5 tasteful fall decorations to add to your home, and 3 tacky ones to avoid, according to an interior designer

Pumpkins are a popular fall decor item in the US. AdamJohnHurley/Shutterstock The arrival of fall means pulling out the pumpkins, moody autumnal colors, and cozy throw pillows.However, while some fall decorations can make your home feel warm, elevated, and inviting, others can border on tacky.Seasonal decor can also be expensive, so investing in a few timeless pieces that will last from year to year can ultimately save you money in the long run. "A lot of times, I feel like the holiday decor is disjointed from what the aesthetic is of the actual home that you live in. It should be cohesive, in my opinion," Ashley Childers, an interior designer and home furnishings and accessories designer based in Arkansas, told Business Insider. "On the opposite end of the spectrum, I see a lot of people who have very curated style who feel like they can't decorate for the holidays because they don't want it to be tacky or cheesy," she said. "If you want to decorate for the holidays, you can do it in a beautiful way."Here are five tasteful fall decorations to add to your home, and three tacky ones to skip. Let nature guide the colors you incorporate into your fall home decor. A living room decorated with neutral decor accents. Ashley Childers Rather than leaning into trends or grabbing the first items she sees in the Halloween section at Target or Walmart, Childers said she looks to the colors she sees in nature each autumn for inspiration."I love to really let nature kind of guide seasonal decor," Childers, who's worked in the design industry for more than 15 years and in interior design for a decade, told Business Insider. "So, we always lean into beautiful wheats and burnt oranges, burgundies, sage greens, even into deep forest green, camel.""All those warm, rich colors that you think about when you think of fall are what I love seeing brought in to fall decor," she continued. "I just think if you let nature guide you, you're never going to make a mistake." Switching up your fall decor with a wool throw blanket can add texture to your space. A bed with a cozy knitted blanket and cushions. New Africa/Shutterstock "A really beautiful wool throw blanket is iconic for fall, in my opinion," Childers said. "It can really be a capsule piece for your home regardless of the season."In her own home, Childers said she frequently changes her throw blankets from season to season based on texture."I love fall and winter the most because the textures get so nubby and cozy. So my recommendation and tip would be to always choose natural fibers if at all possible," she said."With throws and blankets, we usually opt for beautiful linens, wools, something that's made out of organic cotton. Anything like that is going to stand the test of time and be a really good investment piece for your home." For an elevated look, use more natural, organic-looking florals inside the home. A vase with naturals on a table. Ashley Childers Childers said that for fall centerpieces or wreaths in her home-decor designs, she frequently uses dried plants to create a more organic feel. "I think they're so obviously organic and beautiful, and there's just nothing like a real plant or a real dried plant or flower or something like that," she said.To add a more natural feel to a room, she frequently uses grapevine wreaths and more architectural wreaths that are made out of sticks, branches, wheat, and other materials naturally found outside. Textured pillows in organic materials are another tasteful addition to fall home decor. A stack of fall pillows and blankets. Cavan Images/Getty Images Rather than opting for printed pillows or polyester options, Childers said she chooses natural fibers, "whether it's bouclé or a beautiful linen or gorgeous Dupioni silk.""Anything like that just adds a textural layer. And then, if you add in that warm fall color, you're going to just layer in so much coziness into your home," she said. Using real pumpkins and gourds can also elevate your outdoor and indoor fall decor. Colorful pumpkins and flowers on the stairs leading up to an old brownstone home in New York City during autumn. James Andrews/Getty Images Childers said that while less long-lasting than faux decor pieces, real pumpkins or plants inside your home or on your home's exterior can bring energy to a space. "I just think keeping it natural and beautiful inside the home or outside is perfect for the fall season," she said. In fact, the biggest mistake people make when decorating their home is going overboard with pumpkins, leaves, and plants, Childers said. A house decorated for Halloween. valentinrussanov/Getty Images "Faux pumpkins, faux plants, faux everything, in my opinion, drains the energy out of a space," she said.Childers added that living in Arkansas, she understands many people want to start decorating early — even when it's still hot outside — so real pumpkins, flowers, and other living decorations might not be practical."I would say maybe opt for dried branches and dried leaves and dried berries, those types of things that you can still get early in the season," Childers said. Busy patterns and bright colors can also feel tacky. A plaid sign that says "Hello Fall" and an orange couch with a yellow pillow. Kristen Prahl/Shutterstock; Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock Childers said the classic autumn shades sold at many home and craft stores can feel harsh, making it harder to create a calm, soothing space."They're not as naturally occurring," Childers said, recommending that sticking to more natural colors like dark auburn, sage green, and forest green can be more soothing than bright orange and black. Choosing more neutral tones can also extend your home's decor beyond just the Halloween season, when black and orange tend to be more on-trend. Colorful ribbon is another slightly dated trend. A white pumpkin tied with a brown bow. Stephanie Frey/Shutterstock Using brightly colored ribbon is another fall decorating choice that can make a space feel dated rather than seasonal.For example, when decorating your home or front door with ribbon, neutral tones like brown, maroon, or sage green can look more elevated than black, orange, or yellow."If that's your style, go for it," Childers said. "I would say maybe that's not going to give you an elevated look. We usually don't go for a plaid, orange, yellow, and black ribbon." Still, Childers encouraged people to experiment with what brings them joy. Decorative electric pumpkin lights hung up. Arman Zhenikeyev/Getty Images "If you bring something in and it's not jiving, then maybe it doesn't work," Childers said. "You have to try things out. It's OK if something doesn't work. It's your home. It's your laboratory. You get to try to see what you like."Childers also said that from year to year, she likes to change up her seasonal decor and try new decor pieces and trends with lower-cost items."It's easy to add pieces like throw blankets and pillows that give you an opportunity to inject a new feeling into your space, without having to invest in new furniture or lamps or something like that," she said.Editor's note: This story was first published in September 2023 and was updated in September 2026. Read next Erin McDowell is a reporter on Business Insider's editorial partnerships team. She covers food, lifestyle, and entertainment for Business Insider and its partner sites, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo.She graduated from Elon University in January 2019, where she studied strategic communications and digital art. She has written for V Magazine, Milk.XYZ, OUT.com, Brides Magazine, and more. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and can be found on LinkedIn. Please send all inquiries, comments, or tips to emcdowell@businessinsider.com.Selected stories:Celebrity-chef restaurants and Applebee's are using the same playbookChain restaurants like Chili's are coming for fast-food giants in the latest bout of the value warsI tried double cheeseburgers from 13 fast-food chains. I thought the best burger was also the best deal.I ate at the first Applebee's and IHOP hybrid restaurant in the US. Its plan to attract younger diners could just work.The chicken sandwich wars are over. 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