I don’t know about you, but I’ve officially turned into a fall girl. I thought I was all about summer — freshness, being outdoors, beach life, long days — especially since I’m a June baby. Maybe moving to Texas humbled me a little when it comes to weather and taught me to appreciate whatever season we’re in, no matter how hot, muggy, or rainy it may actually be outside.

My approach to fall home decor is to change the mood with a few accents: burgundy and brown, warm light, textured materials, and florals. Below are six finds, how I styled them at home, and similar pieces where I could not find the exact item.

But I’m realizing it’s not necessarily the weather or even the leaves changing that I love so much. It’s the feeling of fall. Lately, I’ve been craving that shift everywhere around me — in my workspace, my home, the colors I’m drawn to, and the furniture and pieces I’m slowly integrating into our space. Things feel a little deeper, moodier, warmer and more collected. And lately, I’ve decided my home needs to participate.

I knew pretty quickly that I didn’t want to fill the house with orange, pumpkins everywhere, or anything that felt overly themed. My version of fall home decor is a little moodier and more collected: deep browns, burgundy and wine tones, a little plum, candlelight, florals, darker woods and woven textures. Pieces with some weight and character to them. Basically, things that make the house feel like fall without screaming IT’S FALL.

So naturally, I went to HomeGoods and World Market and spent approximately 3.5 hours there. A significant portion of that time may or may not have been spent in the candle aisle. I wish I were kidding. But I came home with a few things I genuinely love and wanted to share them. I’ve included links to similar items I found online if I could not find the exact piece I bought. There are so many choices online anyway, the idea itself is what I want to share the most.

A Candle Warmer for Cozy Fall Evenings

One of my favorite finds has been a candle warmer. Let me preface this by saying I didn’t even know candle warmers were a thing. How did I just learn about them? It’s like a mini lamp in the form of a candle, giving both beautiful scent and a gorgeous accent / decorative piece that feels more full and like a statement. Well, I stumbled across this at Home Goods and knew it wasn’t going to be the first time I ever purchase this.

I don’t know why it took me this long to get one, but I’m officially converted. There were so many cute styles, but I opted for one that is very classic and elegant (so my style). I love the soft glow it adds to the room. It warms the candle evenly across the top instead of burning it, and there’s no flame, soot or smoke in the air. Gosh, what a game changer. I placed it on top of a console that holds my picture gallery and it makes the space feel so intentional and decorative. I’ve been turning it on in the evenings. It’s one of those relatively small things that has made me disproportionately happy.

Here is a similar candle warmer on WayFair. It’s more expensive than the one I got at HomeGoods, which was around $15-$20.

Burgundy Taper Candles

I found the most gorgeous taper candles at Home Goods. Originally, I thought I should choose something more traditionally fall — maybe burnt orange or a warm cream. But then I saw these deep brown/burgundy tapers that almost read plum or wine depending on the light, and I’m sorry, but I’m so into burgundy these days.

I paired them with these beautiful Rachel Zoe taper holders I found at HomeGoods, and I LOVE the combination of the subtle gold with the rustic wine-colored candles. They’re seasonal without being seasonal, if that makes sense. I can see myself using them throughout fall, Thanksgiving and straight into Christmas. I also love that the color adds something unexpected instead of automatically reaching for orange just because it’s October.

Here are similar taper candles from Crate & Barrel.

An Antique-Inspired Decorative Tray

Then there was probably the best impulse item I’ve bought in years. You know when you browse the home section at World Market and they have all those little furniture setups staged with the most intricate, interesting pieces that you would never think work with your home? Well, I spotted this antique-looking tray sitting on a coffee table, and I thought, hell, I’m gonna buy that. It’s not something I planned on buying but I knew it would add that rustic, fall look while also being a gorgeous all-year round piece. It adds contrast and interest to my mostly neutral space, which it really needed.

I barely examined it. Within seconds, it was in my cart. There was no “Oh wow, this is stunning, let me stare at it for ten minutes and analyze every detail to make sure it’s worth it.” Nope. I grabbed it and knew that it would live with me for a long time. What I think I love is how versatile it is and how it felt like such a transitional and multi-purpose piece that would work in any season and just add a gorgeous statement.

For now, I placed it on my round glass dining table, where I styled it with my taper candle, hydrangeas and candle. It has this rustic warmth to it with hints of earthy color, lots of texture and these rigid, imperfect lines that give it so much character. It has enough presence to stand out without feeling too precious or polished, and I absolutely love the character it adds to my space.

Here is the Antique Gold Metal Sunburst Ribbed Organic Tray from World Market.

