It’s time for our monthly Design Challenge, and this month we are kicking off the coming season with inspiration centered around chests. It’s been a blistering 105 degrees outside, but I coaxed myself into believing it was a crisp 65 by turning the A/C down and lighting a pumpkin-scented candle.  Ahhh, it was nice.  Let’s begin by styling an antique chest for fall using everyday items you likely already have at home.

If you found your way here via Lora Bloomquist’s blog, howdy!  I’m thrilled you’re here.  If you’d like to know more about me, click here for the ABOUT ME page.  I hope you find something you like and want to try one of these challenges yourself.  If you do, please let me know in the comments.  Comments make my day!

Styling an Antique Chest for Fall Using Everyday Items  

Inspiration is from Heidi at Eleanor Rose Home 

We carry out a Design Challenge by choosing an image found on social media first.  We all get the same photo and recreate it to work in our personal homes.  That means you’ll see many adaptations.  It’s a lot of fun and quite rewarding to see the finished result.  Hence the reason it’s worth trying.   

This month our inspiration comes from Heidi at Eleanor Rose Home.  What I notice most about her image is that it subtly looks like fall.  Heidi uses warm colors and everyday items to decorate her chest of drawers.   

That’s my plan for our home as well.  To use seasonal colors and everyday items to create a warm, inviting environment that says – welcome fall and welcome all!  Soon I’ll throw in a few pumpkins and stems around the rest of the house.

Now, about those everyday items.  All the pieces listed below are probably already in your house. 

Here’s a list of what I plan to incorporate:

• A chest of drawers or hutch
• Plant
• Candle
• Books
• Pottery
• Mirror 

Let’s use everyday items to decorate this antique chest of drawers.

The most important item is the chest of drawers.  It used to live with my father-in-law.  When he went to be with Jesus, my very nice SIL let me bring it home to live with me.  I think of him every time I open a drawer, which is often because it’s stuffed with candles, placemats, and cloth napkins.  It’s a true treasure.

Always add as much texture as you can.  The wicker urn is perfect for that.

Step 1:

The first step in recreating Heidi’s photo is gathering the pieces from around my home that coordinate well together.  I like to concentrate on color.  Since this will be for fall, I gathered warm tones like brown, gold, green, burgundy, and rust; colors you can see outdoors in the fall. 

The plant was the first thing that caught my eye in Heidi’s image.  Then the books, the bust, and candles.  I noticed her pretty mirror, but since my chest was already in front of a window, I did something else for the mirror.

Step 2:

Step two was placing the largest things on the hutch first.  That was the lamp, plant, and frame.

I placed the frame/antique tabletop cheval mirror on the far right to balance out the top of the chest.  Since it is missing the mirror, I used a page from a book.  The dark olives pop with the rest of the room (you’ll see it on another day).  I could add prints of acorns, leaves, trees, etc., but I’m waiting until September.  Remember, I don’t want it to look overly fall-like in August.

Step 3:

Step three is “filler”.  Those are the things that will fill the remainder of the chest.  Of course, you do not have to fill the entire top of your flat surface.  You could use only 3 items and like it.  I’m turning into a maximalist and love the look. 

Heidi used beautiful antique books, but I want more color, so I chose a couple of my favorite coffee table books instead.  She also has a small white creamer sitting on top.  For that, I’m taking the opportunity to use some of my vintage green pottery instead.  Winner winner, chicken dinner!  

The square-shaped pedestal-type bowl is not a candle holder, but it can be!  While it has been many other things, this time, it adds more interest to the grouping and gives the yummy pumpkin candle a little more height.

I wasn’t able to utilize a large mirror behind the chest, but look at the wall beside it.  It’s an antique European mirror I found probably 15 years ago in the junkiest of stores.  It was the only thing I purchased that day.  I was concerned about the roof falling down on top of us.  I had to move things around just to make an aisle to walk.  Definitely one of the more memorable places.  

Antique European mirror

Step 4:

Let’s keep an open mind and see where my next design idea takes us.  Step four is finishing touches.  I always look back at the original inspiration photo and see if I missed anything.  Lo and behold, I certainly did!  I noticed the hat Heidi had hanging on her chest of drawers.  I don’t have knobs that will work, so my thought was to hang something from the mirror on the side wall.  Couldn’t do that either.  So, I added a boxwood wreath and satin bow.  I actually love it! 

Those are the 4 steps to styling an antique chest for fall using everyday items.  Does it look like fall to you?  I have green, orange, burgundy, and brown colors together.  I realize it’s just a hint, but that was the plan. 

The view to the living room just past the entry.

When I walk through the front door, my eye is drawn to the windows and down to the chest.  It’s a much better view than a dirty window with a boring backyard. 

Next in the lineup is my friend, Christy from Our Southern Home.  I always enjoy seeing how she styles her lovely home for the seasons.