Bienvenue! Today I am thrilled to be joining 29 other bloggers as part of the Fall Home Tours hosted by Marty at A Stroll Thru Life. If you are visiting from House By Hoff or if you just happened to stop by today, I am so happy you are here! Celebrating fall is one of my passions, and I am so excited to be welcoming the harvest season by sharing my early fall home tour with you. *This post contains affiliate links.

 

I haven’t started on my fall porch decor yet, so today we will be entering through the back door where I have put my favorite fall wreath on display. The vivid colors of the preserved botanicals as well as the pheasant feathers are hints of the early fall decorating themes inside my home. Come on in and take a look around!

 

As you enter through the back door, the living room is just a couple of stairs up and to the right. All around the room this year’s fall color scheme of golds, yellows and greens creates a bright and cheerful fall welcome.

 

Just today I created this fun dough bowl display for The Thrifty Chicks Bloggers September Challenge: Vintage Hardware. I lined a small dough bowl with Hearth and Hand Eucalyptus Garland and placed a set of adorable French pumpkins from Antique Farmhouse on top. Then I shopped my vintage stash and added some old hardware to the display. I just love how it turned out! (*The French Pumpkins were provided courtesy of Antique Farmhouse for review. All opinions are my own.)

 

I wanted some type of unique “welcome fall” sign, so I simply made my own by writing on a couple of super cool antique door plates with yellow chalk. The door plates have a wonderful yellow and green rusty patina which is just perfect for my early fall decor.

 

 

 

 

I also added a vintage pheasant door stop to the vignette. Although I normally reserve my pheasant decor until late fall, this year I changed things up a bit and decided to use pheasants all through fall.

 

The pheasant just so happens to have some lighter colors which complement the dough bowl display and the rest of my fall decor beautifully.

 

A trio of pheasant feathers in a rusty bed spring added a whimsical finish to the dough bowl display.

 

I was inspired to use pheasants when I came across an early 1900’s September calendar lithograph print online. I decided to make my own “antique” calendar and it is one of my favorite fall DIY’s so far. I simply made a copy of the print and repurposed a scroll sign from Dollar Tree by reusing the wood and jute. I plan to share the DIY tutorial as well as printables for September and October calendars next week.

 

 

The calendar now hangs front and center from an antique frame in front of the fireplace. Let’s head over to the cozy sitting area for a closer look around.

 

 

 

Overall I am a neutral decorator at heart, but I am loving all this seasonal color! I am partial to shabby chic, and even all white and nordic decor, but warm whites, light tans and grays look best in our home due to the original 1921 stained woodwork. Having a neutral home makes it so easy to change the decor for the seasons.

 

Switching out the throw pillows, adding a colorful blanket or throw and a few seasonal decorative accessories instantly creates a refreshed space without spending lots of money. I am loving my new wheat pillow and a large demijohn filled with wheat and gold branches.

 

I have really downsized my retail seasonal decorations, and I haven’t missed them at all. I have been collecting antiques and vintage treasures for over over thirty years, so I can always shop my home to find items to create seasonal vignettes. I also like to make unique crafts or decor instead of buying mass produced retail seasonal decorations. Beautiful new pillows and pillow covers are my only real seasonal decorating “splurges” now, but I still don’t pay very much for them!

 

I was going to to stick with a harvest gold and wheat theme in the living room with a few woodland touches for September, but I am so glad I found the calendar and incorporated the pheasants too.

 

 

 

 

The vintage pheasant door stop is one of my favorite fall junkin’ finds from a few years ago. I have another pair of pheasants that I will use in my Thanksgiving tablescape, but their colors are darker and more fitting for late fall. This beautiful pheasant seems appropriate for early fall, and his gold and teal green feathers fit right in with my choice of colors for the season.

 

 

In late summer I purchased this gorgeous pheasants bowl at Home Goods to use for Thanksgiving. I had almost forgotten about it until I was “shopping my stash” looking for something interesting to put in my Frenchy wicker basket. As a vintage collector I love to have fun treasures on display, so I am always trying to come up with unique ways to display my finds.

 

 

 

 

Even though I am using a lighter and brighter fall color palette to start off the season, our home still has that warm and welcoming fall vibe.

