Early Fall Entryway Decorating on a Budget

The time has arrived. A cozy fall entry is calling my name. Our entry is ready for its first fall update. I start craving a little warmth inside our home even when it’s still too hot for a sweater outside. That in-between stretch is my favorite time to decorate, and this year I started where every guest does: our entryway.

Here’s the part I’m most pleased about. I didn’t buy a single thing. No pumpkins, no run to the store, not even a trip to the fall bins in the attic. Every piece in this early fall entryway came from somewhere in our home, and a few of them were free to begin with. If you have ever wanted to ease into the season without spending a dime, this is exactly the kind of budget-friendly decorating I love to share.

Early fall decorating is gentle. It’s warm neutrals, natural textures, and just a touch of color, long before the orange and black of Halloween arrive. In this post, I’ll share the inspiration that started it all, walk you through the pieces I pulled together, and share a few simple styling ideas you can borrow for your own entryway using what you already own.

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Our Design Challenge Inspiration

It’s the fourth Tuesday of the month, and that means it’s Design Challenge time. Our hostess and my friend Cindy of County Road 407 has selected a special inspiration photo that I think will be one of our very favorites.

This month, Cindy chose this fall vignette from Heidi of Eleanor Rose Home. At first, I thought it was in an entryway, but it is in her living room. She shared this image as part of her fall home decor tour. Heidi used a variety of items, mostly sourced from thrift shops and antique stores, to create this pretty and practical rustic arrangement.

This inspiration image is one of my favorites in the years we have been creating our own decor for Design Challenge (formerly the Pinterest Challenge). Anyone entering this home would admire the rich fall colors and the simple elements. It has a cozy and welcoming fall vibe.

If you are hopping over from my friend Laura of Decor to Adore, then welcome to this edition of Design Challenge (I think that used to be a show on HGTV!) I know you’ll get a lot of great ideas for your fall decorating.

This post contains affiliate links to products used to create this project. If you should order any item from this site, I may receive compensation, but you do not pay a penny more. Your purchase is greatly appreciated as it helps support the continued publication of this site.

What are the Elements in this Fall Vignette?

When you first see a lovely arrangement, you may not notice the individual elements. If you want to recreate a similar look but use items you already have, it’s helpful to look at each accessory. That way, you can create a vignette in your own style. Let’s break down the vignette into its parts:

• a chest of drawers – Heidi’s chest of drawers is very rustic, which reflects the style of her home. If you have a chest of drawers in a different style, that’s fine. This piece not only serves as a stylistic statement, but it also serves as storage, which is a nice duo. I actually have a similar chest of drawers that’s been in my garage for years – a freebie from a friend. It’s currently used to store craft supplies. I hope to finally begin a renovation as soon as our temperatures dip back to the 80’s.
• mirror – mirrors are great decorative accessories in any room. The frames establish the style. The interesting shape of Heidi’s mirror – the curves at the top – and the brushed gold finish create a dressier contrast to the rustic chest of drawers. Contrast always creates drama and energy in design.
• runner on the top of the dresser
• The decorative elements on the top of the dresser – what we call “smalls” – provide color, texture, and interest: books, candlesticks, a vase with a plant, and a sculpture.
• At the sides of the chest of drawers, Heidi used that space for more elements to fill in space: a small chair, pillows, throws, and a woven basket.
• a camel-colored felt hat hanging on a drawer knob adds a fun finishing touch

What Main Elements am I Going to Use in My Fall Entryway?

Since I am in fall decorating mode, our entryway is the logical place to start. For this Design Challenge, I wanted to use items that I already had. It was easy to do that.

While our inspiration image is very rustic, our home and furniture are traditional and classic. We have several antiques and vintage pieces with an occasional DIY piece included for fun and color.

Here are the elements I’m using in our entryway:

Our Antique Commode

This is one of our favorite pieces. We purchased this piece specifically for our dining room/entry in our previous home. It has been in our entryway since we moved into our present home.

If you’ve followed Bluesky at Home for any time, you’ve probably seen the commode. It is the perfect display piece for every season and holiday.

• It is a genuine French “commode.” That word may sound funny to us, but it is the name for an ornate, low chest of drawers originating in late 1 7th-century France. It comes from the French word for “convenient” or “handy” – a place for storage.
• Drawers: Most commodes have two or three drawers, but ours has four, which I love for storage. Each drawer has a keyhole that locks. We use them to store placemats, china, and silver serving pieces.
• Marble Tops: Most authentic period commodes have fitted slabs of marble (such as Carrara or colored Italian marble) on top. Ours has a dark grey marble top.
• Silhouettes: Commodes can have flat fronts, swelling bombé (convex-sided) fronts, or serpentine profiles. Ours has a flat front.
• Craftsmanship: Built with hand-forged joinery, fine wood veneers, and detailed cast bronze hardware. It’s a really beautiful piece of furniture.

