How to Create Classy Fall Decor

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I use and love, or that I would recommend to my mom or best friend. Please see the disclosure statement for additional information.

Do you find yourself wanting to decorate for fall, but feel repelled by the kitschy, hokey feel of some traditional fall or Halloween decorations?  Fear not, my friend.  With a little planning and design know-how (Plus some serious Pinspiration!), you can easily create classy fall décor for your home.

Choose a color palette

Just like any other home décor, seasonal décor should start with a color palette.

I know what you’re thinking – orange and black and done!  You can go that route if you’d like.

Or… you can select a creative, understated, or unexpected color palette to create a more cohesive, polished look.

Here are a few easy ways to choose a color palette.

Create a stand-alone color palette

First, start with a neutral color, such as black, white, or tan.  Next, add a few accent colors.

Metallics look amazing with neutrals, and make perfect accent colors.  If you’re going for something more natural, muted blues, greens, and oranges work well.

Don’t be afraid to stray from traditional fall colors!  a clever or unexpected palette is a hallmark of classy fall décor.

Or, you can choose a monochromatic palette and use shades of a single color exclusively.

This mantle incorporates silver and gold into a traditional fall palette for brilliance and shine:

This white, green, and purple palette is non-traditional, but decidedly fall:

This green, white, and silver arrangement is fresh and striking:

This table scape uses green, white, blue, and brown for a cheery feel:

This table scape is stunning in monochrome white:

Draw inspiration from your non-seasonal décor palette

You may already have a color palette for your home décor.  And if you do, you might as well use it!

Even if you haven’t consciously decorated with a color palette in mind, chances are you’ve created one without even realizing it.

Look around your home, and take note of the colors you keep seeing.  Do sage green and brick red keep jumping out at you?  Earth tones?  Pastels?  Neutrals?  Use those recurring colors as inspiration for your fall décor.

The tones of this fall hearth blend perfectly with the color of the wood and stone work, and even the paint color on the wall:

The taupe, white, and metallic palette here blends perfectly with the furniture, accessories, and existing color palette in the room:

Incorporate non-seasonal décor and everyday items into your fall décor

One of the simplest ways to achieve classy fall décor is to make the seasonal items look as though they belong where they are.  We’ve all seen that sad, singular paper skeleton or witch’s hat taped pitifully on the wall in someone’s home.  Don’t be that girl.  Take a few measures to make your fall décor a fully-integrated part of your home’s overall look.

Draw inspiration from your non-seasonal décor style

Style your seasonal décor so that it blends in with the landscape of your home’s interior.  This idea goes right along with using your home’s existing color palette for inspiration, above.

Do you love coastal décor?  Minimalist?  Industrial?  Hipster?  Find or create fall décor with the same mood and style as the rest of your home.

This coastal bookshelf features subtle hints of fall that blend seamlessly with the other décor:

The pumpkins in this hipster-style décor create a simple, uncomplicated fall scene:

Put away some of your non-seasonal décor

Another easy way to blend fall décor seamlessly into your home is to swap out some of your non-seasonal décor for fall items.  This helps keep your home from looking cluttered.  After all, you don’t want to cram fall décor in along with all of your regular décor.  That’s just too much.

This homeowner made plenty of space for fall décor to shine:

Touches of fall have been added around this dining room, while staying true to the room’s color palette:

This entry was cleared out to make space for a playful Halloween scene:

Group items to create vignettes and focal points

Arrange items into vignettes – interesting little groupings or scenes – to create interest and draw the eye to certain parts of a room.

Vignettes are simply a collection of items that look well together and convey a mood or feeling.  Here are a few tips for styling a fall vignette:

• Odd numbers of items are usually more interesting – think 3 or 5 things rather than 2 or 4
• Include non-seasonal items to make the vignette feel more native to your home – a beautiful bowl, vase, pitcher, stack of books, or fruit are great additions
• Vary the height of items to draw the eye up and down
• Don’t be afraid to stack items to achieve height and interest
• Consider placing your vignette on a tray, in a crate, a shallow bowl, etc, so it’s seen as a single item and looks less cluttered

This kitchen vignette includes a vintage kitchen scale and pumpkins on a wood and marble tray:

The unbalanced look of this vignette adds tons of visual interest:

This vignette features sweet little pumpkins in silver cups:

The varying heights and sizes of these metallic pumpkins make this scene fun to look at:

Use traditional Halloween décor in unexpected ways

Spruce up the typical pumpkins, skulls, and coffins with unexpected materials.  Cover them in faux jewels, interesting fabric such as lace or velvet, or spray paint them to match your color palette.

This adorable vignette uses mixed fabric pumpkins:

This jeweled skull is gorgeously creepy:

These velvet pumpkins blend beautifully with the non-seasonal chinoiserie pots:

This Halloween candy cart features fresh flowers, spiderwebs, and skeletons:

A jewel-encrusted pumpkin adds glamour:

Recap:  Create Classy Fall Décor

Classy fall décor isn’t just for Pinterest.  By using a few simple design techniques and adding some unexpected twists, you can bring a touch of class into your fall décor.  Here’s a quick recap of what we talked about today:

• Start with a color palette.  You can create a color palette specifically for your fall décor, or draw inspiration from the palette of your non-seasonal décor.
• Make fall décor look blend seamlessly into your home by adding it to non-seasonal items and everyday décor.  Just be sure to clear out some of your non-seasonal décor to keep things from getting too cluttered.
• Group your décor into vignettes to add visual interest and draw the eye to focal points in the room.
• Add glamour to traditional fall décor my embellishing it with unexpected materials, or using it in unexpected ways.

I hope I’ve given you some inspiration for bringing classy fall décor into your home.  What’s your favorite way to decorate for fall?  Let me know in the comments below!

P.S. – If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to decorate your front porch planters for fall, check out my post on updating planter pots for fall!

P.P.S. – Check out my Fall Décor board on Pinterest for even more upscale décor inspiration!