 

While I love the cozy look and feel of a curated cottage filled with treasures that have been collected over time, I really don’t like clutter. I do have lots of curated displays on bookshelves and cabinets, so I always like to keep my mantel styling simple. I usually rotate various candlesticks, stacks of books, and some type of vase or bottle filled with seasonal flowers.

 

 

I really love the wood and carvings on our original 97 year-old mantel, so I normally don’t use leaf garlands or greenery for the seasons.

 

I have really been working on “less is more” in decor, but as an avid collector I am certainly no minimalist! I am always tweaking my displays and vignettes, adding a little something here and there as inspiration strikes. I decided the mantel needed some type of fall leaves, so I added just a few “falling” book page leaves and neutral toned leaves on thin gold wire stretched across the mantel.

 

Using glam gold mixed in with vintage gold is a new look for me. I have been admiring how our fabulous tour host Marty always beautifully incorporates gold in her neutral home and that has inspired me to try something different. I don’t mind that the golds don’t match perfectly. Having a mix of golds keeps things interesting. I also painted the baby boo white pumpkin stems gold—insta-fall-glam!

 

 

 

Every home seem to have a season, and with the warmth of all the old woodwork, ours is definitely autumn.

 

On our vintage trunk-turned-coffee-table I have styled a thrifted tray full of woodland treasures for fall. My $3, three legged rescued estate sale squirrel is happily surrounded by acorns, pine cones, pumpkins and small forest fruits and berries.

 

 

 

Little squirrel seems happy and content to be helping himself to the gifts of the harvest!

 

Take a peek into the dining room where you will find even more gifts of the harvest.

 

 

On Friday I shared my Harvest Fruits Early Fall Tablescape as part of the Fall Tablescape Blog Hop. Since I started working on the tablescape during the last week of August, I wasn’t inspired to use pumpkins just yet.

 

I decided to create a French Country look using early gifts of the harvest, apples and pears. This tablescape is one of my favorites so far.

 

 

 

Since the living room and dining room are adjacent to each other and within direct view, I wanted to continue the yellow, gold and green theme between the rooms.

 

For my centerpiece I filled a dough bowl full of realistic looking faux apples, pears, moss, acorns and nuts. A glass demijohn filled with faux maple branches perfectly reflects the early fall colors of the leaves in the forest across the street.

 

I love the gold and green pattern on my Pottery Barn napkins, but my Elegant DIY Fall Napkin Rings are so fun too! I made them using an empty paper towel roll and supplies from Dollar Tree!

 

 

The yellow velvet “gather” pillow and mustard striped Magnolia Homes throw are two recent Home Goods purchases that helped pull my yellow and gold early fall look together. After the tablescape hop I moved the throw back to the living room to be used for snuggly fall naps in the recliner.

 

 

 

 

A recent small change with big impact is my painted corner china cabinet makeover. The china cabinet was previously a dark cherry stain that just slightly clashed with the woodwork.

 

It was filled with my various thrifted collections of mismatched dishes and transferware and a few vintage knick-knacks. While the cabinet wasn’t “ugly” and the dishes were certainly beautiful, the overall look was too dark and cluttered.

 

I topped the cabinet with a basket full of favorite ironstone pieces. The “Be Grateful” platter is a DIY that I made by simply adding a Dollar Tree decal to a very old antique ironstone platter.

 

A DIY painted burlap pumpkin adds another simple fall touch. I made several DIY Shabby Vintage Burlap Pumpkins last year and I love them.

 

 

I used Dixie Bell Chalk Paint in Drop Cloth and brown wax. I really liked the paint a lot and I love how the cabinet turned out!

 

I ended up packing away several of my spring and summer looking floral dishes and filled the cabinet full of my vintage ironstone and just a few farmhousey fall touches.

 

 

 

 

 

Another wheat and lavender bouquet hangs from the door. One of my favorite antique wooden frames adds a bit of warmth and interest.

 

 

 

Since my early fall table is filled with so much color, I wanted to keep the shabby faux fireplace and mirrored shelf behind the table styled simply for fall. I tried adding the apples and pears theme to the shelf but it seemed too busy.

 

 

 

For simplicity I am just continuing to display more ironstone along with some vintage brass candlesticks and a few pumpkins. The living room mantel and fall mantel are directly in view of each other, so I styled the mantels similarly for continuity in design.

