September 2023 — Comfort Works Blog & Sofa Resources

Chaney’s guide to a Fall style interior

Posted on September 29, 2023May 8, 2025 by Kay

If you’re having a dilemma on how to design your home for fall, you’re in luck! After much convincing, we managed to get an interview with the founder of Mix & Match Design Co., Chaney on how to decorate your home interior for Fall.

Check out the interview on Chaney’s guide to a Fall style interior below!

What is a 2023 Fall trend that you think is easy to incorporate into a living room for people who want to decorate their homes?

Chaney: Bring the warm tones in! Think about easy ways to bring in colors like camel, rust, and brown through pieces that are easy to swap. Throw pillows, tabletop decor, and throw blankets fall into that category and don’t have to be expensive. You’re going to see a lot of those tones this fall, and it’s a low-commitment way to bring that trend into your own home.

What is a must-change in your home when Fall arrives and why?

Chaney: I always find myself bringing out scented candles when the cooler weather starts to arrive. There’s something so cozy about having a candle burning nearby, and the scent has a way of setting the tone of your home. I rarely burn candles in the summer, but in fall and winter it’s an almost daily occurrence!

Is there a set of colours that you like to incorporate in your home for Fall and why?

Chaney: I don’t change out a lot of pieces in my home seasonally, but the places that you’ll see some changes (and therefore new colors) are much the same as the list I shared in the first question. I’ll bring in a new throw pillow or two in a warmer tone – rust and terracotta are probably my two favorites right now – and I like to add some faux branches that have more of those fall colors in them. A favorite set is one I picked up last year with these really pretty orange-red leaves. Pop them in a stoneware vase and you’re set.

Common mistakes that can occur when playing with the above-mentioned colours and how to avoid them?

Chaney: I’m a big fan of mixing warm and cool colors – they add a nice sense of balance. So one typical mistake is to only use one or the other, which either leaves a room feeling too cold or warm. Even if you find yourself drawn to one or the other, make sure to incorporate a little bit of the other to counter it.

In which part of your house do you spend the most time during Fall? What do you usually do there?

Chaney: As the weather cools down, I like to spend evenings outside on our front porch. We live in an historic home and it has a wonderful wraparound porch with a couple of rocking chairs that I love to curl up in to read a good book or catch up with my husband after our son goes to bed. It’s also a great way to chat with neighbors as they walk by!

Is that your favourite space? And, can you let us know how to make a space more cosy and comfortable to be in?

Chaney: My favorite space is actually just inside the front door – our more “formal” living room. It houses our most comfortable sofa and is free from toys and other kid items, so it feels more calm and peaceful than our family room. It’s also the space that we share most often with friends – we’ve had many great conversations there!

Having a cozy and comfortable space starts with the furniture and its arrangement. Setting up a room that’s conducive to its purpose is key, so for a living room for example, you’ll want to make sure to create a space plan that’s natural for conversation and/or watching TV. That idea translates to other rooms as well. From there, it’s about the style and “feel” so that it’s inviting and ready to welcome others into.

Where do you usually get inspiration from?

Chaney: There are so many places, but I spend the most time on Pinterest. There’s a lot out there to sift through, but the more time you spend on it and save images, the more it learns your style. Let the algorithm work in your favor! When an image strikes me, I try to spend a minute or two pinpointing why – is it the style itself? The colors? The furniture? Doing that exercise helps me notice details and define what makes it inspirational to me.

When I travel, I also try to visit places that are well designed. This usually means places like boutique hotels and restaurants where creativity can thrive. There’s inspiration everywhere if you take time to notice it!

Seeing as to how you’ve changed your career from a genetic counselor to an interior designer, that’s a bold move. What was the greatest push for the switch?

Chaney: It definitely felt bold at the time! There were several factors that went into the big change, but the two main ones were a longtime interest in creative professions and good timing. When I went to college, I was torn between pursuing a creative major and my other love of science. My “practical” side won out as I went on to get my Biomedical Sciences degree and then a master’s in Genetic Counseling, but I was always doing something creative on the side. Writing an interior design blog became my primary side hustle over the years, and eventually I started offering e-design services through that.

As for the good timing aspect, I was feeling burned out in my job in genetic counseling when my husband finished graduate school back in 2016, and he was actually the one to push me to try giving Mix & Match Design Co. a go full time. His steady job would mean I had a little more freedom to take a risk, and so I did! Though running my own business has been hard at times, it’s also been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I have no regrets about my decision.

What do you enjoy most about your job as an interior designer?

Chaney: I love working with people to transform their homes into spaces they love. It never gets old. Given my e-design approach, I often have the privilege of working with folks who have never hired a designer before, and I love seeing how helpful this service is to give them a vision and a plan that they can carry out on their own timeline.

