Autumn Nesting Know-How

You’ve spent an entire summer tending to outdoor living quarters. As cool autumn breezes fill the air, thoughts naturally turn to relaxing more indoors. That’s when you realize it’s time to refresh and do some wonderful things inside your home.

"Cooler months are coming, we know at some point we will be stuck inside, and we feel more of a nesting tendency," says Ann Hoffman, principal designer at Hoffman & Albers Interiors. "Major holidays are just around the corner, and there are a lot of good, quick things our interior design services offer for the entire family to enjoy."

Refreshing doesn’t have to mean buying an entire room of new furniture. It might mean a colorful area rug or a change in window treatments. One of the easiest and quickest indoor pick-me-ups is a fresh coat of paint or a change in wallpaper. Grays mixed with brown undertones, or mixed with coral, red and orange shades are trending color schemes. Cobalt blue, aqua, navy – they’re still popular as well. Of course, you can never go wrong with classic camel or chocolate brown. And black still looks great with everything.

"Our typical thought when thinking of fall decorating is that it has to involve gold and orange – the color of the leaves and pumpkins," Hoffman says. 

But a lot of people can’t use traditional holiday hues because they argue with their current color schemes. Your Thanksgiving table can just as easily involve pinks with gold gilding. Or think metallic with neutral colors for Christmas or Hanukkah.

"So many people overlook accessories," she says. "Reaccessorizing is easy for designers to do, but something most people take for granted or they are intimidated by it. And it’s relatively inexpensive. So much of our holiday entertaining takes place in the dining room, for example, and centerpieces have to be wonderful. You might consider displaying some beautiful porcelain pieces with a series of low candle sticks instead of traditional seasonal flower arrangements."

For every person and home there is a unique interior design waiting to be discovered, says Hoffman. The key is to start the planning process for the holidays now.

Hoffman & Albers Interiors is located at 9405 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242. For more information, call 513.793.9100, email info@HoffmanandAlbersInteriors.com or visit www.hoffmanandalbersinteriors.com.