Autumn is such a lovely word for such a lovely season. Our garden club recently visited our favorite nursery and garden center–Earthscapes–where owner Kay Lynch divulged a few of her professional decorating tips.

Give visitors a sneak peek of your welcoming decor, even before they walk through the door.

Kay made this wreath and hung it on the door of her shop. Even before we enter, we get a sense of a fabulous treat to come.

Use the rule of decorating in “3’s” (or odd numbers) since it is most pleasing to the eye.

Kay had these three metal pumpkins in her flower bed. Notice that each one is shaped differently, but by clustering them together, she makes a stronger statement than if she had only used one.

Add color, texture, and light. And create visual interest by combining soft and hard items together.

Here, Kay offsets these hard, ceramic pots with the softness of the tree and the buffalo print fabric runner. Items sit at different levels on the table. Light comes from both the lamp on the left and from the twinkles in the tree (right).

Can you identify the same elements listed above in this photograph?

This moody, spirited vignette has light from the candles and lantern, hard and soft pieces (ceramic pots/small velvet pumpkins and picks), and items of varying heights. The pumpkin wreath is hung on the mirror with a suction cup…brilliant!

Details Make a Difference

Look at the way Kay has suspended silk leaves on organza ribbon above this spectacular table. It visually brings your eye upwards. She suggests using the same technique with light fixtures or chandeliers.

I love the way she has incorporated the large, shiny string of colored beads throughout the table. Just a tiny detail that adds so much.

Here, items are not spread too far apart on the table, but just far enough to give a little space between to allow them to “breathe.”

Sometimes all it takes is a sprig of greenery, fall leaves, or a bow to add interest to something you already have.

Let’s review some of these design tips from Kay:

• Use the “Rule of three’s” when decorating to create a strong statement
• Combine soft and hard items in your vignettes for visual interest
• Incorporate sparkle from candles, lamps, or twinkle lights
• Vary the levels of your items when putting together a display (lining items up at the same height is not a good thing)
• If placing several items together, do not space them too far apart or too close together. Cluster items leaving just a little breathing room between each
• Create a bit of whimsy by adding a spider, a silly pumpkin, or a black cat
• Decorate items you already have by using fall floral picks, sprigs of greenery, or bows
• Add a bit of the unexpected (as seen in the halloween wreath above, attached to the mirror)

Thank you, Kay, for giving us ideas that will create a warm and welcoming home this autumn.

Earthscapes Garden Center & Landscaping 
5317 205 Loop  *  Temple, Texas 76502
(254) 773-4668  *   Email: earthscapes@hot.rr.com