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!
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.
Happy decorating for Fall!