 

A  bundle of wheat, a few scattered acorns, pine cones and book page leaves are simple and elegant hints of fall.

 

Turning to the left of the dining room there is a straight shot into the living room. From this view I have my eye on a recent treasure that I have been waiting impatiently to share with you…

 

 

 

 

Above the book shelf is my latest $10 score—a vintage French sheep painting! I have wanted one for years, but the prices were outrageous. I recently found three different vintage sheep paintings at a thrift shop for $10 a piece, but this one is by far my favorite. It is obviously a reproduction, but with the addition of a $25 clearance frame from Hobby Lobby, I now have the look of a very expensive French antique artwork.

 

I hadn’t changed the top of the bookcase styling since we moved in five years ago, and I was getting bored with the look and ready for a change. David is always on display here (I am never bored of David!) The painting seems perfect for the spot and like David, it is there to stay.

 

A pretty golden-orange velvet pumpkin tops a stack of vintage books, while a small pumpkin cloche display adds a little extra seasonal charm. David will sport a vintage tartan  wool scarf when the weather gets colder in late fall.

 

 

I have added a small yellow velvet pumpkin pillow and a plaid blanket scarf to the chair next to the book case, perfect for cozying up with a good book on a fall evening.

 

 

Another pumpkin pillow adds a touch of fall to our leather chesterfield sofa. And what’s an old Kentucky home tour without a little bit of state pride? I just love this horse pillow I found at Vintage Market Days!

 

 

 

The sofa is the comfiest spot for a nap! But first let’s head into the music room. I am so excited to show you some new fall looks!

 

 

The music room is also my creative play room where I am surrounded by vintage treasures from all eras. French, shabby chic, and romantic country finds happily mix with boho vintage treasures from the 1940-1970’s. Our home was built in 1921, so I am always on the lookout for items from the twenties as well.  The French doors and the copper ceiling are favorite features of our home.

 

I am a music teacher, and what most people call a “creative type” and dreamer, as well as a vintage romantic at heart. I like such an eclectic mix of vintage decor that I have struggled to define my decorating style. I prefer French country, but I also love English cottage, brocante, Victorian, shabby chic, traditional, boho chic and farmhouse. Mixing all of these elements together results in an overall collected and curated “vintage cottage style” with a generous helping of my own personal vintage flair.

 

My decorating motto is “surround yourself with the things you love” and I have found that if I follow my heart and stick to that advice, I am able to design creative and meaningful spaces with a happy vibe.

 

The music room gives me a place to experiment with decorating and to try out new things. I had no idea that I was going to do a bold and bright boho-vintage peacock theme for fall until I found some beautiful Chinoiserie style fabric. I was only looking for the Chinoiserie pattern to make some fabric covered pumpkins, but I fell in love with the fabric and decided to make some pillow covers too.

 

 

I also made the vintage looking green velvet pillow covers. By “made” I mean I stretched the fabric around another pillow and safety pinned the fabric like wrapping a present. I hot glued the peacock pillow covers! Sewing classes are on my agenda, but sometimes ya gotta fake it ’til ya make it! I never let lack of knowledge stop me from trying to create or try new things. If I don’t know how to do something, I will find some other way!

 

I already had the green velvet pumpkin, but I couldn’t resist purchasing a pretty teal pumpkin and a blush pink pumpkin to create a vibrant “pumpkin patch” to coordinate with the pillows. I also found a beautiful stem of faux Chinese lantern to make a wreath.

 

Since it has been hot the past few weeks, it was hard to get motivated to decorate for fall. A couple of days ago I received some beautiful all-natural soy and essential oils candles from Cottage Candle Company for review. The amazing scents immediately put me in a fall mood! Although it’s not sweater weather just yet, this scent captures all the wonderful scents of fall without being overpowering. *If you would like to enjoy a wonderful candle from Cottage Candle Company, use the code “Amber” for a 15% friends and followers discount.

