Staging Our Home for Retro Fall in the South Carolina Lowcountry

For the past week or so, We’ve been staging our home for retro fall. The temperature in the South Carolina Lowcountry is still in the low 90s, so waiting until Labor Day weekend to add full-on autumn decor makes more sense.

July’s red, white, and blue embellishments do not pair well with back to school and the cooler weather we are expecting (hoping for) in the near future. However, it’s too early to bring out the pumpkins, flannel, and scarecrows of fall in mid-to-late August.

Why not lay the backdrop for retro fall? Summer decor can be stowed away for next year, making room for a hint of the upcoming autumn season – like foreshadowing in a mystery novel, touches of the colors that will be featured later can be seen now. Pillows, tableclothes, and other subtle embellishments give friends and family the idea of what’s to come, but not the whole story.

Choosing the Colors

Our walls and flooring are mostly neutral, and our Midcentury furniture is simple and streamlined. The little cottage we lived in before was loaded with color and had pictures on every wall. After 25 years in my eclectic home, I was ready for a quieter space that could be transformed each season by adding textiles and thematic decor.

For retro fall, I chose burnt orange and avocado as my base colors, with a few turquoise and mustard accents along the way. The inspiration for these colors was the palette my daughter choose for her college apartment. Her colors also inspired the three Groovy Retro Paintings, pictured above.

The first thing I bought was velvet avocado pillow covers. I already had the persimmon pillows. We found the avocado pillow covers on Amazon. It might be untimely for flannel, but the rich texturing and warmth of velvet is luxurious for August, and takes away a little bit of the pain of having to get back into the swing of things after a lazy summer.

Layering in a Mushroom Owl Theme

I went to elementary school in the 1970s. Jimmy Carter was president and we didn’t wear Nike shoes yet. Name brands were not a thing, and the kind of clothes and decor that flash the label weren’t on the market yet. People, especially women, were into embellishing their bodies and home with needlecrafts, macrame, string art, and even artistic glass. Owls, mushrooms, and groovy flowers (especially dried ones) were often the subject of these home-crafted items.

As a nod to those rockstar moms, aunts, and the grandmothers in my past, I chose mushrooms and owls as my theme for fall. At one time I thought I liked gnomes. I realized later that it’s actually the mushrooms that I favor.

Blank Spaces, Waiting for Autumn

The flowers are still blooming outside, and our porches wait for leaves and jack-o-lantern flower pots filled with mums. The stairs need a leaf garland, the recliner needs a fall woodland throw, and the kitchen table is longing for the mushroom plates to be loaded with fall desserts. The foundation for autumn celebrations is in place!

Change is always exciting. I would love to hear about your fall decor themes and transition stradegies for the upcoming autumn season. I hope you enjoyed Staging Our Home for Retro Fall in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

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Read The Inspiration for Three Groovy Retro Paintings

Blessings,

Kristie