Fall is a time to refocus and find comfort at home

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network Oct. 21, 2023

 Fall sort of slips in without a lot of fanfare and for a while, the changes are subtle. But there are so many things to love about this season and it’s important that even in Florida, we acknowledge the shift in seasons, both personally and in our homes.

 Fall reminds us that Halloween is only a couple of weeks away. We begin dreaming about cooler days. Pumpkin spice is all the rage. Farmers markets have returned. Days are getting shorter and we “fall” back on Nov. 5. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Hurricane season ends on Nov. 30. And I won’t tell you how few days we have until Christmas!

Pretty and simple, a bouquet of sunflowers will bring a touch of fall into any home. Shown: Portside expandable beach house dining table with chairs in sage. Serena & Lily

It’s the time of year when I like to head to North Carolina. My fall memories there are very sweet and always make me think of heading to college, football, beautiful leaves and the anticipation of change. It calls to me and my heart tells me that it’s time to go look for fall. And so I do each year.

 For me, fall, even more than New Years, is a time to reset, readjust and refocus. It’s about finding thing those things that give us comfort. Just as the trees shed their beautiful leaves, we’re reminded that it’s important to let go of what no longer serves us or supports us. And that’s what fall is all about. Letting go. Hope. Comfort. Change.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the most difference when it comes to making changes to mark the coming season. Pumpkins and fall colors from Benjamin Moore. 

 As a Southwest Florida interior decorator, I make homes pretty. Solve problems that bother the homeowner. Pull everything together for a calm, cohesive look. The ultimate goal: happiness when you walk in the door. And sometimes it’s the little things that make the most difference when it comes to making changes to mark the coming season. Some of my favorites include:

·       Start with a good decluttering. It will make you feel better. Say goodbye to anything that no longer makes you happy or supports your lifestyle.

·       Go to your closet, bring the long sleeves and jackets and boots to the front.

·       In the pantry, clean out all of the old spices and make room for the new as we get ready for the coming holidays.

·       Visit fall art shows and flea markets to invest in a new piece of art or an accent piece.

Fall fabric and pine cones. Photo: Kravet.

·       With shorter days, now is a good time to take a look at your lighting and perhaps add a new lamp or two. As the days become shorter, I like to add more candles in the evenings.

·       The change in seasons is a perfect time to invest in new linens, towels, throws, blankets.

·       For an outdoor space, add string lights. They are cheerful and add atmosphere to an outdoor dinner.

·       Change your fireplace mantel or tablescape with creamy neutrals accented with seasonal tones, gourds, pumpkins, leaves, baskets, accents.

·       As you spend more time outdoors, add some new pillows and throws (for chilly nights) to your chairs.  

·       Start at the front door with mums, a new welcome mat, wreath and faux pumpkins (Tip: spray paint the pumpkins to reflect your color scheme).

·       While you’re at the front door, consider giving it a fresh coat of paint. Think about some yummy seasonal colors from Benjamin Moore: Peach Cider, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Seeds, Autumn Cover and Witching Hour. For tips on painting a front door:  benjaminmoore.com/en-us/interior-exterior-paints-stains/how-to-advice/exteriors/paint-a-front-door

·       On the first cool morning: open all of the windows and let the fresh air into your home and breathe it in.

Happy fall!

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solve decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Creating comfort at home for fall

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • Oct. 3, 2020

Let’s face it: the last two seasons, spring and summer, took away a lot of our comfort and security. Fall weather is right around the corner and offers a chance to bring a few positive changes into our homes. A chance to create some comfort in stressful times.

We don’t really have seasons in Florida. And that’s okay with most of us who came here from someplace else, fleeing cold weather. As a matter of fact, if it were not for the Publix cinnamon brooms that appear in September, we might not even know that there is a change. But the truth is that even in our year-round tropical paradise where there is little change in the weather, fall brings a noticeable shift. And that’s a healthy thing.

This is when I think of growing up in Virginia and going to college in North Carolina. Fall was beautiful with cool breezes, football games, homecoming, friends and the excitement of the beginning of another college year. I remember walking to classes and just taking in “fall.” I felt such a sense of place those fall seasons and it has stayed with me all these years. Fall is a very nostalgic time.

Unlike the rest of the country, the slight drop in temperature has most of us heading for the beach, sprucing up our lanais for the season and getting outdoors more. As a Fort Myers interior decorator, I can tell you that I (along with most of my clients) like to make a few subtle changes in my home to honor the arrival of fall. Or as I call it, celebrating the end of a long, hot summer. Most of these changes cost very little and you can buy much of what you need from the grocery store or order online without major shopping trips. A few of my favorites:

A light decluttering

Since we have been at home so much, things have piled up! Do a little fall decluttering and organizing. Focus on finding some clear surface spaces and eliminating what you no longer need. And while you are at it, toss your old spices and refresh with new ones. The change in seasons is also a perfect time to invest in new linens, towels, throws, blankets. All just in time for the holidays.

Create the feeling

Start at the front door with a new doormat. My favorite is “hello pumpkin,” which can be found online. One of my clients paints her front door each fall and spring. To keep things interesting. Some favorite front door colors for fall: Benjamin Moore’s Hawthorne Yellow, Autumn Leaf and Fiesta Orange. Add a wreath to the door, a few pumpkins (faux in Florida), potted plants and lanterns and you are set.

Benjamin Moore’s Hawthorne Yellow. Photo: Benjamin Moore

Spicy hues or not

If the oranges, browns and yellows are just not your palette, that’s fine. Any color found in nature says fall. Rich cranberry burgundy, blueberry, sunflower yellows, bright greens…all work for fall and are a nice change when mixed with our more coastal palettes.

And as for pumpkins, they come in all colors. Blues, white, even pink. I like to mix them up.

Create a tablescape

For your dining table, coffee table or the end of a kitchen island. Mine this year is a mix of white pumpkins, striped pumpkins and a bag of gourds from the grocery store. Some yellow mums, corn and candles. Very simple.

Set the dining table

If Halloween is more your thing than fall, that could be the theme. In either case, add some seasonal placemats and napkins, add a center piece. Design special themed place cards for each member of the family. Put a few fall or Halloween treats at each plate. Make it a little special since there are going to be fewer activities this year.

Set a pretty table with faux pumpkins and fall elements from www.potterybarn.com. Photo: Pottery Barn.

Entry table

One of my favorites is to fill a dough bowl with elements of the season: potpourri, acorns, colored leaves, gourds and even a few twinkling lights. Change out the content each season or just for fun.

Change your scents to fall

Bring fall into your space before it even arrives with yummy scents: Fall in a Jar, Fresh Fall Morning, White Pumpkin, Leaves, Apple Weather and lots of others from Bath & Body.

Mix creamy neutrals with seasonal hues

Change your fireplace mantel with creamy neutrals accented with seasonal tones, gourds, pumpkins, leaves, baskets, accents.

Welcome fall!

On the first cool morning: open all of the windows and let the fresh air into your home. Take a deep breath and enjoy a new season that brings renewed hope.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog