Warm Up — How to Stage a Home for Fall

As the days get shorter, the air gets cooler, and the leaves start crunching underfoot, there’s no mistaking it — fall has arrived! That means it’s time to get back to creating cozy, inviting spaces when staging your listings — so put away the nautical accents and sun-bleached colors and break out the decorative pumpkins and spicy scented candles. Here are several ways you can stage a home for fall.

Start Outside — Creating a fall feeling begins before you even open the front door. Place a pumpkin on the porch, create a grouping of potted fall flowers such as mums, coneflowers and asters, and hang a beautiful fall wreath on the door to establish an autumn mood from the very start. Add a new welcome mat to catch moisture and mud and keep the yard looking neat and tidy by making sure leaves are raked and gutters are clear.

Shift the Color Palette — This fall’s color trends are a comforting mix of earth and sky. Worldwide color authority Pantone points to medium blues, mid-tone golds, and rustic reds, grounded by deep grays and warm taupe, as the colors of the season. Incorporate these hues into accent pieces, wall art, throw rugs, bed linens and towels to create an on-trend look.         

Add Touchable Textures — While summer is all about keeping cool, fall is time to get cozy. Bring out the throw blankets and add extra decorative pillows in rich fabrics like corduroy, brocade, faux fur, and microfiber suede. Just like we layer clothing this time of year, layering textiles creates a feeling of stylish warmth.

Rearrange the Room — Shift the focus from the outside and bring it back into the heart of the home. Arrange clustered groupings of furniture to create areas that are conducive to conservation. If the room has a fireplace, make that the focal point by directing seating toward it and enhancing the mantle with a garland of fall foliage.

Embrace the Harvest — Decorative ceramic, wooden, or enameled metal bowls filled with apples, pears, gourds or ornamental pumpkins are an easy, inexpensive way to add a fall feeling to any room. Soaking pumpkins and gourds in a mix of warm water and dish soap for 10 minutes, then letting them dry thoroughly in a warm, sunny window before putting them on display will help them last longer.

Incorporate Seasonal Scents — Pumpkin spice, warm vanilla, energizing cinnamon, juicy pomegranate — fall is filled with delicious scents that create a warm and welcoming feeling. Place candles or reed diffusers in strategic places throughout the home to subtly scent the air with these evocative aromas. For an extra luxurious touch, add similarly scented hand soaps to each bathroom.

Light it Up — Fall’s shorter days and softer light means you’ll want to make sure the home’s interior is well-lit for showings in the afternoon and evening. Make sure to turn on lights in every room and have warm light visible in the front windows to create an inviting glow.

Remember, fall isn’t just a season, it’s a state of mind. Now you’re ready to stage a home for fall, even if you live a climate that still feels more like summer.