I also love the mix of technical work and creative design – it’s such a great marriage of the two! From space planning to make sure the furniture scale is right to picking the perfect piece for a room, it’s a really fun puzzle to tackle.

Now, I know we’re both believers that anyone can have a beautiful home and there are a lot of people out there who would like to do that. What’s your advice for someone who doesn’t know where to begin? What kind of research or practice should they do to get inspiration for their personal, non-cliche take on Fall?

Chaney: Find a few designers whose style you love and study what they’re doing. Follow them on Instagram, look at their current work, and see what you can glean. If you then search their names on Pinterest, you’ll be able to see the work of others who have similar styles, which allows you to branch out a bit and see how others design beautiful homes. I definitely agree that everyone can have a beautiful home – whether you create it yourself or bring a designer in to help. It’s worth it to have a home you love!

Chaney_Widmer — Chaney, photographed by Hadley C. Miller Photography

If you’re looking to change up your home decor with warm colours for Fall, begin with our Fall collection couch covers!

Just like Chaney mentioned, in 2023, it’s all about bringing in warm colours through pieces that are easy to swap.

This Fall, Comfort Works is offering a series of couch covers under our Fall Collection with colours in warm, neutral and even bold tones. Comfort Works’ slipcovers are easy to slip on and slip off, and they’re low maintenance too. Depending on your lifestyle, choose from a variety of fabrics with different functions such as claw-proof, hypoallergenic and performance.

Discover the Fall Collection

Happy decorating for Fall!

Check out Mix & Match Design Co here

Inspiring AD celeb home tours and how to get their sofa look: Fall edition

Posted on September 22, 2023May 8, 2025 by Kay

Fall is coming and for the home and living enthusiasts, it’s another reason to decorate your home.

Inspiration is everywhere, but why not celebrity homes this time? Your admiration for them doesn’t stop at their persona, skill or talent, it can be for their taste for home design too.

From Victorian to contemporary, we’ve got a few of our favourite celebrity homes (thanks to AD), to share with you.

1. John Legend & Chrissy Teigen

“We were attracted to this place because of its lightness and airiness. We love how open it feels, and how it’s so connected to the outdoors. We wanted to create something magical, especially for the kids,” said Chrissy in the interview with AD.

Enlisting the AD100 designer, Jake Arnold, the star couple created a lovely home that’s an amalgamation of mid-century modern and contemporary, yet it remains cosy and very in touch with nature.

Living room

Personally, I really like open and bright spaces. Seeing the living room where families usually gather being filled with light, it just boosts my mood up. And, with the kitchen being right next to the living, I agree with Chrissy’s manner of cooking and interacting with guests at the same time.

The couple incorporated in their living room the quintessential characteristics of mid-century modern designs, such as the bold caramel-coloured couch and curved accent chairs. There’s a natural flow in the use of these furniture that creates harmony in the space.

However, John and Chrissy’s house isn’t all about style.

“We actually use some outdoor fabrics for our indoor couches,” says John.

View our indoor-outdoor collection

With children and pets, it’s hard to prevent mishaps from happening on the couch. When you’ve got the occasional dog pee and kids spilling drinks on the couch, it’s important to get a couch fabric that is durable for all kinds of events.

And, we’ve got just the right couch cover for that. With a deep, caramel colour that’s similar to what you see in John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s home, our Signature Velvet Caramel is your next bold move for Fall.

Not only is it bold in terms of style, it’s bold because it’s spill and scratch-resistant, skin and pet-friendly, and highly durable. That’s why the Signature Velvet is the velvet for you.

More about our Signature Velvet

2. Amanda Seyfried

Once you open the door to Amanda Seyfried’s New York apartment, it instantly presents itself as a humble yet stylish abode. Compared to most of the celebrity homes, Amanda’s home is cosy and feels really homey, which is a contrast to a lot of them. In every corner of her house, there are decor items which are related to a family member and I find that so sweet, adding warmth and memories to the whole space.

Living room

The living room, kitchen and dining area being together in one space “makes it really cosy”, as mentioned by Amanda. Not only that, it makes it easy for the family to be together even when they’re each doing a different activity.

Her daughter’s painting and her sister’s handcrafted claywork, although simple, add on to the cosiness of the whole space. Amanda wanted something more relaxed for her home and her designer, Sarah Zaymes, has achieved that by using wide plank flooring and arched windows in similar tones.

Despite the farmhouse-flavoured home, I personally prefer darker colours for Fall, so I would change the couch cover to our Signature Velvet Bayleaf. The soft, luxurious fabric not only welcomes the colder weather, but is also a great fabric to keep you warm while you snuggle up on the couch.

