How I Style a Small Cabinet for Fall

Some of my favorite seasonal decorating happens in the smallest spots in my house.

This little cabinet is one of them. It isn’t a big focal point like the mantel or the fireplace, but every season I end up changing what’s inside, moving things around and finding an excuse to pull out a few pieces I haven’t used in a while.

For fall, I kept it simple: pumpkin mugs, old pottery, warm wood, dried leaves and a few vintage pieces I already had around the house.

And honestly, that’s usually how I decorate. I don’t start with a shopping list. I start by opening bins, looking through cabinets and seeing what I can put together.

Start With the Things You Already Collect

I love collections, especially when they can change with the seasons.

For fall, my pumpkin mugs were an easy place to start. Instead of spreading them around the kitchen, I grouped several together inside the cabinet. Putting similar pieces together makes them feel like an intentional collection, even when none of them actually match.

The same goes for old crocks, pottery, baskets, cutting boards or whatever you happen to collect.

Before buying something new for a seasonal display, walk around your house. You might already have half of what you need sitting in another room.

Bring in Something From Outside

One of the easiest things I added to this cabinet didn’t come from a store at all.

Branches of dried fall leaves instantly gave the whole thing more color and height. I love using real branches because they’re never perfectly shaped, and that’s part of what makes them look good mixed with older pieces.

You could do the same thing with bare branches, acorns, pinecones or whatever you can find outside this time of year.

And when the season changes? Toss them and bring in something different.

Mix Seasonal Pieces With Everyday Things

Not everything in a fall display has to scream fall.

Actually, I think it’s better when it doesn’t.

The old pottery, wooden pieces, washboards and crocks aren’t technically fall decor. They’re things I can use throughout the year. But mixed with pumpkin mugs and autumn leaves, suddenly they feel right at home for September.

That’s one of my favorite ways to decorate seasonally because you don’t need bins and bins of decorations for every season.

A handful of obvious seasonal pieces can completely change the way your everyday things look.

Don’t Try to Make Everything Match

I don’t want my shelves to look like I bought everything at the same store on the same day.

Some pieces are darker. Some are lighter. The mugs don’t all match. There are different woods, different pottery finishes and plenty of age and wear.

That’s what I like about it.

I usually pay more attention to the overall colors than whether the individual pieces technically “go” together. Here, all of the browns, creams, oranges and muted greens work together without everything being part of a matching set.

Let It Change

This might be the most important part, especially if you love decorating as much as I do.

Nothing has to stay the same all season.

I enjoyed this cabinet exactly like this for fall, took plenty of photos of it, and then changed it again for Halloween.

That’s half the fun.

Decorating your home doesn’t have to mean creating the perfect setup on September 1st and leaving it untouched until Thanksgiving. Move things around. Swap a shelf. Add something you found at a thrift store. Take something away when you’re tired of looking at it.

Your house is allowed to change right along with the season.

And this little cabinet?

Let’s just say October has already gotten ahold of it. 🎃