Five hot trends for fall as the weather cools

Up north last weekend, the sight of everyone bringing in their docks, putting away the boats and getting ready for winter was a sobering one. I really don’t like the winter weather at all, or the thought of being housebound for months. But if we have to head indoors for the season, then let’s at least make those indoor spaces stylish.

Here are five top trends for fall and winter that you can incorporate into your home to make it more inviting and interesting. It’s all about letting your own individuality and style come through.

Showcase the ‘curated’ style

This idea is super hot right now. Make your home feel like a gallery full of treasures. Try creating a picture wall with frames. Gather up images, photos, or paintings and frame them. Mix in some antique or vintage ones for interest. Start with the largest piece in the centre and work outwards. Group smaller frames closer together and leave a little more negative wall space around the larger ones.

Spend some time organizing and styling the objects you have already into an interesting display. Grouping things together makes a bigger impact. Use the old rule of odd numbers and, again, start with the largest item and work outwards. Using items of varying sizes and shapes will create the most dynamic look. Remember, the most important rule here is that there is no rule – anything goes. Display things that you love and your home will really reflect your unique personality.

Highlight a collection

Like the curated look, a collection of objects is a great way to put style into your home. Most people collect things, so why not put these on display the way designers and stylists do? Gather all those items that you’ve picked up along the way that are similar and put them front and centre for maximum effect. Have fun with this one. Your collection can be anything you love. It doesn’t have to make sense – as long as you love them, these objects will look great in the room.

Create an unexpected vignette

Any place in your home can be an opportunity to inject some style. Kitchen shelves, an unused corner, a staircase landing – these are all perfect spots to create an intimate and interesting display. Practicality doesn’t have to be boring. A small table where you put keys and mail can become a distinctive area by adding a beautiful bowl or tray and hanging some artwork above it. Your bedside table can keep books and TV remotes handy, but it can also be a place to showcase picture frames and objects you’ve collected on your travels. Often a cool find picked up at a flea market or vintage shop can become the focal point of these vignettes. Just one really interesting piece mixed in can become the jumping off point for the whole area.

Find handcrafted artisan pieces

Shop local to find something that is really one-of-a-kind. These craft pieces will be made with attention to detail and are almost always of high quality. They will stand out in the room and be conversation pieces. It feels great when you meet the person who has made the item (shopping from the artisan means the money goes directly to the artist) and being made locally means it’s eco-friendly. Plus you often have a great story about how it’s made, where the materials come from or an anecdote about the artist themselves.

Add small hits of bright colour

A bright piece of sculpture or glassware … a lacquered tray … a vintage sign or poster … all these things add a necessary pop of colour into our often neutral homes. Keeping the bones of the house and the larger investment pieces (like a sofa) neutral makes sense so you don’t tire of the colour on the walls or the pattern on a piece of furniture. But a vintage kilim or Turkish blanket in a bright colour can be just the thing to breathe new life into them.

Try incorporating some of these five top trends and make your home a place you can really call your own and be comfortable in. After all, we are going to be spending the better part of the next five months there!

 

Christine Roberts is a stylist and interior designer.  An avid vintage collector, she makes furniture and home accessories from reclaimed materials and co-founded The Leslieville Flea.

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