Fall is upon us once again. Cozy blankets, morning coffee rituals, and the crisp autumn air signal a shift in the season. As the evenings get darker and cooler, you’ll be spending more time tucked inside. The fireplace is there to welcome you back. Dress it up for the occasion with beautiful fall decor.

No matter your design preferences, you’ll be able to find fun seasonal pieces to transform the focal point of your living room into a beacon of coziness. These tips will show you how to decorate your fireplace this fall and enjoy your extra time indoors.

1. Set the Mood With Accent Lighting

One of the best ways to add coziness to any room is to add accent or mood lighting. Think candles, LED pillars, and fairy lights. You can use them on their own or woven through your other decor pieces. The extra glow will draw everyone’s eyes to your inviting fireplace.

2. Bring Nature to You

Fall decor doesn’t even need to be expensive to make a statement. Head outside for a therapeutic nature walk and grab a few tidbits along the way. Press colorful leaves in a frame to display on your mantle. A basket of pinecones is also a nice touch. Let the outdoors inspire you and build off of that.

3. Switch to Fall Blooms

While most people connect florals with spring and summer, fall has many unique flowers and greenery. Mums, hydrangeas, marigolds, and black-eyed Susans are just a sample of what the season offers. You can also decorate with classics like ornamental grass and dried wheat.

4. Use Traditional Pumpkins and Gourds

Does anything spell fall more than pumpkins? It seems no autumn decor could be complete without at least one. They’re also such a versatile piece. You can display them in all their orange glory or even paint them – popular colors are white, gold, and matte black. Faux options can look just as lovely and come in fun, different patterns and textures like velvet.

5. Decorate for Harvest Using Apples

Apples are a colorful addition to any mantle if you want to decorate for harvest with a less-traditional choice. Add to the fall fun by heading to your local orchard to pick your own. Collect a few kinds to capitalize on their different colors and shapes. The scent of apples will add to the ambiance your fireplace creates.

6. Keep It Simple

Your fireplace is the focal point of your living room. Your decor should draw attention to it and accentuate its beauty. However, with all the cute items on the market and gorgeous natural elements, it’s incredibly easy to bring in too much. Add one thing at a time to your mantle and the surrounding area until you reach a balance that feels perfect.

7. Lean into the Colors of Fall

Fall brings many changes to the outdoors. Leaves change colors, pinecones fall, and florals and forest berries take on new and beautiful hues. As you choose decor pieces for your fireplace, lean into those fall earth tones. Brown, deep red, plum, bright orange, and yellow all visually signal a shift into autumn.

8. Layer With Prints and Textures

A core principle of good design is to layer prints and textures to create visual interest. Buffalo check and plaid patterns both work well with fall decor. To add texture, burlap and velvet are just a couple of options. You can make a banner with pieces of burlap, wrap faux pumpkins in scraps of plaid fabric, and try out many other fun projects for the fall.

9. Hang a Wreath

Another simple way to decorate your fireplace for fall is to hang a seasonal wreath. As a fun fall activity, gather some friends to make your own. Have everyone bring found items to use, like dried wheat, colorful leaves, berry stems, branches, and pinecones. However, if you have bad seasonal allergies, you might be better off buying one with faux foliage.

10. Add Decor to Rustic Baskets

There’s a lot you can do with a rustic basket. Choose small ones to stack mini pumpkins and gourds on your mantle. You could also fill it with apples or pinecones for something less-traditional. Larger baskets are perfect for setting around the base of your fireplace to stack firewood or store blankets.

11. Display Chalkboard Art

A framed chalkboard is a great decor option year-round. Get a pack of chalkboard markers and write seasonal sayings or create cute artwork. You can leave the board there all year and completely change it as often as you like.

12. Place an Accent Chair and Cute Pillow

An accent chair on one or both sides of your fireplace makes for a comfy spot to sit on a chilly autumn evening. Add a cute fall-themed pillow to tie it in with the rest of your seasonal decor. If you don’t usually keep a chair by the fire, look around your house for one that would work.

13. Gather Some Firewood

A stack of logs adds warmth to any fireplace and is the perfect accent for fall. You don’t even need one that’s wood-burning in order to jump on this idea. Your firewood will look so cozy that no one will think twice about the type of fireplace you have.

Have Fun With It

These tips on how to decorate your fireplace this fall are just suggestions. You’ll find no hard and fast rules here. Only you can know what pieces will bring that satisfying cozy feeling to your fireplace. If you love a bunch of cute knick-knacks, go for it! Love word art? Incorporate that. Must everything have pumpkin? Have at it. Have fun with it and do what brings you joy this autumn season.

Author: Olivia Elsher is a Senior Editorial Manager and Writer at Renovated. She specializes in researching and writing about property related topics— ranging from interior design & decor, home renovation, real estate, construction, etc.