Fall Decorating: Simple Solutions From Insperiors

by | Sep 24, 2021

Above: Seemingly small changes refreshed this living room in historic Fall River. The fireplace had been red brick and was painted white. All the furniture is from Jordans, so they could spend more of their budget on the labor, like painters, the floors, the bookshelves. Kids would be using the room, so you don’t need the best sofa, says Reynolds. “And the area rug – it looks expensive but it wasn’t.” 

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It’s hard to let go of summer, until you remember how fun it is to snuggle up with a glass of pinot noir and a charcuterie plate in front of the fire on a chilly October evening. But casting your eyes around your living room, you might suddenly realize the paint on the walls is looking a little, shall we say, tired. And those sofa pillows that were perfect for summer? Not very autumnal. 

Nathan Reynolds of Insperiors on Main Street says those are just the sort of projects anyone can undertake now in time for the holidays (yes, they are coming!). He’s a little more candid when it comes to making big changes by Thanksgiving. 

“The blunt side of me says it’s too late to get new window treatments,” says Reynolds. “But maybe we can find the right paint color for you. Changing the paint color from one room or from the whole first floor or second floor – it’s the most cost effective way to change a space.” 

And while Reynolds and his team at Insperiors would love to help, if you’re on a tighter budget, he says paint stores these days have lots of options – ways for customers to “try on” a color. “You can pick trendy colors or classic tones. Use the free links at the Sherwin Williams website,” he suggests.

The pandemic is still affecting furniture orders so if you are looking for a new table because you are hosting Thanksgiving, buying what is actually in the store right now might be the best way to go. Otherwise, you may well have that new table … for next year’s Thanksgiving.

Another thing to think about is your guest room. The holidays are the biggest entertaining time of the year. If you know people are going to be staying over, does your guest room need a refresh? 

“Guest rooms often need to get updated but are usually the last thing you tackle,” says Nathan. “Maybe you just need to update the bedding, or we could help you find the right size dresser. Those are cost effective, simple solutions.”

All the at-home time we’ve been spending lately may have taken a toll on your living room, he says. “We’re doing a ton of living rooms right now and family rooms. Furniture’s getting used more, people are home more.”

Maybe it’s just a new sectional, or new pillows, ottomans and end tables. A room can get a new look without a complete overhaul. (Again, keep in mind furniture delivery times are longer right now.) Or maybe it’s just making in-home entertaining easier with a beverage fridge in the family room so that during the game, people can stay put. 

Large light fixtures are popular right now. A lot of people are shopping online, but Reynolds suggests shopping local if possible, mentioning Harbor Lighting in Exeter and Mancini’s right  here in EG on Main Street. 

“Always call a local business and ask them about that online fixture you are looking at. Give them a chance,” says Reynolds. “If you can support local, do it!”

While it’s still early to go all-in on Christmas decorations (for most of us, anyway!), it’s not too early to think about how you want things to look. Some people love decorating for the holidays. Others love the finished product but would be happy to avoid the actual doing. 

“That’s a task that takes a lot of time,” Reynolds says. “Do the lights work? Finding the ornaments, arranging them on the tree.” 

Insperiors offers a wide range of services to dress your home for the holidays, including figuring out a color scheme. 

Once the holidays have begun, make a list of all the things you want to be different next year. Often we forget until the holidays roll around again, says Reynolds, and everyone’s crowding around the kitchen bar because you never got around to installing a bar in the living room. Or you’re running over to your neighbor’s kitchen to borrow an oven – again. 

“So usually January is a busy time for us,” he says.

Check out more of Insperiors’ work below:

Large light fixtures are in right now, says Nathan Reynolds of Insperiors. If you find a fixture you like online, he recommends checking with a local store, like Mancini’s in East Greenwich to see if they can offer you the same thing. Insperiors made the drapes; the new dining table is American made. “The maps we had framed by a local gallery.”

Deb Thomas, a home chef who often works with Insperiors, is getting down to business in a kitchen in Barrington (this shows the opposite side of the dining room pictured above, with the large light fixture). This is a perfect kitchen for entertaining – double ocean, an expansive counter – there’s enough room for two or three people to be cooking comfortably there. A major kitchen renovation is something to thinking about now but with lead times double these days, this is a project for the new year.

Insperiors was part of the design process for this Cedar Ridge condominium in West Greenwich. “We designed the living space knowing the owners have grandchildren and love to entertain. We used Sunbrella and Crypton fabrics because they are so washable. The challenge was to zone this big open space so there was a distinct dining area and a TV that doesn’t take centerstage.

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