DT's Top Five for Fall!

1…Get rid of it!  That’s right…get rid of anything in the closet, attic, garage, or basement that you will never use again.  This will give you a clean palette to start from when you begin to ready your home for a new season.  Sound like a lot of work?  Think outside the box and have a charitable organization do a rummage sale and then donate the rest to a charity of your choice…or throw it in the trash!  This way you get a clean house, a tax deduction, and spread good karma!

2…Now you have a clean house!  Fall is the perfect time of year to decorate with elements from nature.  I use my grandmother’s bread board and fill it with small gourds and pumpkins for the dining room table.  For the exterior, an urn or planter that held the Summer flowers will look great with a larger pumpkin stacked on top!  Also for the exterior, I use tiny English Boxwood from the Farmers Market and circle them with pansies in window boxes and planters.  This gives me something that will last the entire season right up until Spring!

3…An old Southern trick that past generations used to mark the seasonal change was to take up the area rugs  and heavy drapery in the Spring and put them back down in the Fall.  Most of us no longer have the time (or budget) to change out rugs and drapery with the seasons, but a super way to get the same feeling is with throws and pillows.  This is such an easy and affordable way to instantly change the feel of your décor.

 

4…Don’t forget the curb appeal!  Now is the time to trim shrubbery, prune trees, mulch, and generally do all the things needed to get your yard in tip top shape.  If you manicure your yard now, it will be very low maintenance until Spring.  My Mother had a mantra for yard work…cut it back and it will thrive in the Spring! 

5…Paint!  This is the cheapest and easiest way to give your home an instant facelift.  Just a fresh coat of a new color on the front door or shutters will guarantee to stop traffic…in a good way!  On the inside, make sure to touch up trim and doors that took a beating through the year.  Fresh trim always perks up a room…an old decorator trick.

That wasn’t so difficult was it?  Now that all the hard work is done this is a great excuse to throw a party!  A tailgate party or pot luck dinner with friends is the perfect motivation to get finished and relax!  Most folks enjoy being a participant, so assign everyone a type of dish and see what happens.  Just make sure to have a backup plan.  I tried this once and everyone showed up with chips….thank goodness I was prepared!

Let us know which of these tips you find helpful.  You can always find us on Facebook at DT&CO./Cary and also be sure to check the “Tip of the Day” at https://www.facebook.com/groups/justaskdt/.