Discover the Fall Collection

3. Troye Sivan

Upon opening the big wooden door to his home, we’re instantly greeted by loads of light and plants. One glance of his living room and I instantly got the feeling of being in a very cosy home that’s also close to nature. The South African-born singer stated that he likes to be on the artistic side, so there’s a lot to unravel in his loft-like home with three floors.

Living room

In this space lit by warm yellow lights, we see a lot of mid-century modern furniture, especially with all the different sofas and chairs placed around the living room.

The olive green couch, which Troye says is “the most comfortable couch ever”, is a nice addition to the living room that’s filled with natural hues and greenery such as his cut-up apple tree on the dining table. It blends well amongst the brown wall panels and muted tones of the living room.

A spacey black leather couch with a white bathtub-like frame sits across the green couch. Even though it’s not exactly close to the “earthy” category, but the fact that it possesses mid-century modern characteristics allows it to fit well into the space.

The mid-century style doesn’t stop here. Just when you think two very different sofas in a small space should be enough, there are two more auburn velvet armchairs arranged between the two sofas.

Actually, that colour looks pretty similar to our Comfort Chenille Burnt Orange, which is part of our Fall Collection this year. With a copper tone that’s on the louder side yet not overshadowing, our Comfort Chenille Burnt Orange customised couch cover could be your next bold Fall move.

Apart from looking stylishly mid-century modern, our Comfort Chenille helps to regulate body temperature to keep you warm during fall and cool in the summer.

Discover the Fall Collection

4. Vanessa Hudgens

Old but beautiful, Vanessa Hudgens’s L.A home was originally built in 1922. With French oak floors and French windows, the house looks straight out of a Hollywood movie.

What we like about her home is that there’s a different character in each part of the house. For example, the living room gives off a “let’s gather for a chill night with friends and some drinks” kind of mood with the brass candles and a piano.

With big potted plants around the living room, I get the sense of a relaxed atmosphere in the space. Together with her velvet couch and armchairs, guests would be able to sit there for hours just talking about life.

Wouldn’t you want to have spill-resistant, easy-clean and wrinkle-free velvet couch covers to entertain your guests too?

NEW IN: Spill-resistant velvet couch covers

Her breakfast nook is a spot that’s part-home, part-restaurant. She got the cushioned bench seat customised to resemble the one in a New York restaurant that she visited. In contrast to the brown leather seat, the dark Fall-coloured table and the mauve chairs look like they belong in someone’s home. Despite that, both meshed really well with the help of a unique patterned wallpaper.

Customised Mauve chair covers for you

Vanessa’s bedroom itself is a space that encompasses all kinds of art. From the art pieces to the vintage sconce lights on the wall, the bedroom does not just feel like a bedroom but somewhat of an art space.

Within the orange-toned bedroom, there’s the bathroom with colours so contrasting to the bedroom. The bathroom walls are painted in an almost-black colour which makes the marble sink and white bathtub really stand out. Together with candlesticks, brass taps and faucets, it’s a glamorous yet moody bathroom that looks like it was modified from the mediaeval times.

That’s just so much of character and personality to Vanessa’s home, and we’ve got to say that’s why we love it!

5. Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz

The couple’s mansion is such a vibe. When they opened the door to welcome AD in, it’s like, there’s just no reason at all to say no to these hosts and their astonishing mansion by the ocean.

As with a lot of families, the couple hangs out a lot at the dining area. We think one of the reasons is their soft, shearling dining chairs that keep the guests feeling comfortable. Even their dog, Samba, loves it so much that there’s actually, as Swizz mentioned, a lot of drool on it.

Drool and scratch-proof couch covers

But, the family loves the big Cane Corso, so the “disrespectful” amount of drool wouldn’t bother them, or the guests, we assume.

Art and technology both coexist in the living space. Although the family can gather around to watch a movie and talk on the big yellow tufted sofa, it’s also a space where they and their guests could appreciate the cultural art pieces by African American and African artists. The couple has been collecting art pieces for over 20 years and that totals up to more than 1,000 works.

In the library/music room, you can gain a sense of warmth from the light yellow colours. Swizz says they wanted to bring more warmth to the house as there is a need to create a balance to their cool-toned “Iron Man” home. With the sound of the piano, books to read and a comfortable couch to lay on, I can see how they’re able to spend hours in the space enjoying all the little things.

The couch cover looks so similar to our Performance Weave Amber couch covers, which is liquid-resistant, low-maintenance and soft to the touch. Now that you know, you can make your sofa look and feel as good as this couple’s, no matter the model.

Discover the Performance Weave Collection

All in all, I’d love to own a home like Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys’, maybe someday.