8 Fall Interior Design Trends for a warm and cozy home
With all the chaos in the world right now, we want to feel safe and comfortable in our own home. We want a sense of connection to not only others but also to our physical space in an intentional and mindful way. What materials are important to us? Where are they sourced from and how are they made? These are all important questions to consider. Just as what we eat affects our health, so does what we bring into our home (as well as what is already in our home) affect us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Below are 8 interior design trends for fall that is all about embracing a warm and cozy home inspired by nature, helping us feel a sense of renewed connection to the soul.
Miss Alice Designs
1. Earth Tones
Earth tones like chocolate brown, terracotta, mahogany, beige, and ochre to name a few, all come from elements of nature. These colors contain some brown pigments in them which gives off a warm, rich, and soothing vibe to any space. Earth tones work well when it is layered with enough texture from wood furniture to a marble coffee table, bouclé throw, leather sofa, or cane chair. The beauty of earth tones is that it works well with any design style and comes in all kinds of shades, tints, and tones from muted to bold. You can start small with a fresh bouquet of flowers filled with earthy colors or simple home decor like this simple and unique terracotta vase below.
2. Green is In
Green has been a big trend for a while and will continue to be popular into the fall. Many major paint brands have named green as their color of the year. It’s a soothing color bringing lots of fresh energy, renewal, and life to a room. Green is the most common color in nature, and we can’t help but feel relaxed in the great outdoors. We’ll be seeing this beautiful color everywhere from textiles to artwork, paint colors, furniture, home decor, and especially bold patterned tile.
If you are nervous about incorporating green in your home on a large scale with bold patterns, start on a smaller scale. Add green woven pillows on your sofa, plants in your kitchen, or accessories on your coffee table. Green works nicely in combination with neutrals, pink, burgundy, rust, and even mustard. When paired with wood furniture and marble, it adds texture and depth to a space.
Miss Alice Designs
3. Patterns Inspired by Nature
Patterns inspired by nature (whether they are in the form of stripes, spirals, spots, geometric, or countless other patterns), will be popular in textiles and surface materials from pillows to tiles. We’ll see abstract and geometric patterns used on kitchen backsplashes, bathroom walls and floors, wallpaper, fireplace surrounds, and roof decks to name a few. If you are planning on using a bold patterned geometric pattern for your bathroom floors as a focal point, keep everything else simple. That means sticking to a neutral color palette and a simple look for your walls, vanity, and lights so it’s not competing with the floors. The patterned floor tile would be the “star” and focal point of the space. According to researchers, repeating patterns at different scales and sizes can reduce stress levels, leading to a more calm and peaceful state of mind.
4. Vintage Furniture
Vintage, antique, and consignment furniture have become quite popular since the pandemic. More and more people are looking for one-of-a-kind and unique pieces to incorporate in their homes rather than mass-produced furniture which can take months to receive due to supply chain issues. I can understand why someone wouldn’t want their home to look like it came straight out of a Pottery Barn catalogue. It’s not visually interesting, nor does it look curated to the specific needs or personality of the individual.
Vintage items work well with any design style and can make a room shine with character and personality. Not only are aged pieces beautiful, warm, and charming, but they are also an environmentally friendly and sustainable choice. However, older antique items usually come at a higher cost, but it’s worth the investment. There’s nothing quite like owning a beautiful vintage piece with so much rich history and story behind it that you can enjoy and appreciate for years to come.
5. Soft Curves
We see curves everywhere in nature. By mirroring the shapes of objects from the natural world, curved furniture and accessories are a creative way to make a bold statement to your space, while bringing the outdoors inside. It feels so good to sink into furniture that has a softness to it from a velvet sofa with a curved back to a round leather cocktail table to a cane bed frame with an arch silhouette. Curves break up the harshness of sharp lines from furniture and the shape of a room by softening up the space. It helps create a calming effect on our visual system - our mind, body, and soul. Curves tend to remove the edge from your line of sight and draw your attention to a focal point or a particular feature.
6. Wood Elements
Connecting to oneself is also about connecting to the natural elements in your physical space. Wood, especially, has so much character, texture, and dimension as seen in its unique knots and grains. It is great for creating a statement and focal point from furniture to wall and ceiling paneling. Since wood used to be a living organism, it contains a positive energy from nature that affects us in a spiritual way. Its natural organic elements make it one of the most versatile materials to incorporate in your home from a stunning oak dining table to a rich walnut dresser. Wood enhances any materials around it from stone to glass, textiles, and metal helping create a warm, soothing, and cozy environment.
7. Textured Fabrics
Texture is anything that can be felt, touched, and seen. When it comes to creating a comfortable and warm space with lots of visual interest, textured fabrics will do just that. The key is to layer and mix different types of fabric to create contrast and dimension between various textures. You can place a bouclé throw over your sofa, add velvet, chenille, or woven throw pillows to your bed, or layer a beautiful Persian wool rug over a larger jute rug or carpet. Cotton, linen, wool, silk, and jute are a few materials created from natural fibers found in nature from plant seeds, leaves, stems, and some insects. Without texture, a space will look flat so incorporating textured fabric will create dimension, depth, and comfort in a space.
8. Low-Profile Furniture
Low-profile furniture that sits closer to the floor or even sits on the floor provides a calm, relaxing, and Zen vibe to a room. The lower seat with short backs and sometimes armless design takes up less room than traditional sofas and is great for smaller spaces. It’s a cozy alternative that is perfect for entertaining and casual lounging. There’s nothing quite like sinking into a low, soft, comfy seat that feels soft and luxurious to the touch. If you meditate or spend quiet time for self-reflection, low-profile furniture would be perfect for creating that sacred Zen space for your daily practice.
Remember, trends come and go. What speaks to you on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual state? It’s more important to fill your home with things you love that represent who you are rather than what’s trendy and popular right now. As an interior designer, it is my responsibility to report on the latest trends in interior design and home decor, but I always advocate for a simple, comfortable, and inviting home that best represents you. If you need a designer’s help and touch to transform your space, please schedule a 30-minute discovery call here.