How to Dress Your Home for Fall with Cozy Decor

Welcome to September, the hard stop to summer's sun-on-your-eyelids bliss. Except not really, right? Here in the Midwest, summer and autumn live side by side for a time, and every day can bring equal chances of swelter and shiver. Just as you have to get creative with your clothing during the seasonal transition, you can dress your home to embrace both vibes as well. It's as simple as pairing a straw tote with a slouchy cardigan (or a woven sunburst wall hanging and a sumptuous vintage rug). The result is a fashionable juxtaposition of tone and texture that bridges two seasons by incorporating the best of each.

(Top left) Switching out your art with each season seems, well, a little indulgent. But you can use a site like Minted to find affordable prints. Layer a few in one frame, and when you crave a new mood or palette, swapping takes just moments. (Top right) Add pops of fall red with living leaves, like this Japanese maple.

(Above) A room-size vintage rug can be a bank-breaker. Make a smaller piece (like the beauty from Minneapolis' Arlee Park) fit a large space by layering a summery sisal rug beneath it. (Right) Wait-is that a patio chair? The natural-look caning on this aluminum Woodard rocker gives a chill vintage feel without the upkeep. Inexpensive Mexican yoga blankets add nubby texture and never-ending color-their rich dyes won't fade in the laundry.

Soften a tabletop with baskets and trivets made of coiled upholstery cord piping wrapped (or sewn) with embroidery thread.

Create a comfy lap throw in just a couple of hours by arm-knitting with chunky roving. (That's the bundled fibers used to spin yarn-find it at crafts stores.)

Colorful embroidery thread cocoons the branches of these rattan wreaths, a modern update on basic grapevine. Buy them bare, and choose wraps that complement your decor.

The tactile materials in our fiber art projects-cotton, linen, wool-echo the layers and wraps that emerge in fall. Even the framed artwork (above at right) has an intriguing woven texture. This tone-on-tone abstract is just a canvas drop cloth coated in paint. Broad strokes with a utility brush produce the mottled effect. Make one for your space using a hue from the unexpected sunbaked palette (below) that inspired this feature.

Dimensional pieces add interest to a gallery wall. Swap out a few frames for DIY wreaths as we did.

Terra-cotta's natural earthiness is a no-brainer in the garden. But bringing it indoors will warm any room.

Clockwise from top left: Benjamin Moore Adobe White 2166-70; Benjamin Moore Hazy Blue 2040-50; Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines On Bosque; Sherwin-Williams Hunt Club SW 6468.

STORAGE AREA

Cabinet Threshold Vista Library Cabinet with Glass, color: gray. Target (target.com). Rugs (rolled and on floor) Vintage. Arlee Park (arleepark.com). Chair Bandalier arm chair, color: light oak. Safavieh (safavieh.com). Pouf Leather Square Moroccan Pouf Ottoman, color: orange. Ikram Design, available at Hayneedle (hayneedle.com). Art print Wild and Free by Robin Ott of Orrville, Ohio. Minted (minted.com). Plant stand (shown with vase) Iron Plant Stand. Magnolia Market (magnoliamarket.com). Pillow Sherpa Fleece Throw Pillow, color: blush. Urban Outfitters (urbanoutfitters.com).

SEATING AREA

Upholstered chairs Flynn Mid-Century Chair, wood with linen upholstery, color: gray. Better Homes and Gardens. Walmart (walmart.com). Rocker Parc rocker. Woodard (woodard-furniture.com). End table Round Pedestal Table, color: unfinished. Target (target.com). Wooden pot Cass Pot, size: large. Magnolia Market (magnoliamarket.com). Velvet pillows Copper Velvet Lumbar Pillow. World Market (worldmarket.com). Tassel pillow Aldalora Pillow. Anthropologie (anthropologie.com). Planter Calloway Pot, color: green. Anthropologie (anthropologie.com). Blanket Hand Woven Solid Color Mexican Yoga Blanket, color: forest green. Amazon (amazon.com).

BASKET PROJECT

Upholstery piping cord Michaels (michaels.com). Embroidery floss Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores (joann.com). Saucer Kobenler Scallop Saucer; size: medium; color: sand. Terrain (shopterrain.com).

KNITTING PROJECT

Roving Giant Blanket Wool Roving, size: 35 ounces. Charmkey. Available at Amazon (amazon.com). Find similar ready-made blankets at Holland, Michigan-based becozy.etsy.com.

WREATH PROJECT

Wreaths Woven Rattan Wreath, size: small, large; color: natural. Terrain (shopterrain.com).

LOUNGE AREA

Daybed frame Brighton Outdoor Daybed Ottoman, color: natural. Belham Living, available at Hayneedle (hayneedle.com). Daybed cushion Rohini Daybed Cushion, color: ivory. Urban Outfitters (urbanoutfitters.com). Rug Pala Textured Loop Rug; size: 5x7; color: ivory. Urban Outfitters (urbanoutfitters.com). Plush pillows Sherpa Fleece Throw Pillow, colors: blush, beige. Urban Outfitters (urbanoutfitters.com). Floor pillow Fringed Diendra Floor Pillow. Anthropologie (anthropologie.com). Leather stool (used as side table) Common Leather Stool, color: Marine Blue. Blu Dot (bluedot.com).Blanket Hand Woven Solid Color Mexican Yoga Blanket, color: camel. Amazon (amazon.com).