Preparing your home for Fall

It's almost that time of year again! As much as I like fall, I'm sad that before we know it summer will be over. For some reason it didn't really feel like summer much this year. I know I'm probably alone in this, but I love heat and even humidity. With the odd weather on the east coast we only got short spurts of heat. The stores are slowly switching over to fall items and I thought I'd share some of the things I'm eyeing for a fall transition in our home!

Personally I don't consider summer over until the end of September. So I'll be waiting until then to implement some of these changes, but based on where you are you may be able to get started sooner.

via Pinterest via Aphrochic via H&M Home

via Pinterest via Indulgy


Candles. Make a candle vignette for your dining room table.  Light them every night at dinner.  Have fun picking out some candles and holders you really love and love looking at every evening.  Unscented is best.  I place mine on a mirrored tray for added light.

Throws.  Nothing says comfy to me like a chunky wool or FAUX fur throw.
via A Touch of Luxe

via West Elm

via Tip Junkie

Textured pillows.  You don't really want to pile up the fuzzy pillows during summer, but fall is a great time to start putting out your textured pillows.  I've been wanting a mongolian lamb pillow for a while now.

Books Grab some books to curl up to! A Place Called Home is going to be released in  October and I think it's going to be a coffee table keepsake!  I love having some inspiration at my fingertips and curling up on the couch while sweetums watches TV.

Tom Scheerer Decorates is an absolute feast for the eyes.  I didn't want it to end and will be pouring over it often this fall and winter.  I'll be sharing more from it later.
via Amazon

Calling all Decor8 fans!

I imagine most of you are familiar with Holly Becker's amazing Decor8. Well if you're a fan (and really, how couldn't you be?), you will be excited to hear about her new book Decorate Workshop!
I am happy to be a part of the Decorate Workshop Blog Tour, which will feature reviews of Holly's Decorate Workshop by several different bloggers.

Monday, November 26 – Poppytalk 

Tuesday, November 27 – Sacramento Street and A Creative Mint

Wednesday, November 28 – Hooray and Design For Mankind

Thursday, November 29 – Decorology and Bloesem

Friday, November 30 – The Curated House and Design Muse

Monday, December 3 – Simply Grove and In Honor of Design

Tuesday, December 4 – In My Own Style and This is Love Forever

Wednesday, December 5 – Mom Inc. Daily and Knack Studios and This is Glamorous

Thursday, December 6 – Justina Blakeney and Mint

Friday, December 7 – The TomKat Studio and Down and Out Chic

  "In Decorate Workshop, Holly Becker shares all of the design secrets that have made her one of the most beloved bloggers and stylists today. A companion to the international bestseller Decorate, this interactive guide takes readers step by step through her unique eight-step process. She shares her personal design philosophy and explains how to carry a vision into a finished room, from the early paint swatches to the final accents. Readers will learn how to identify their style, create mood boards, outline a schedule and budget, source materials, and start decorating! Filled with expert tips, important checklists, blank space for making lists and plans, and 250 photographs of gorgeous interiors, this is an essential planner for home decorators, whatever their budget."

- via Chronicle Books

Holly will also be doing a blog tour in 2013, so make sure you check in at Decor8 to learn more.  You can read all about it here.

I've included a small sampling of some of the great tips and eye candy that you will see in the book...
(Click on each image for a LARGER view)

This would definitely make a great gift for any design lovers on your Christmas list...including yourself!

From my library: Speed Decorating by Jill Vegas

I really like the tips in "Speed Decorating: A Pro Stager's Tips And Trade Secrets For A Fabulous Home In A Week Or Less," and the pictures are mighty cute too!



Two lovely entryways - check out the wood "bottles" to the right of the red secretary.

Five Musts For A Great-Looking Entry

1. Clutter-free surfaces. Get rid of boxes, shoes, anything that doesn't belong in the space.

2. Brilliant light. Replace any burned-out or too-dim bulbs. Clean and polish light fixtures.

3. A nice-looking floor. Vacuum and mop the floor. Replace the doormat if it's dingy. If the floor's condition is really bad, buy some floor polish and buff out scratches, or buy some carpet tiles (FLOR brand is an example) and make a runner to hide them.

4. Clean walls. Get rid of scuff marks (a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is great for this), or touch up the paint in spots to hide them. If the walls are in really bad shape, repaint.


I really like how the side of this settee is just a bare wood.

What a dreamy reading nook!

A sweet little writing area in the bedroom


I love this bathroom! "A bathroom adorned with unique accessories and artwork feels comfy. Here, botanical prints, a fern in a simple vase, and a vintage map makes this room memorable."

Anyway, I'm sure you can see why Speed Decorating is a fav. new addition to my humble library!
All photography by Michael Grimm<

Giveaway - "Good, Better, Best" a guide for spotting the "find"

I'm happy to announce a giveaway I'm having this week for Carol Prisant's (she's author of the Antiques Roadshow Primer) book Good, Better, Best. I can't wait to thoroughly read this over the holidays, because Antiques are always something I've been interested in, but I'm just too intimidated to actually purchase because I know so little about them. But this is a really good guide that doesn't require you to bite off more than you can chew, and it gives you the history and selling points of many different antiques. Here is the cover and a two spreads so you can get an idea.








If this book is something you'd like, just leave any comment on this post and you will be entered to win. Or you can email me saying you'd like to enter the Good, Better, Best book giveaway, and I'll add your name to the drawing. Email me at ashley@decorologyblog.com. Good luck!
The contest closes on Tuesday, Nov. 17th at 6pm Eastern Time, and the winner announced the following morning.