A Farmers Market Fall

As the world falls into autumn, head to the farmers market for your own personal harvest and turn it into décor with rich colors, textures and shapes.

The world dies a beautiful death every fall, heralded by blustery days and cool nights, fiery leaves and sunsets that are even more fiery. Everything turns inward, making us want to draw close to crackling fires and books perfumed with old paper and leather. This is exactly the time to head to your local farmers markets to shop for the fall bounty that’s unique to your area and is raised by local growers.

farmers market fall tablescape with fall bouquet and stacked pumpkins — **1. Stacked.** One way to easily add height to your tablescape is to stack your pumpkins. Simply cut the stem off your larger pumpkin and place a smaller one on top. To elevate your stack, use different types of pumpkins. photo by Toni Mogensen

So, grab a big basket and thermos of coffee and stroll through the stalls for vibrant veggies and fresh flowers. Then, when you return home, take out your mason jars, jeweled-tone vases, rustic vessels, crates and galvanized buckets to style arrangements that reflect the beauty and romance of this special season. Weave any extra greenery and veggies around the centerpieces and then accent everything with brass candlesticks and amber bottles.

“October gave a party; the leaves by hundreds came.” —George Cooper

pink and yellow pumpkins for a farmers market fall — **2. Get Grainy.** Grain sacks are great for décor because they have a rustic-meets-vintage vibe with their old-timey lettering and texture. You can use them as a base for your décor and also as an easy hostess gift wrap. Simply slip a bottle of wine into one and use a ribbon to cinch the opening around the bottle’s neck. Photo by Kelly mcMaster

blue thistle and marigold fall flower arrangement on outdoor dining table — 3. **POP OF POLKA DOTS.** CHEERY VESSELS IN CONTEMPORARY, BRIGHT COLORS GIVE A SPIRITED TWIST TO YOUR HOME WHEN YOU TUCK A VARIETY OF FALL-THEMED BLOOMS INTO THEM. RUN A ROW OF THE CONTAINERS DOWN THE CENTER OF YOUR TABLE, ALONG A WINDOWSILL OR ALONG YOUR WALKWAY. PLAIN POTS FROM THE CRAFT STORE ARE EASILY PAINTED IN YOUR COLORWAY. Photo: Getty IMages

farmers market fall bounty with pink yellow and white pumpkins and multi colored carrots — 4. **VEGGIE TALES.** FEW THINGS ARE AS EARTHY AND RUSTIC AS A BEVY OF FALL VEGETABLES! USE BOUNTIES OF CARROTS, RADISHES, GOURDS AND OTHER AUTUMNAL VEGGIES, ALONG WITH GREENERY, AS DYNAMIC FILLER AROUND YOUR CENTERPIECES. Photo: Kelly McMaster

farmers market pumpkins and fall floral bouquet — **5. WHEATIES.** WISPY BUNDLES OF WHEAT CREATE A WONDERFULLY TEXTURAL AND NEUTRAL NOTE FOR YOUR FALL DINNER PARTY. SLIP AN INDIVIDUAL STRAND INTO A NAPKIN AT EACH PLACE SETTING OR USE BUNDLES ARTFULLY TUCKED AROUND YOUR CENTERPIECES. photo by Kellie Coe

winter squash from farmers market on vintage food scale — **6. Antiquated.** Finds from thrift shops and antique stores are perfect for autumn-inspired vignettes. Simply style gourds alongside items such as old books, scales (which call to mind fall farmers markets), amber bottles, mason jars, moody art and other pieces that reference the harvest. Photo: Getty images

dining table with pumpkin and grass tablescape for a farmers market fall theme — **7. SITTING PRETTY.** REMEMBER TO STYLE YOUR SEATING! A MIX OF MUSTARD, FOREST GREEN, BURNT-ORANGE AND DARK-RED PILLOWS, ALONG WITH WOOL OR KNITTED BLANKETS, ENCOURAGE GUESTS TO GET COZY AND STAY AWHILE. Photo by Toni Mogensen

pumpkin and pompas grass fall tablescape — **8. OPEN FLAME.** CLEAR GLASS CANDLESTICKS ARE WONDERFUL BECAUSE—THANKS TO THEIR TRANSLUCENCE—THEY ALLOW YOU TO CREATE DIFFERENT HEIGHTS FOR YOUR CENTERPIECES WITHOUT WEIGHING DOWN YOUR DÉCOR. THEY’RE ALSO EASY TO FIND AT THRIFT STORES. GIVE THEM A FESTIVE FLAIR BY PUTTING BEESWAX TAPERS IN THEM. Photo by Toni Mogensen

bouquet of radishes from farmers market — 9. **Ravishing Radishes.** Fall veggies don’t just belong in salads! Use them as the crowning gem of a centerpiece. For example, these radishes, seen here with their leaves, create a quirky and wholesome bouquet. They’re also beautiful when added to a vase of harvest-colored roses. After the party, chop them up for a hearty vegetable stew. Photo: getty

