Decorating in fall colors (which work year-round, of course!) : Annie Elliott Design

I don’t know about you, Gentle Readers, but NEVER have I been so excited for fall. School has resumed in person, so the kids are happy…we’ve had a few crisp days, which makes me excited to wear sweaters…I daresay we’re ALL ready for a change, and it’s a-coming.

Mount Greylock in the fall, Williamstown, Massachusetts

It was in this spirit of forward-looking-ness that we received the lovely and stylish Ashley, our Cowtan & Tout representative, for a visit to show us the new fall collection from Jane Churchill. And let me tell you: there were some jaw-droppers.

Gold, red and green fabric pattern with trees and leaves — Kingswood Embroidery in the Red colorway, by Jane Churchill

My colleague Lauren and I fell in love with the patterns in fall colors: the mid-tone oranges, golds, rusty reds, and even olives.

Embroidered fabric Roman shade with a multi-colored tree pattern — In the Green colorway

These pictures don’t do the fabrics justice…the embroidery in this Kingswood fabric is absolutely luminous. The yellow threads practically glow! Lauren and I vowed right then and there to try and incorporate more gold, orange, and olive into our designs.

Of COURSE this is Tory Burch’s living room

Those might seem like scary colors to decorate with. But ANYthing is possible in small doses, so if need a lift, consider new pillows (I was thinking about red pillows for my blush living room, but now I’m leaning toward dark orange!),

Dark purple wingback chair with orange pillows — From the blog The Inspired Room

Vintage needlepoint from France on Etsy — it’s easily turned into a pillow cover

or consider a throw,

Claudia Schiffer's English house, complete with Hermès throw. — Claudia Schiffer’s English house, complete with Hermès throw. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this orange room!

or even bring in a funky occasional chair.

19th century Eastlake chair in a light olive green, on Chairish

Demi velvet accent chair in aubergine, on One King’s Lane. The biggest advantage of buying vintage right now is speediness: you’re not falling victim to the broken supply chains that are giving me an ulcer!

Those are the small, safe ways you can decorate with fall colors. BUT. You know how I feel about paint: it’s the fastest, least expensive way to change the look of a room dramatically. So if you’re grooving on autumn, hopefully one of these pictures will inspire you to take action.

Katie Ridder strikes again with an ingenious living room banquette and deep orange walls

So luscious and moody! The sofa and chair are uninspired, but the walls, art, and that fantastic chest…it’s a great look overall

Designer Katie Ridder’s own country house in Hudson, NY

Did you notice what autumnal wall color is NOT represented? Red! I have to confess, I still have a hangover from the red dining rooms of the 90s. I’ll get over it eventually. Maybe an oxblood lacquered library will shake me out of it ;)

Consider a change this fall, won’t you?

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, with offices in St. Michaels, Maryland and Middlebury, Vermont. Annie’s design work and insights have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including HGTV Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine. Annie recently appeared on NBC4 for a story about author Jason Reynolds’ Kingman Park home.