Fall and holiday decorating can be as exciting as it can be daunting—whether you love a touch of it in your home, or you go full Griswold. I receive lots of questions during this time of year, from what do you think about this thing to what do I do in a space like this to how do you do it?

So in this post, I’m sharing my Fall décor tips, plus my own approach during this time of year.

Before you start loading up your virtual or physical shopping cart with all kinds of pumpkins, ghouls and shimmery baubles, I want you to ask yourself three questions:

• What mood do I want to set?
• What colors do I want to bring in?
• How easy do I want my décor to transition from Fall to Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas?

Mood

What do you want to evoke with your décor? Do you want something clean and modern, channeling winter white? Something darker and cozy like a warm winter cabin? Do you want to mimic the outdoors with rich browns, yellows and rust colors? Or do you want to turn it up on the whimsical?

Thinking about the mood you want to set will help frame your plans as you move on to picking colors and objects.

Color

Now that you’ve decided the mood you want to evoke, think about the colors that will help create that mood. Take a look around your home too, how do your current colors play into the plan? How can you work with the color of your couch and curtains and rug?

If you want clean, cream and white are ideal hues. If you want cozy, look for brown and caramel or even rich gray. Pick up camel plaids and browns paired with deep greens to channel the outdoors.

I suggest you choose two main colors and an accent or two, with some variation within shades of your chosen hues.

Trust me, having a plan makes everything easier!

Transition

As you get on with your plan, ask yourself how you want your décor to transition from early Fall to Halloween to Thanksgiving and even Christmas.

For example, I have distinct color themes and plans for each holiday, so my ability to transition is not important. My décor cycles out a month at a time during this time of year (will share how I do it later in this post).

But if you don’t want to be buying or storing decorative items and pillows, consider consistent colors you can use all the way through the season. Gray, for example, is a great color you can build from. It’s a rich neutral that in the Fall, pairs well with rust-colored pumpkins and gourds, and during Christmastime, it will go well with all things sparkly.

Texture

One last thing to mention before I share my crazy seasonal plan… think texture as you put it all together. Woven accents, velvet, faux furs, chunky knits, rustic wooden items—all these things will add dimension and help make your space look more sophisticated as you work to create that Fallish/Wintery mood.

My Design Approach

Fall

September 1^st I start changing out my summer décor for Fall. This year’s inspiration was warm and cozy grays, browns, creams and a touch of fig.

Halloween

On October 1^st, my Halloween stuff comes out. I love the black, gray, white color scheme, evoking a sophisticated, almost vintage-y mood.

Thanksgiving

November 1^st brings in warmer hues with plaid pillows in oranges, browns and gray. I pull out my pumpkins and gourds, evoking some ‘Fall in the farmhouse’ touches.

(Pic below from vignette I put together at Pottery Barn last year)

Christmas

And usually the hot second Thanksgiving is over (literally you guys, I’m usually up until the week hours on Thanksgiving), I start bringing out all things sparkly, wintery and wonderfully Christmas. I love winter whites and creams, silvers and golds for my Christmas tree and bring in some deeper reds and greens with faux fur textures. It’s my absolute favorite time in my home.

So as you start to walk the holiday-filled aisles of your favorite stores, remember the plan—you’ll have an easier time decorating and it will result in a more organized, more cohesive décor scheme.

Happy holiday-ing! ❆