farmers market fall vignette with flowers and pears — **10. TISKET-TASKET BASKET.** STURDY BASKETS AND WATERING CANS ARE GREAT VESSELS FOR YOUR OUTDOOR DÉCOR. PLACE THEM BY YOUR DOORWAY TO WELCOME IN YOUR GUESTS AND HINT AT WHAT’S TO COME INSIDE. Photo: getty

blue vintage style vase with fall red and yellow flowers — **11. GLEAMING GLASSWARE.** JEWEL-TONED GLASS GOBLETS, WATER GLASSES OR VASES COMPRISE THE PERFECT BASE FOR YOUR FALL BOUQUETS. MIX AND MATCH SEVERAL DIFFERENT GOBLETS AND PLACE THEM ALL TOGETHER FOR AN EYE-CATCHING TABLEAU. Photo: Getty

farmers market fall produce radishes tomatoes — **12. Curated Crates.** Crates with slats are visually interesting and showcase their contents, making them intriguing statement décor pieces. Look for ones with light-hued wood. They’ll contrast with a vibrant abundance of colorful vegetables to create an earthy centerpiece. Photo: Getty images

zinnias in a mason jar for a fall vignette — **13. MASONRY.** NOTHING SAYS “FALL” QUITE LIKE MASON JARS. USE YOURS AS VASES AND EMBELLISH THEM WITH LABELS PRINTED ON VINTAGE-INSPIRED PAPER THAT’S TIED ON WITH STRING. WRAP THE STRING AROUND THE JAR ONCE OR TWICE FOR ADDED INTEREST. YOU CAN WRITE GUESTS’ NAMES ON THE LABELS AND USE THEM AS BOTH PLACE CARDS AND FAVORS FOR A FALL GATHERING. photo by kelly mcmaster

farmers market cabbage in a mason jar — 14. NO FLOWERS NECESSARY. “NO-FLOWER” CENTERPIECES FOR THE HARVEST SEASON PUT THE FOCUS ON THE BEAUTY OF VEGETABLES. PLACE LETTUCE STEMS (IT’S LOVELY TO MIX PURPLE AND GREEN LETTUCE LEAVES) IN A VASE. ALTERNATIVELY, LINE THE INTERIOR OF A CLEAR VASE WITH LETTUCE LEAVES FOR A FUN PRESENTATION. photo by kelly mcmaster

mantel with fall bouquet and gallery wall — **15.** **Branch Out.** Other great fall décor items are branches. You can easily find these on walks around your neighborhood. Display them on a mantel with vintage paint-by-number art for a classic look. photo by kelly mcmaster

turkey painting and decorative pumpkins in farmers market fall home — **16. PLAY A TUNE.** MOST LIKELY, YOUR HOME HAS A VARIETY OF SURFACES THAT CAN BE TRANSFORMED BY FALL DÉCOR. HERE, A PIANO GETS A FESTIVE “FACE-LIFT” WITH A PIECE OF AUTUMNAL ART, ALONG WITH CANDLES AND WHITE PUMPKINS. THE PIANO SEAT ALSO GETS A SEASONAL SPIFF-UP WITH A FAUX FUR SEAT COVER AND DECADENT CASHMERE THROW BLANKET. photo by kara williams

farmers market in the fall with squashes and handpainted signs — **17. MAKE A DAY OF IT.** GET IN A FALL FRAME OF MIND BY HEADING TO YOUR LOCAL FARMERS MARKET. NOT ONLY CAN YOU GET AN ABUNDANCE OF DÉCOR FOR YOUR HOME, YOU CAN ALSO NAB DELICIOUS CIDER, JARS OF HONEY AND JAMS, AND OTHER OCTOBER-THEMED EATS TO OFFER YOUR GUESTS. photo: getty images

farmers market fall tablesetting with small pumpkins in each place setting — **18. A Place at the Table.** Make every place setting pretty with two neutral plates as a base, along with a patterned plate, leaf and a petite pumpkin. Of course, a napkin in an autumnal color scheme will provide the perfect finishing touch. photo by kelly mcmaster

farmers market fall living table runner of fresh fruit and leaves — 19. FRESH FRUIT. JUST AS VEGETABLES MAKE FOR GREAT, TEXTURAL TABLETOP DÉCOR, SO DOES FRUIT. GREEN AND RED GRAPES, HALVED BLOOD ORANGES AND GOLDEN PEARS MAKE FOR A STUNNING STILL LIFE DISPLAY. SIMPLY ACCENT EVERYTHING WITH CANDLES IN BRASS CANDLESTICKS AND BOUGHS OF GREENERY. photo by toni mogensen

To see more of the homes shown here, follow them on Instagram: @cottagefleabythesea, @littlehouseonchestnut, @thecoefam and @toni_marianna.

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