Transitioning Your Apartment from Summer to Fall

Pumpkin spice lattes are in the air, which means fall is officially in full swing. It’s time to start embracing the warm, cozy atmosphere and make your home comfy enough for the upcoming hibernation season. Guest blogger Kelsey Meyers from Modernize has a few tips on how to easily transform your apartment into a cozy home.

Every year, we wait with bated breath for the brisk, cozy season that ushers in the holidays.
Quality time with family, fun outdoor activities and pumpkin flavored pastries are just a few of the joys that make fall unique. One of the best parts of embracing fall is updating your living space: doing away with the bright and floral decorations of the sunny months and replacing them with cozy fabrics and rich colors. Here are a few great tips from Modernize on sprucing up your apartment for autumn.

Change Out Throw Pillows and Rugs

You would be surprised at how different a room can look after changing up just a few fabric accents. Buying fall throw pillows is an easy and affordable way to transform an entire room’s aesthetic. Stash the blue, pink, or green floral throw pillows in the closet and replace them with warm colors and jewel tones. Invest in a darker, thicker area rug. If you invest in two seasonal rugs—one for the warm months and the other for the cold—they will each only get half the foot traffic throughout the year and will probably last longer. While you’re at it, bring in wool or cashmere throw blankets for extra comfort.

Update Your Scents
To anyone who’s the least bit nostalgic, just the thought of fall evokes scents like caramel apple, pumpkin, cranberry, pecan, campfire smoke, pine needles, and fall leaves. While fruity and floral scents are delicious, they belong in the spring and summer with your tank tops and turquoise accent pillows. Exchange your fruity plug-ins, air freshening sprays, potpourri, and candles for the trademark aromas of fall.

Clean Out Your Closet
While this is probably not the most exciting part of gearing up for fall, you will thank yourself for organizing a streamlined seasonal wardrobe down the road. Separate your spring and summer outfits and store them safely away for the season, getting rid of anything you haven’t worn in the past year. If you’re interested in paring down to a capsule wardrobe, fall is a great time to invest in quality, versatile pieces like jeans, sweaters, boots, and blouses.

Go Grocery Shopping
There are a few autumn essentials that your kitchen needs. Red wine, pure pumpkin, hot tea, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are staples of the season, and you’re sure to need them at some point if you’re going to be entertaining or attending holiday parties. While you’re at it, stock up on Halloween treats for trick-or-treaters.

Change Out Your Towels
Hand towels, like throw pillows, are perfect inexpensive items to stock up on so you can change them out with the season. Try to choose soft, lush fabrics for fall bath towels so you and your guests can stay warm after getting out of a hot shower. Replace cool colors like blue, green, and purple with warm shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Evoke the Outdoors
Centerpieces and mantel displays are such central decor pieces. Fortunately, they can be pretty easy to throw together. For the perfect fall decor, incorporate items like pinecones, holly berries, fall leaves, hydrangeas, acorns, gourds, pumpkins, wheat stalks, and candles. A few festive focal points will really warm up your space.