Experiencing fall in the home
through the five senses
I’m writing this on a glooming morning. An indicator of summer slowly fading into fall. In my last newsletter, I spoke about the beginning of my process of transitioning the experience of my home to reflect the season shortly arriving. In case you missed in, I suggest you go and take a look at it because that is an important place to start in my process.
Growing up my mom did an incredible job at bringing the seasons to life in our home. In my adult life, I’ve tried to pin point what she did that made it feel so warm and inviting so that I could recreate the experience in my home. What I realized was that she engaged more than just decor in her approach and I’ve enjoyed the seasons so much more when I started doing this myself!
Now that I’ve reflected on the words I want to encapsulate the feelings I want my home to evoke and pulled inspiration to create a North Star to refer back to through out the season — I’ll now consider how to engage all 5 senses to foster an authentic experience of the season in my home. Most of the time, people tend to focus only on the visuals when “decorating” for a season. Maybe they consider scent with a candle but there are still 3 other important senses not included! What I’ve realized after taking my approach for years is that once I’ve considered the other 4 senses, when I get to the visual decor elements — I actually don’t need a ton visually to have a profound effect in my space. So let’s break down each sense and how it contributes to the overall vibe in your home.
TASTE
Autumn is one my favorite seasons to both cook and eat! It’s also a great time to gather around a table with family and friends. Creating and revisiting traditions surrounding food is such a powerful way to create memories. And that’s not reserved for holidays. You can create weekly or daily rituals and traditions as you desire. It can be silly, it can be simple or it can be deeply meaningful. Take a moment to think about what dishes signify fall to you and your family. You can tap into your heritage and try a family recipe or a dish you mom or grandma made growing up. Or maybe there something you’ve been wanting to make but haven’t tried yet! This doesn’t have to be a quintessential “fall” dish — but if it feels like fall to you, that’s all that matters.
I know pumpkin-spice-everything is very fall-coded to many people but I find that flavor gross (I only like it in an actual pumpkin pie). My tastes for fall are more on the savory side. I also prefer apple centered treats over pumpkin and that feels like fall to me. (I am all about apple ciders this time of year.) I bake fresh loaves of bread with butter and sea salt flakes, I cook more soups and stews (beef stew is a big repeated dish we love this time of year!). Reflect on what tastes like fall to you and incorporate more of those flavors or dishes through out the season.
Another layer to this is not only the substance (the food / beverages itself) but the presentation. What you’re cooking things in, serving with, pouring into, etc. Your money and energy may be better allocated towards beautiful and proper serving utensils, dishwear, cookware and dining textiles to enjoy these dishes with, than buying fall themed decor. A sensorial experience like eating with people we love or even making solo dining more enjoyable is much more likely to solidify as a cherished memory than any decor ever will. And these functional but beautiful dish and serve wear can add a sense of depth and richness to those experiences.
SCENT
It’s been said that the sense of smell is our biggest memory trigger out of all our senses. And I can attest to that! When I smell something that is from my childhood I’ve been flooded with memories and emotions. It’s such a powerful sense that is worth engaging, especially during the seasons that bring our life indoors more.
I am keen on the idea of choosing a signature scent for the season. This will make a stronger attachment of memories to a particular scent. There are a variety of ways you can do this. The most obvious is through a candle. If you take this approach, I prefer to get one candle (even if you get multiples of it sprinkle through the house) to keep the scent cohesive. I’d personally rather splurge a little on a nice candle than have a ton of candles with different scents that compete. Candles are not the only option though! I have gotten further away from burning candles with artificial fragrance. (although I still do sometimes) I achieve a signature scent in other ways as well.
Essentials oils — I’ve got a couple individual oils and have also used pre-made blends to create a signature scent. You can diffuse it but I also just like adding some drops daily to my sinks and toilet that give off a subtle scent through out the house.
Cleaning supplies — I know many brands that have spray cleaners with different scents. Some artificial, some with essential oils, whichever floats your boat. You can use cleaning as a way layer in a signature scent. And bring a spark of joy to mundane chores.
Simmer pot — I see these aesthetic glass pots you can put things like sliced produce, herbs, spices, etc., let simmer and as it’s simmering, it’s creating a soft scent in the space. I just use a small sauce pan to do this. My go-to when doing this is William’s Sonoma’s recipe:
1 sliced lemon
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. Peppercorns
Add water, let simmer on low. Take in the delightful aroma.
The smell of what your cooking — What’s really the best signature scent for a season, let’s be real….is delicious food cooking!! Repeating dishes or deserts (or even heating up something like store bought cinnamon rolls in the woven) can create the best smell ever and will definitely make your house feel so warm and homey. Try making mulled apple cider on the stove. It’s so simple and your our taste buds and nose will thank me!
Open the windows — This is free, easy and good for the health of your air quality in your home. Literally bring in the scents of the season in the natural world by letting fresh air in. The smell of freshly rained on earth, local trees, etc. really are the most authentic scents of the season.
Bring in foliage — Since I have tapered off being so fragrance heavy with candles in my home, I have become more intentional about bringing in greenery and foliage that has a distinct scent to it. This looks like things like lilies and hyacinths in the summer but in the fall and winter I turn more to things like cedar and foliage with richer, woody scents to them.
Potpourri — You can buy from a store or make your own. Even throwing pinecones and cinnamon sticks into a bowl would create a lovely and natural aroma.
LISTEN
Music — This is one of my favorite senses to engage during the fall and winter months in particular. There is something so nostalgic about this time of year, I love listening to the soundtracks and classics I grew up listening to. For me that’s things like The Peanuts, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, and Clare de Lune. I have playlists and stations I’ve curated on Pandora over the years I listen to mostly, if not exclusively this time of year. Like scent and taste, the music we listen to intentionally during certain seasons becomes associated with that. And then every year when you play those songs or genre, you get into the mood of the season instantly! This is also so fun with kids. And can make memories and seasons feel all that more special as they grow up. I definitely would put a lot of thought into this with my kids.
If you haven’t done this before, I’d encourage you to think about what songs, artists, genres, soundtracks feel like fall to you. Maybe it’s songs from a movie you watched as a kid or music your parents would play, or something that just makes you feel like any of the words you chose for how you want YOUR fall to feel like. And then create a playlist of those that you add to and return to playing every year!
Live music — Seeking out the arts is something that I’ve set my intention on more in recent years but I think fall is a great time to go see a candle light concert, attend a symphony in the city or a play or anyone playing locally. (Not something you’re experiencing in the home but an activity that enhances the season over all)
Movies — This is technically watching but you’re also listening equally with a movie. I love revisiting favorites during this time of year that take place during fall. This also helps me to get into the current season and gives me something to look forward to on cold nights when the sun starts to set sooner.
TOUCH
This may not be an obvious one but I think it’s very important to consider when preparing our home for the season. Think of the textures of fall. Things that come to mind for me are rich, soft and luxurious feeling materials like cashmere, wool, sheep pelts, leather, thick woven elements, metals, rustic woods. I don’t go out and purchase all new pillows or blankets but over the years I’ll bring in one or two new textiles to keep in my rotation to bring out and enjoy this time of year.
Textiles — What that has looked like for me is swapping out my cotton/linen throw pillow covers for velvet ones or a richer material/color. Switching out my cotton blankets for cashmere or wool. As the season progresses I break out a few of my sheep pelts and faux furs to add to benches, sofas and beds (definitely bumps up the cozy hygge factor). This could also look like adding an additional layer to your bed or a different in your sheets depending on your preference.
Warmth sources — In this category I also think of warmth, since it’s an element our body experiences. If you’re fortunate enough to have a wood burning or gas fireplace, lighting fires as a source of warmth. I LONG for the day when we live in a home with a fireplace. The homes I grew up in had multiples fireplaces and it’s an element of fall and winter I deeply miss being able to experience in my home. And I’ll tell ya, a light fire goes a loooong way in creating a cozy factor in a home! But if you’re like me and you don’t have a fireplace, you can achieve extra warmth with candles. I plan to get a few large pillar candles made from beeswax this year to put in my glass hurricanes. We also got an electric fireplace heater last winter at Costco and I loved having that last year! I’ll be bringing it back out this season. You can also just have the visual fire going without the heat. But there is something about sitting on a cozy, furry blanket in front of it, cozied up with a book and a cup of warm apple cider that just brings me so much joy.
