My 10 interior design rules to avoid cheesy ‘happy fall y’all’ vibes – a pricey decor item always looks garish and tacky
A STYLE expert has revealed her top tips for ensuring that your home decor doesn’t look tacky this fall.
She explained that homeowners should give a subtle nod to the season with their color palette rather than hanging signs if they want to achieve a luxe look.
Bella Viglianti has over 1,500 followers on YouTube, where she shares DIY home decor tips, sewing, and thrift hauls.
She took to the video-sharing platform to give advice for classy interior design this fall.
She said: “If you’re like me and you absolutely love fall but you don’t want your home to scream HomeSense, or Happy Fall y’all vibes then this video is for you.
Color palette
“Tip number one is to bring in a fall color palette as opposed to actual fall-themed items.
“This time of year I really gravitate towards crimson, rust, mustard, and olive tones. Any kind of deep earth tones that you can mimic from what’s going on outside.
“Bring those into your home, I think it’s a really subtle way to make things feel really cozy without being so literal as to have a sign from HomeSense that tells you it’s fall.”
Textiles
Bella advised decorating homes with brown, cream, and sand colors rather than shades of gray to add warmth.
She revealed that she alternates her textiles twice a year including curtains, bedding, and rugs.
She incorporates velvet and flannel during the colder months while opting for lighter materials throughout summer.
She said: “If you start off with a color palette in mind just pick one to three accent colors.
“That’s going to be a really great jumping point for the accents you’re going to bring in with textiles. Then everything will have a cohesive look.
“I like to keep my eye out all year round at thrift stores for any seasonal decor that I might want to pull out later.
“It’s kind of like a little present to yourself because you forget that you bought it then you pull it out and you’re like ‘oh I have this beautiful rust color velvet cushion that’s perfect for right now.’”
Bella reiterated the importance of not buying homeware items that are obviously seasonal.
She said it can be expensive to buy new furnishings and textiles, but it’s more cost-effective to buy items that can be switched out or used year-round.
Organic materials
She continued: “I know walking into HomeSense at this time of year can be very tempting.
“I am just as much of a sucker for all the cheesy theme decor as anyone because I love this time of year.
“But I think if you want to go for a more elevated look and still want a hint of something a bit themed and fun, I’d opt for anything in an organic material as opposed to plastic.
“I hate plastic with every fiber of my being, especially in interiors I don’t want plastic in any of my spaces if I can help it.
“At this time of year, I really love wood and glass, there is so much beautiful colored glass.
“If I’m coming out of HomeSense with one fall-themed item it would be a really beautiful glass pumpkin that suits my color palette and the vibe of my space.”
Pumpkins inside
Bella said real pumpkins are also not just for outside decor and suggested putting mini ones on windowsills.
The Canada-based home decor expert shared a snap of colorful pumpkins in varying sizes that she put on top of her piano as a Thanksgiving decoration two years ago.
She said: “I think a lot of people think pumpkins have to be bright orange and that does not suit most people’s interior styles.
“Get away from the classic pumpkin if that doesn’t suit you and bring in some beautiful white, blush, sage, and olive tones.
“For me personally my eyes feel more at rest when I’m looking at organic things as opposed to when I’m looking at something that is pretending to be a pumpkin.
“If you want to choose between faux and real, inside I would still go for real.”
She acknowledged that real pumpkins could start to decay before the end of the season but said it’s still worth the risk and smaller sizes should last long enough.
Dried florals
The style enthusiast added that natural flower arrangements are also better to opt for instead of silks regardless of how realistic they promise to be.
She said: “I think real materials are always going to look so much better in your space.
“This time of year I really love grapevine, dried hydrangeas, I love tansies and that also dries really well while keeping its mustard color for a long time.
“I also love grasses of any kind as long as they are not shedding seeds inside.”
She said a lot of people are wary of bringing a dried floral into their house as a centerpiece because it might shed.
She advised being mindful when deciding on which plant to buy as some may make a mess or be inconvenient to maintain.
Don’t forget outside
Bella explained that outdoor spaces should be given just as much attention as interior fall decor.
She said: “This is the place where you can use those things that might seem a little bit kitschy inside but once you put them outside within the context of being outdoors they don’t look tacky at all.
“Again make sure you’re using real things.
“In my opinion, I think a real wreath on your door out of grapevine and dried hydrangea and all of those amazing things look so much better than a bunch of orange silk leaves from Michaels.
She explained that it’s cheaper to make natural decorations because many people are trimming plants down ahead of winter.
She advised asking friends for their disposed of plants or keeping an eye out for the garbage that’s put to the curb by homeowners with beautiful gardens that rely on landscaping companies.
She added: “As long as you don’t have any shame about going through people’s garbage, it’s all there for you.”
Shop secondhand
Bella’s next tip was to try searching for decor in thrift stores before going to traditional homeware stores.
She claimed to have found beautiful vintage pieces and autumnal wall art at thrift stores.
She said: “With the art, it doesn’t have to be so literal.
“It doesn’t have to be a painting of an autumn scene, although I do have one and it is one of my favorite things to pull out at this time of year it’s so beautiful.
“But there is a pretty simple way to do decor.
“If you find a beautiful old oil painting at the thrift store and it has rust, crimson, and olive tones but it has nothing to do with fall.
“You still have your color palette so it’s the perfect accent. It will do the job of contributing to an overall cozy autumnal space without literally saying it’s fall.”
Candles
Bella recommended investing in luxe candles while adding that it’s difficult to find a pumpkin spice scent that feels elevated.
She revealed Sand and Fog is her favorite brand and she buys a new one at the start of every fall.
This year she has opted for the brand’s juniper berry sage which has a fall feeling that can also transition to Christmas.
She said the brand’s white pumpkin is a subtle option for those who want a traditional and almost edible scent.
The home decor expert suggested using candle holders as a statement piece if you don’t like the packaging that a candle comes in.
She continued: “If you don’t like candles but still fragrance is important I think diffusers are a really amazing option, whether that’s reed diffusers or water vapor.
“There’s also a lot of great options to drop essential oils into, like clay and lava rocks that hold the scent in. That can be a great option to contribute to the aroma of the space.”
Opt out of signs
Bella admitted that her opinion of staying away from text in home decor is controversial.
However, she said for those who don’t mind their home looking a little kitschy and playful text can be “cute in a minimal fashion.”
She recommended going for one word that’s written in a simple clean font that suits the space.
She added: “Try these things out, sit with it and see how you feel. If it doesn’t feel right it isn’t right.”
Fall or Halloween?
Bella’s last tip was to decide if you want to fully embrace Halloween or prefer subtle fall decor.
She said the spooky season has perhaps the tackiest decorations of any holiday, however, it is possible to do it in a chic way.
She said: “I think being specific about where you place your Halloween decor can help you as well.
“I don’t really think it suits the bedroom. A dining room maybe, entryway maybe, a porch but not where I sleep.”