 

I love working with dried flowers whether in wreaths or bouquets. A lavender, wheat and roses bouquet seemed perfect for fall in the music room where I keep most of my romantic vintage treasures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am crazy about my little Chinoiseire pumpkin! The total cost of the fabric to make two pillow covers (fronts only, linen on back) and the pumpkin was only $2.25 for a yard. I looked everywhere for fabric but ended up finding the beautiful peacock print at Wal-Mart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A stunning vintage peacock platter with fall colors is on display for the season, (in between giving piano and voice lessons of course!)

 

I love the colors, so pretty for fall!

 

I dug through my jewelry and found a vintage style peacock necklace to display on my dress form.

 

 

 

When I am excitedly playing around with my vintage goodies, sometimes I need a little reminder…

 

I have been making wreaths for years, but this is my first attempt at an embroidery hoop wreath. It was the fastest and easiest wreath I have ever made. I love the simple look!

 

I used the leftover Chinese lantern flowers, a few ginkgo leaves and an extra peacock feather to create another non-traditional fall bouquet.

 

 

 

Fall time is hot tea time! As I was decorating the music room I remembered to use this vintage Chinese tea cup. It has beautiful fall colors and a red maple leaves motif.

 

I don’t have a matching saucer for the teacup, but I love the mix of these vintage plates with the cup. I recently found them at an antiques shop and I just fell in love with the fall leaves and flowers design.

 

With Scottish heritage by birth and marriage, tartan and plaid blankets are must haves for fall!

 

The music room really came together last month with the addition of two vintage wing chairs (DIY chalk painted upholstery makeovers!) I also added a super soft neutral rug from Rugs USA to cozy up the room for fall. Now there are several places to curl up with a cuppa hot tea, and catch up on my favorite decorating magazines after giving lessons to my music students.

 

For now it’s time to head out to the farmer’s market to see if any pumpkins have arrived!

 

I found a few baby-boo mini white pumpkins already, but I need several more. Every year I line our staircase with baby boos. Below is a shot from last year’s early fall home tour.

 

 

 

 

A vintage coat tree is within easy access at the foot of the stairs for grabbing accessories and heading out either the front or back door. Since the weather is about to get cooler, I have my cowboy hat, jean jacket, lightweight maroon scarf (loving maroon for fall 2018, and it’s my son’s school color!) ready for early fall. My Hunter boots are perfect for any type of fall weather. A large Patricia Nash Vintage Italian Leather Duffel Bag is ready to be stuffed with fall finds!

 

Rainy days are to be expected in the fall, so a vintage plaid umbrella hangs at the ready.

 

The hat will shield the sun on those warm and sunny fall days spent scouring vintage markets, tending the fall garden, shopping the farmer’s market for fall produce, or collecting spent flowers and herbs for bespoke wreaths and bouquets.

 

 

 

On our way “out” to the next fabulous fall home tour, let’s just make a quick stop in the kitchen to see how the fall decorating  is coming along.

A simple tobacco basket full of faux apples on the island is just right for welcoming the harvest season and carries the apple theme from the kitchen to dining room.

 

I have just started adding early fall touches to the kitchen breakfast nook. I will share more of the kitchen as I finish up, but here is a sneak peak of what I am working on.

 

I am playing around with various shades of  green, gray, teal and purple for something a little different for early fall. I was inspired to try the cool tones when I found these plates at Family Dollar for $1.50 each. They reminded me of the super cute plates I had recently seen at Pottery Barn.

 

 

I am really liking how this look is coming together! As the colors outside the breakfast nook window become more vibrant I will switch things out for a more traditional palette, but the cool tones are a fun change for early fall. I will be sharing more of my early fall kitchen this weekend, so please do plan to stop back by for another visit!

 

I made a little farmhouse style picture for my Rae Dunn cabinet using an adorable Oscar Wilde printable shared by sweet Jamie at So Much Better With Age.  With the weekend rain bringing the cooler temperatures and the first changing colors of the season, this print perfectly captures the early fall sentiment! I am getting excited! There is so much to enjoy in the weeks ahead, and I will share several more fall home tours too as the season progresses.

 

 

 

Now it’s time to continue being inspired by checking out all the other beautiful fall home tours. Next up is Remodelando La Casa. You are sure to love her chic and stylish decorating ideas! You can also find the schedule for the rest of the tour below.

 

I hope you have enjoyed touring my home today! Thank you so much for visiting dear friends!

Happy fall!

 

Monday, Sept. 10th   

 

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