Visuals
After we addressed all the other senses we have finally arrived to decor! I prefer to think of this though as the visual experience of the space > decor. There is no shortage of autumnal themed decor items on the market but even still I like to take a more authentic and subtle approach here. Once all the other senses are considered and being engaged, you realize that’s where most of the warmth and coziness is created. The visuals can help to round it out and bring it all home. But again, you may need less in this department than you thought if implementing this sensorial approach.
Here are a couple of things I prefer to tweak visually instead of buying themed decor:
Bring in the foliage and produce of the season — I love cutting branches in our neighborhood that’s leaves are turning color or picking up some from the market. This is a great opportunity to look back at your North Star inspiration images to see what colors you’re gravitating towards or elements in nature and bringing those into your home through foliage. I also love dried hydrangeas from the garden or sunflowers from the market in vases this time of year. I am not opposed to faux florals / stems if you prefer that! Pumpkins are a big decor items for fall and I love bringing a couple little pumpkins into my home. I also like brown pears, pomegranates and apples to style with (and then eat), so don’t feel like pumpkins are the only produce you can decorate with.
Layer in textiles — I spoke earlier about the textiles you’ll be snuggling with. But this layer I am thinking more with things like table clothes. I have slowly grown my tablecloth collection due to the fact that our kitchen table is also the table we paint on. So table cloths have become a staple for me! I love bringing out cloths with richer colors this time of year and lean more into prints like gingham. Also I love covering our wooden vintage coffee table chest with fabric to make an “ottoman” effect. It feels so cozy when I do that and is another opportunity to bring in a color or pattern. I thrifted a tapestry-esque fabric off cut that has rich hues I want to bring in for fall so I’m looking forward to using that this season!
Candles — My number one decor item I really utilize this time of year are candles. I sprinkle a mix of pillar and taper candles through out the home. You can get battery operated candles too if you have kids, pets or just don’t like the idea of an open flame and still get that cozy visual element. Last year I got a wall mounted candle sconce off Etsy and I love that it brought the warmth of the candles up the wall too.
Books — I am a huge fan of styling spaces with books. They make a space feel richer and more welcoming. They’re also a great way to bring in more of those colors you’ve chosen for the season. David and I love putting on a fire with classical music on YouTube on our TV and reading in the evening during the winter months too so I love having books near by for that.
Layered lighting — When the natural light gets more limited in the fall and winter, it is so important to dial in the lighting in your home! I’m not talking about overhead lights here, I’m talking about layered lighting. This is everything besides overheads. Task lamps, picture lights, floor lamps, pendants, table lamps, wall sconces, candles. I try to add in as many sources of light as I can this time of year. Also, something to consider in creating warm light is to make sure you’ve got warm light bulbs with a low kelvin of 2700-3000. Shades can impact the warmth of the light as well. If you want a super warm glowing light coming off of your lamp, look into getting one or two Kraft shades. I love them so much at night! They feel like a warm hug visually.
Artwork — Something I love collecting is artwork. So I have a back stock of small pieces I like swapping around through out the year. This time of year I like to bring out pieces with compositions or colors that feel like a nod to the season. My most prized possession is an oil painting my cousin did in college of a dried gourd and that to me feels so autumnal with the colors and the subject. So I usually hang that in our living room for fall and winter. This is such an impactful thing you can do to change the vibe of your space!
Metals — Bringing out my metals during the fall and winter is something I enjoy styling with. It feels rich and polished to me to have more silver out on display. Whether thats in a hurricane, tapered candle holder, a vase, a soap dispenser, a tissue box cover, a dish, a tray, a coaster….This is the time for them to shine!
This is my approach and it’s made my experience of the seasons in my home so much more enjoyable and memorable! I would love to hear if you implement any of these or if you noted any that you’d like to give a try this season.
xx Cassidy
I absolutely loved this post Cassidy! So inspiring.
I do all these things too and it makes SUCH a big difference in the way your home feels. Great post!