How I Decorate for Fall Without Losing the Coastal Feel

In this post – how I decorate our San Diego coastal home for fall, using a mix of textures and neutral colors.

Decorating for fall in San Diego presents me with a bit of a challenge. While it would be easy to layer our home in lots of in traditional fall hues of oranges, reds and yellows, that doesn’t really work if a home’s interiors lean more neutral, modern and coastal, like ours does. So, to add some fall touches to our San Diego beach house, my decor makes a subtle nod to the season while staying true to our style. In this post, I’m sharing how I like to add just a few autumnal accents around our home that work with – not against – our modern coastal interiors.

Use a Light Touch

The number one rule I follow when I decorate for fall at the coast is to keep it simple and true to our casual California style.

In September and October, we still enjoy summer-like weather in San Diego. Compared to Northern California, there are very few deciduous trees, so we don’t see as many traditional fall colors here like we do at our home up north. This makes adding a lot of literal fall references feel forced and out-of-touch with the locale, whereas making subtle references to the season feels more appropriate for the climate.

That means nothing too literal – no scarecrows, bright orange pumpkins or other autumn theme-related items. Instead, I add maybe one or two fall-coded decorative items per area, and I make sure that they blend with my home’s existing neutral color palette.

I don’t use loud patterns or bright colors in our table linens either. Instead, I stick to a neutral color palette and add warmth with textured linens and napkin rings. I don’t use any literal references to fall, such as bright colorful autumn leaf or checkerboard patterns, because they’re not in keeping with our coastal Southern California locale.

Incorporate Lots of Texture

Adding extra texture to areas of our home is my primary method for fall decorating, and it’s actually one of the easiest updates.

A great example of this is the addition of two small wheat bundles flanking our mantel. (Fun fact – they actually do grow wheat in this part of the state, with November and December being the main growing seasons.)

These small bundles, along with a pretty piece of driftwood, add additional texture to our otherwise modern coastal mantel. Their simplicity also blends with the modern feel of the room.

As I mentioned, I try to stay away from decorating for fall too literally. So instead of using an actual pumpkin on this shelf off of our kitchen, I use this raffia one instead. As you can tell, I love to combine driftwood with other seasonal decor. This small vignette adds some texture to the room, while staying true to our casual coastal style.

Pumpkins Can Be Coastal

Since pumpkins are the universal signal that fall has arrived, I do like to use them in our fall decor, but I make sure that they blend with our space. This light blue pumpkin on our entry table is the only colorful one I use in our home. It adds a little shine to the vignette and has an interesting perforated pattern that looks fun at night when lit up from within.

This little ceramic pumpkin on our sofa table is probably my favorite fall accessory. The pattern on it reminds me of the kelp that washes up on our local beaches. It’s displayed simply atop some books in a long woven tray.

If you are the crafty type who also loves coastal decor, then you should try making one of my easy coastal pumpkins. All you need is a pumpkin, Mod Podge, and some sand!

If you are looking to add some pumpkins to your coastal decor without crafting, but like me, you don’t want anything too literal – or orange! – there are lots of great options to choose from right now. All of the ones you see below can be found at Pottery Barn.

Add Neutral Florals

Real or faux dried florals are another way I like to add texture and give a subtle nod to fall. I choose stems that have soft, neutral tones. Berries, leaves and even hydrangeas all make a statement without being too overwhelming. One of my favorite local coastal decor stores, Tadah, always has the prettiest autumn vignettes this time of year, with lots of great examples of ways to display fall foliage mixed with coastal decor.

In our home, I swap out the summery green faux plant on our coffee table for one with more muted fall-like colors. Displayed with an oversized driftwood candle holder and a rustic bowl full of little neutral pumpkins, it gives the grouping an autumn feel.

Incorporate Lots of Candles

As the days shorten I like to use candles to cozy up our rooms. I rely on battery-operated candles with timers so that they turn on an off automatically each evening. Brass and gold candle stands add even more warmth and shine and contrast nicely with the rougher textures in the space.

I love the cozy glow of these candles just after sunset. Magical!

If you live in a smaller space you can still add a few candles to make it feel cozy. You can even add tiny pumpkins instead of shells as a filler in their containers, like these from Pottery Barn.

Throw in Some Cozy

Now is the season to throw those throw blankets on your couches, chairs, or anywhere someone might want to settle in for a while. I have a collection of throw blankets that complement our home’s decor. I put most of them away during the warmer months, but in the fall I take them out and place them strategically around our home. It’s a simple way to make our home feel cozier and more “fall”.

Sea Shells as Accents

Sea shells are staple of any coastline decor. They are surprisingly versatile and can complement fall decor beautifully. The key is to use them judiciously. I love the look of coral next to dried florals. Talk about texture upon texture!

Wreaths also look beautiful when adorned with shells. I keep this twig wreath up on our door year-round, but it looks especially appropriate in the fall.

Make It Fall, But Keep It Coastal

You don’t need to abandon your own style preferences every time you decorate your home for a new season. By making just a few changes, you can make your home feel seasonally appropriate, while staying true to your decorating style, coastal or otherwise. Seasons may change, but your style doesn’t have to.