Fall Is Here And So Is The Chance To Revamp Your Decor

By ~fabulous~ guest writer Emily Rice

Incorporating plaid in small ways throughout your home.

As far back as I can remember, my home was decked out in plaid. No, we aren't of Irish or Scottish descent, not enough to celebrate this much anyway. My mom sold Longaberger Baskets, in a life before kids, and now the remnants were everywhere. My mother also had a proclivity towards 'country homestead' decor. Plaid curtains with pears, plaid tea towels with apples, plaid Longaberger dishware and cookware. To top it all off, we kids were sent to a uniform-strict school and guess what pattern they were? You guessed it, plaid. When I became an adult, I couldn't wait to ditch all the plaid I was forced to see and wear every day! However, slowly, as I became the recipient of hand-me-downs and found a love for yard-sales, I began to incorporate plaid back into my life; it grew into a love story between plaid and myself, not just my mother's influence anymore.

Fall and winter are my absolute favorite times of year to display soft, plaid accents. Here are a few ways to bring the coziness into your home, seasonally and year-round.

1. Blankets, DUH!

I don't know about your couches, but mine constantly have blankets draped over them, either for my chilly self or for my kitties to take a picturesque snooze. The great thing about sofas is that they usually come in a neutral tone: brown, gray, beige, etc. My couch is a dark blueish gray color and you better believe a warm, red-tone plaid blanket feels like crunchy leaves and hot cocoa (but much warmer and dry).

2. Wall Art

Wall art, whether it be framed photos, fabrics, eclectic handmade pieces, or whatever, has a 365-day/year job decorating your walls. There must be a perfect balance between the seasons represented, at least that's how I see it. I love to add texture to my walls and art in a few ways, and I love a good DIY or handmade project. One of the easiest ways is to use plaid stock paper as the background in frames. Choose colors that complement the rest of your home and the colors in the photo or art in the frame.

Another way to utilize wall space and add softness to the room is by hanging plaid fabrics in inconspicuous places. Try behind a metal bookshelf, next to a lamp in the reading room, or plaid fabric peeking through a wreath on the front door (yes, this can be done seasonally). 

3. The kitchen (where my mom liked to keep the most plaid)

I don't recommend pear and plaid curtains in the kitchen, unless you're going for a really bold statement, but I still keep plaid in sight in my own kitchen these days. Here's a few places I sneak plaid in: mason jar vases with plaid bows; it's like a cozy blanket for your flowers.  A plaid table runner OR a plaid table runner atop the kitchen cabinets. My mom did something similar, but with plaid-lined and bowed baskets. A table runner weaving through houseplants, decorative crocks, or whatever you keep up there, brings a pop of unexpected color to a space that is easily forgotten. And the last place I keep plaid is in my own Longaberger basket, a precious hand-me-down, that I place on my table for holding napkins-just as it was used throughout my childhood.

So there you have it,

Bring a little tradition into your home this year with plaid; whether it be summer, fall, winter, spring, there's a way --and a color palette-- to fit your space.

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To see more of Emily's style, visit her Pinterest page here.