As life today threatens to become increasingly standardized, sanitized, and thus “sense-less” our home certainly can and should maintain a platform for balance between mind, body and soul.

Harmonious combinations of all our major senses (sight, sound, taste, smell, touch and spirit) underlie the fundamental goals of great interior home design. As we now do our seasonal decorating, we have many options both new and old. Let’s take a special perspective for this special season and enjoy the process as much as the final outcome. Let’s start early…why not? Let’s take down late…why not?

In an ongoing virtual world, we the crave the creature comforts of physicality. Learn how to style using your senses to prepare for fall. Let’s go!

Use your sight.

This is the easy one as we pretty much know what attracts us visually. Entryways into our home and to individual rooms should set the stage for the layer of your fall decor. We know, rooms can take different seasonal themes (sophistication, homemade, old-fashioned, etc) or can blend transitionally from room to room as well. If you need, remove several accessories temporarily and even do some slight furniture rearrangement for improved sight angles, distancing, or making room for any pumpkins or spooky items.

Use sound to create atmosphere.

The best fall sounds to me are the sounds of children and the buzz of friends. Sounds can create or enhance the mood. Bedrooms should reflect spa/meditation calming and softness. For me, that special secluded nest (the office, library, his/her room) includes mellow jazz or classical music. How lucky we now are that we can just “ask” and get whatever music or sounds we want without even getting up.

Awaken your taste.

Use your smell.

Smell in a home is very, very important. You want your kitchen to smell like fall treats, cider, and spices, not cleaning products. Scents can trigger emotions and memories, as well as provide balance and harmony. Our children still remember our scents from when they were very young. I’ll bet you do too. Scents in the fall are the best. Light that candle or create a simmer pot on the stove with cinnamon and oranges, it is all-natural and perfect for when guests come over.

Bring in those textures.

Of course, when buying a rug or carpet, we take off our shoes and walk on it. When we feel tactile fabrics like wool, cashmere, velvet and mohair softness and warmth prevails whether upholstery or pillows or other accessories. Worn wood, old leather, soft stone are also naturally warm elements. Conversely, colors like blue, indigo and violet are cool and even can lower blood pressure as a calming sense. The holidays are a time for warmth and there are so many ways to offset what is normally a cool or harder environment.