Pumpkins stacked by a wagon wheel on a New England farm with the words 5 things that make a house feel like fall

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New England girls, you know the feeling.

The house smells like something that’s been cooking all day. There’s a candle going in every room. And somewhere in the back of your head, you’re eight again.

That feeling never comes from one big thing. It comes from the small things you do every year, the same way, with the same people. These are the five little things that make my house feel like fall.

This list started as a post on my Instagram. Come say hi over there too.

What makes a house feel like fall

1. A fall wreath on the front door

Pomegranate fall wreath on the front door, an easy way to make your house feel like fall

Fall starts at the front door. Deep red pomegranates, green leaves, and a striped ribbon bow. It says welcome before anyone even knocks, and it goes up the same week every year. Under $40. Shop the pomegranate wreath

2. Something pretty to fill on the table

Anthropologie Brienne footed glass vessel etched with plum florals, cozy fall table decor

A footed glass bowl etched with plum florals, from Anthropologie. Fill it with apples, mini gourds, or candy corn and suddenly the kitchen table feels like a tradition. Shop the Brienne glass vessel

3. A little whimsy on the shelf

Plum iridescent etched glass mushroom, a whimsical fall shelf decor find

Every fall house needs one thing that makes you look twice. This plum iridescent glass mushroom is mine. Tuck it on a bookshelf between the cookbooks and let people find it. Shop the glass mushroom

4. Flowers in a vase that feels collected

Greenrow Ina hand glazed ceramic floral vase with white flowers by a sunny window

The Ina vase from Greenrow is hand thrown and hand glazed, so no two are the same. Fill it with whatever’s still blooming in the yard, then dried branches once the garden is done. Shop the Ina vase

5. A blanket within arm’s reach

ChappyWrap Ruthie Blockprint reversible throw blanket in a burgundy and cream floral print, a cozy fall blanket

Fall isn’t fall without a blanket on every chair. My ChappyWrap Ruthie is the one on my couch right now. Reversible, cozy, and machine washable. $160. Shop the Ruthie blanket

It’s also in my New England gift guide, if you’re already thinking about the holidays.

Keep the traditions

Keep showing up for the small things long enough and one day they’re the thing somebody else remembers.

Keep the ones you grew up with. Start the ones you wish you had.

Fall at home: your questions

How do you make your house feel like fall?

Start small and use your senses. A wreath on the door, a candle in every room, something cooking all afternoon, a blanket on every chair, and one or two pieces you pull out every single year. You don’t need to redo a whole room to make your house feel like fall. You need a few things that come back every September and feel like home the minute they do.

What are some cozy fall traditions?

Lighting a candle every night, a Sunday sauce or soup that simmers all day, apple picking, filling a bowl on the table with gourds, and swapping in the fall blanket the same week every year.