A Cozy Creative Life

I love decorating for fall, but I have never felt that everything had to be bright orange. In my home, autumn tends to arrive more quietly—with velvet pumpkins in soft colors, hydrangeas gathered from the garden and a few changes that make familiar rooms feel ready for the season.

Last fall, I arranged several of my Hot Skwash velvet pumpkins among hydrangeas from my garden on top of a tall chest of drawers in the living room. The pale, preserved flowers softened the richer aqua, gold and raspberry colors of the pumpkins. The arrangement had plenty of color, but it still felt quiet and natural—just the kind of fall decorating I enjoy.

I first saw the velvet pumpkins at Seasons, one of my favorite stores in Williamsburg. It is the same store where I found the amaryllis bulbs. My sister and I both loved the pumpkins immediately.

Fall is her favorite season, so naturally, we each had to buy some. Before long, we were also giving them to each other as birthday gifts. Our collections began to grow.

When we couldn’t get to Williamsburg, we found Hot Skwash online. Their velvet pumpkins come in a wonderful assortment of colors and sizes, and the natural stems make every one a little different. Choosing just one was rarely easy.

The pumpkins are only part of what makes the arrangement special to me. All of the hydrangeas came from my own garden.

Hydrangeas have always been among my favorite flowers. I enjoy them outside throughout the summer, but I also like finding ways to bring them indoors and keep them a little longer. When the blooms are mature, I cut and preserve them with glycerin. Their colors gradually soften into pale greens, creams and touches of blush that work beautifully with velvet.

I especially like the contrast between the faded flowers and the richer colors of the pumpkins. The hydrangeas keep the arrangement from feeling too formal, while the velvet adds warmth and a little luxury. Together, they create the softer kind of fall I prefer.

Fall decorating does not have to mean changing everything in a room. Sometimes one arrangement is enough. A few velvet pumpkins and flowers from the garden can bring in the season without overwhelming everything already there.

The pumpkins remind me of Williamsburg, shopping with my sister and the birthday gifts we have exchanged. The hydrangeas bring a little of my garden inside.

Perhaps that is what I enjoy most about the arrangement. It is not simply fall decoration. It is made from things that already hold memories.