Creating a Fall Ambiance for Houseguests

The kids are back to school, pumpkins and candy corn are in the aisles at the grocery store, PSL is on the menu at your favorite coffee shop, and the cozy feeling of Fall is in the air. Fall doesn’t officially start until Sunday, September 22, at 8:44 a.m. ET, which is the autumnal equinox, but those of us who look forward to the season all year long can’t help ourselves. The autumnal equinox is when the sun is directly above the equator, dividing the day/night into two equal parts. Did you know that if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the first day of Spring? For many, even with temps still quite hot, especially in the South, we are ready for all things autumn. Here are a few ways to welcome the upcoming season in the meantime by creating a fall ambiance for houseguests.

Host a Tailgate Party

Whether you are going to a local high school game, your college team, or watching your favorite NFL team in the comfort of your own living room, a tailgate party is always an exciting way to gather a group of friends and family together for a football celebration. Regardless of who you are rooting for, food is at the top of the tailgaters list. Here are some tips on how to host a tailgate party:

• Create a big batch menu and opt for make-ahead options where you can
• Gather bags of everyone’s favorite chips (there are even gluten-free varieties)
• Have plenty of drinks (Apple Cider Sangria, anyone?)
• Ask friends to bring their favorite game day recipe (coordinate to avoid duplicates)
• Decorate to enhance the fall and football feelings
• Wear team colors
• Serve a great dessert (Southern Living has so many tasty recipes)

Cozy Up Your Home

Swap out a few summer colors of teal and hot pink for warm tones. Bring out your neutral hues in pillows, candles, paint colors and throw blankets. Accessorize with wooden bowls of fruit, dried flowers, and seasonal foliage. Forage your property for fall florals or stop by Trader Joes. Take a peek at your hand towels in your guest powder room, and switch the hand soap to a pumpkin spice variety.

Flip the Switch

Fall is the season when everything is washed with a golden glow, making the indoors and outdoors feel magical with warm twinkling lights and softer lighting in overhead lights and floor lamps. Rifle through your drawers and find your battery operated tea lights and candles and spread them around the room, on a tray with books, your foyer table, and in your cabinets with glass doors. The twinkling charm of Autumn’s first glow will last throughout the season if you buy battery operated garland and lights, or invest in a large package of tea lights.

Pull Out Your Trays

Most everyone has one or two wicker, or wooden trays, collecting dust in a closet or under a bed. Decorate a tray with dessert treats, bathroom items for a guest bed and bathroom, a coffee bar, or a focal point for your living room coffee table. Use whatever you have around the house, some pretty linen or paper napkins for color and enjoy the beautiful display.

Focus on the Fireplace

When you don’t know where to begin, pay special attention to the fireplace, which is usually the hearth of the home. Add decorative garland, a few seasonal items, and you have changed the look of the entire room. I have a fireplace, but also an electric stove pipe fireplace that simulates an old-fashioned, fire-burning stove. It’s often easier to use and gives the illusion of a real flame, with or without the heat turned on.

Put Out Your Old Magazines Front and Center

I have a collection of old magazines I can’t seem to part with. Place the autumn magazines in a basket and set them out for family and guests to go through. Everyone enjoys looking at past editions and finding recipes and decorating ideas they can use in 2024. There are plenty of oldies but goodies in the year’s past of vintage magazines.

Give Your Home A Warm Scent

Everyone has their favorite fall scent, which conjures up a feeling of a heartwarming hug. Whether it’s making your own potpourri, or buying your favorite essential oils, burning your signature fall candle, or making a pot of cider on the stove, when guests walk in your home, they will be welcomed by a comforting whiff of “home” as they enter your front, or back door. It’s simple things that make a house a home and memories are made through the “small things.”

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