Pumpkin Spice Room Spray

Okay, I was never a pumpkin spice girl, but this year, I am. I picked up a pumpkin spice room spray from World Market. Yes, I had an internal battle with myself for a few minutes deciding… Am I that girl? Do I really need this? Am I gonna spray it a few times in October and November and then toss it in the storage for the rest of the year after? Debatable… but honestly, for $10 something in the air (no pun intended) was telling me to just buy it. To not over-think it and to have a little fun. And honestly, I kinda really love it.

I sprayed a few sprays around the house and the entire space feels warmer and cozier and delicious. My husband even came downstairs and said, “Mmm, it smells like pumpkin spice.” So yeah, it was a good buy. Scent is something that I realized is so effortless but can be a big part of how a home feels to me. Will I swap out the scent and buy a new one in December? Probably. But all in all, I’m discovering how scent plays a part in our daily life and how it makes us feel, and I look forward to exploring that more in the future.

Here is the Apothecary Pumpkin Spice Room Spray from World Market.

Green + Burgundy Hydrangeas

I found these gorgeous artificial hydrangeas, and they finally gave me a reason to use a pair of small black vases my brother gifted me a few years ago. The quality of the vases is wonderful, very durable, and make great statement pieces. But I’ve never quite known what to put in them since they’re on the smaller side and I never really took the time to decide what to put in them.

World Market has a whole floral section and I especially love those small bunches at the front of the store. I am loving hydrangeas these days, so I bought a pair of green and burgundy. Something about the color against the black added this drama and sophistication while still feeling fresh. I really am so, so happy with them.

I especially love bringing florals into fall because they soften some of the deeper colors and heavier textures. And I’m glad I found a way to utilize the gorgeous vases. In the future, I’ll keep swapping them out for different small flowers.

Here are Faux Hydrangea Bunches Set of 3 at World Market.

One Very Good Burgundy Pumpkin

Yes, after saying I didn’t want pumpkins everywhere, I bought a pumpkin. I never said no pumpkins. I found this gorgeous dark brown/burgundy glass pumpkin that, from far away, could almost pass for a simple round glass centerpiece. It’s subtle and mature-looking, which is what drew me to it. Rather than surrounding it with a bunch of other seasonal pieces, I put it on my coffee table with an oversized woven basket and a candle I already had, and I love how they all look together.

Here’s a similar Red Glass Pumpkin I found online.

How I would build on this look without buying everything

The black vases from my brother are a good example of why I like starting with what I own. I had the vases for years; the green and burgundy hydrangeas gave them a purpose. The dark vase supplies contrast, the green keeps the arrangement from feeling heavy, and the burgundy connects it to the other accents in the room. That is a useful design principle: repeat a color in a few separate places rather than buying an entire matching set.

On my round glass dining table, the textured tray does a different job. It groups the candles and flowers into one arrangement, so they read as a deliberate focal point. To try the idea in your own home, choose one surface, gather the pieces you already have, and change just one element. A new stem or a deeper candle color can be enough. Step back and check the whole arrangement before adding more.

Creating the Feeling of Fall

I think that’s what I’m liking most about decorating this year. I’m not trying to transform every corner of the house into fall. I’m adding a few things with enough presence that they can shift the feeling of the space without needing much around them.

Looking around now, I think what I love most is that so many of these things won’t suddenly become irrelevant the day after Thanksgiving. The taper holders can be reused through the holidays and as accent pieces later in the year. The candle warmer has nothing to do with fall but brings that warmth and coziness to my home. It certainly isn’t going anywhere during the other seasons. The colors I’m gravitating toward — burgundy, chocolate brown, plum, black and warm wood — paired with fresh greens and florals feel less like a fall theme and more like another layer of my taste that I’m discovering.

And maybe that’s why I’ve been enjoying decorating for fall so much this year. I’m not trying to create a picture-perfect “fall home.” I’m just having fun with my space — moving things around, bringing out pieces I’ve forgotten about, adding colors I’m naturally gravitating toward, and letting the house help me feel the way I want to feel: cozy, intentional, relaxed and very ready for fall.

Again, I’ve linked a few of the pieces that are similar to what I bought above (I was not able to find every single item I bought specifically) in case anything caught your eye. Nothing here is sponsored, just things I bought and genuinely loved.

Happy fall 🤎

For a related next step, see Unlocking Your Creative Potential: Overcoming Perfectionism in Graphic Design.

Try one arrangement with pieces you already own, then change a color, texture, or light source. For more personal design notes, join my newsletter.