baskets match in color tones. The stitchery represents all of the colors in the other items. Place objects on top of others--let them touch and connect. Hang two objects on one hook. Keep the eye moving with different heights and groupings. Other than the time it took me to paint the painting, this seasonal change-up took me all of five minutes to create. 

I am not only ready to welcome fall, but also ready to welcome guest into our home.