This fall, imbue your seasonal décor with the patina of vintage and antique finds. Gather inspiration from this vintage fall home.
For blogger and podcaster Kelly Wilkniss of My Soulful Home, warming up the home with personal style means honoring the history of it in fresh, meaningful ways. “What makes any décor interesting is when you have different looks combined in an interesting way,” she says.
Before Kelly’s keen eye for décor reinvigorated this Victorian, the house had been “very dark and full of doilies—Victorian to the extreme,” Kelly laughs. “I certainly didn’t want to live in a museum.” All the same, Kelly insists she wanted to stay true to the home’s roots. Many of the home’s features come from the original: unique light fixtures, a claw-foot bathtub and old wood painted in glorious new shades. Here are some of our favorite ways she puts her spin on fall decorating.
Signs of the Season
“It’s great to bring in natural elements, and nothing does more for a room than bringing in fresh flowers,” homeowner Kelly Wilkniss says. A favorite of her “nods to the season,” sunflowers, with their happy golden hues, are a great fall flower. “When I decorate for the fall, I like to be subtle and not go overboard with color.”
Fall Air
“I’m not afraid to bring the inside to the outside,” Kelly explains. She has several pieces of indoor furniture she uses on her porch. “Adding a rug anchored the furniture, and adding draperies delineated the space and gave some privacy,” she says. “Then I added some tall plants to bring height and combine the indoors with the outdoors.”
Décor in the Details
“When Victorians used wood that wasn’t that great, such as in the staircase, they meant for it to be painted,” Kelly says. So she made sure to paint the staircase—but with a style all her own. Never one to let a small area go unnoticed, Kelly added a seasonal vignette to the hall table that brings a spot of cheer to the space.
Seasonal Swaps
A painting of Central Park hangs in the living room. Kelly likes to “pop color” throughout the season to hint at fall with shades of gold, yellow and saffron.
Fall Variety
Experiment with other seasonal bounty to change up the look of your decorative vignettes.
Color Coded
Change up your textiles and accessories to give your rooms a fall makeover.
Say it with Flowers
Sunflowers are the perfect fall touch for anyone who wants to avoid a themed look and rather opt for a subtle touch. The kitchen needed the most work. But staying true to the house’s history, Kelly used brass faucets. “Respecting the age of the house was important throughout the entire process,” she says.
Farmers’ Market Finds
Your local farmers’ market is a great source of decorating inspiration. Use what’s in season to embellish your style in a timely way.
Seasonal Texture
An old coffee tin is the perfect vessel for a seasonal arrangement of blooms in the kitchen.
This bundle of letters came in a trunk Kelly found at an estate sale. They feature an exchange between a nephew and aunt, who sent each other notes while the young man fought abroad.
Mini pumpkins, Granny Smith apples and a soft buffalo check make a great combo of color and texture on the dining table.
Kelly brought pattern into her décor with wallpaper pieces. “I didn’t want to commit to wallpapering the whole room, so I slipped some toile wallpaper into these frames,” she says. The tall frames help guide the eye up the corner of the room.
If you loved this home, read on for Rustic Cottage Style with an Edge and A Classic Georgetown Bungalow with Modern Comforts. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!
