Fall Coffee Table Styling with What I Had on Hand

 

Last week, I shared my excitement for pumpkin muffins  and how the fall bug hit me early this year. To soak up the season, I aimed to decorate my house for fall by the end of August. I didn’t quite hit that mark, wrapping up on September 1st, but I’m fairly pleased with the results. My dining area is a vibrant explosion of fall colors, so I wanted my living room’s coffee table to embrace a neutral, cozy vibe using only items I already owned. I turned to ChatGPT for inspiration, uploading a photo of my year-round coffee table setup and asking for a fall makeover that replicated the suggested design as closely as possible without spending a dime.

 

Here’s how it came together. The ChatGPT design featured a throw, but I didn’t have one that worked, so I swapped in a gauze runner. With a basket instead of a tray on top, I think it adds a soft, organic touch. In front, I placed a stack of books from 1740, part of the late Mr. O-P’s cherished collection that I hold dear. I didn’t have small figurines like the design suggested (my only option was a Limoges figure in clashing colors), so I chose a brass cat I’ve had for about 40 years—it adds a personal, timeless charm.

 

Inside the basket, I nestled a wooden pumpkin I bought years ago and a resin pumpkin from Pottery Barn last year. I reused my existing greenery for texture and paired it with iron candlesticks holding green candles, accented by a bittersweet berry candle ring for a pop of fall. 

After living with the setup for a couple of days, I wondered if it needed more, so I added a small pumpkin dish with a wooden lid for extra warmth. Two days later, I wasn't sure that I liked this addition.

Then, I second-guessed the iron candlesticks—they felt a bit heavy. So, I swapped them for green glass candlesticks, keeping the bittersweet berry ring at the base for continuity. 

Now, I’m torn between the two looks and need your help! My cousin is visiting for my birthday weekend (the weekend before, since my actual birthday is a Tuesday), and it’s her first time seeing my house. I want the coffee table to shine. Which design do you prefer: the iron candlesticks or the green glass ones? Be brutally honest—I’m open to suggestions to make this space perfect for my guests!

 This post is linked to Metamorphosis Monday.

Styling a Two-Tier Tray

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Call me a sap, but I have succumbed to the purchase of one of those ubiquitous two-tier trays; I didn’t want to be the only person who didn’t have one. It is indeed a cute receptacle for a nice variety of fall decor, and I couldn’t be more pleased. 

Styling one of these can be tricky. You need to combine old with new, soft textures with hard ones, and add a little bit of greenery, real or faux, to finish things off.

As you can see, I’m embracing the neutrals this season. I combined vintage (the squirrel vase) with new (the cloth pumpkins), tossed in a bit of farmhouse (the Rae Dunn "Nibble" plates), and whimsy (the MacKenzie-Childs "Courtly Check" flatware).

The single ceramic pumpkin is what's left of a set of pumpkin salt and pepper shakers. Instead of discarding the remaining shaker, I now use it for a cinnamon-sugar mixture that I put on toast. 

The flowers are silk, and were originally a horrible color of diarrhea green. I got out a couple of cans of spray paint from my impressively large collection, and made them colors that I found appealing. Never be afraid to spray paint silk flowers or greenery, they take to paint quite well as you can see. 

The jar candle from Colonial Candle of Cape Cod is a favorite fragrance of mine in Tibetan Sandalwood. Not only do I like the candle, but I find the empty candle holder to be a wonderful receptacle for my vast collection of colored pencils, markers, and pens. 

The glass pumpkin is from Pottery Barn. I bought it a number of years ago, but it is still available, and I believe currently on sale. I put LED string lights inside and light it up in the evening. Very atmospheric.

How are you decorating for the season? Are you embracing fall, or hanging on desperately to summer?