Gold-Framed Mirror

The first time I went to Sweet Shark’s house, the one we totally remodeled to accommodate a blended family, I noticed this beautiful mirror. He inherited it from his grandmother. I don’t think it’s a genuine antique, but it is definitely almost there. It has always hung above the commode.

It is often adorned with wreaths, garland, art, and other holiday or seasonal decorations.

Chair

I love this vintage chair, one of a pair, with a rush seat. We’ve used it all over our home. Right now it is used in one of our guest rooms. Sweet Shark nicely brought it downstairs for me.

Fall Leaf Art Prints

I always have a grouping of framed art prints to the right of our commode and mirror. Last year, my older daughter sent me these leaf prints. I already had fall prints in place, so I saved the leaf ones for this year. I love the shades of brown and gold in the leaves and the variety of shapes.

The frames are 11 x 16 and the prints are 12 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches, is an unusual size. I couldn’t use a mat. I turned the frame backing to the back side, which is light brown to imitate a mat.

The first thing I added to our commode was the runner and the two wooden candlesticks

Decorative Accessories

I will use items inspired by Heidi’s:

• vintage books – mostly purchased at flea markets or antique stores. Books are one of the most underused accessories. Think of them when you need to add height, a design element (vintage, old, retro) or color (the bindings of books are perfect when you need a pop of color). One of the “books” is actually a photo album, and one is a travel journal. The covers were perfect for this early fall group. Can you guess which ones?

• a stone vase – I think I bought this one at an antique store
• a rustic vase with faux fall flowers – this vase was a freebie from Joann several years ago. It’s great when I need something neutral to hold flowers or as filler.
• porcelain jars – a vintage buy in great fall colors. One of them has a cork, and I think they were used to hold cider or beer.

• tall, heavy chippy candlesticks – a flea market find. These are a great option – just not as tall as mine. I wrapped some nature DIY bead tassels around the top.

• woven hyacinth basket tray – I love this basket tray. It’s so affordable and works in any style or setting. Notice the sort of “bones” in front of the books on the basket tray: I bought a package several years ago at a decor store, but I can’t remember what they are made from. They have an interesting shape and texture. If anyone knows what they are, please let me know.

• French market tote – hanging on the back of our rush-seat chair. It normally hangs on the coat closet in the entry and holds Nola’s harness, leash, poop bags, and my caps
• pillows – these are ones I made years ago and rediscovered at the back of a linen closet
• cream/beige throw

My Entryway Fall Arrangement

I’ve taken as many pictures as I could, from all angles to give you a hint of my styling for the entryway. Standing at our front door, the setting reminds me of an English cottage, although that was not my initial intent.

Although the overall look is subtle, there is a range of colors.

White, cream, camel and brown:

• the runner
• the tall vase
• the tied paperback books
• the wood candlesticks
• the woven basket

Golds and browns, red and green:

• the books
• porcelain jars
• green vine on mirror

The vine draped across the top of the mirror adds a touch of green and brings the eye up.

Final Tweaks to the Entryway

I am addicted to tweaking. Right up until I think I’m done. I finished the entryway several days ago, but last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about how to make it better, so here are some last-minute photos:

I moved the tied paperback books to the right side of the arrangement. You can’t see it, but I set the white vase on top of a cupcake side to add more height.

I set one of the wooden candlesticks on a stack of two green books for more height and more color.

5 Simple Styling Tips for Your Own Fall Entryway

The beauty of “shopping your own home” is that the styling matters more than the pieces themselves. You can make everyday items look intentional and seasonal with a few tricks I come back to again and again. Here’s how I pulled our entryway together, and how you can do the same with whatever you already own.

I love when I can create something out of nothing and not spend a penny. This is where decorating on a budget begins. Make the most of using what you already have.

• Vary your heights. A vignette looks flat when everything sits at the same level. Our tall chippy candlesticks and gold mirror draw the eye up, while the stacked books and low vase keep things grounded. Aim for a mix of tall, medium, and short so your arrangement has a natural rhythm.
• Mix your textures. This is where early fall really comes to life without a single pumpkin. In my vignette, the smooth marble top, the woven hyacinth basket, the stone vase, and the soft throw and pillows each bring a different feel. Layering textures adds warmth and interest, which is exactly the cozy note we want this time of year.
• Work in odd numbers. Groupings of three or five almost always look better than pairs. When you’re arranging your “smalls,” cluster them in odd-numbered sets (my set of vintage porcelain jars and books) and let them overlap slightly rather than lining them up like soldiers.
• Add one natural or seasonal touch. You don’t need much to say fall. A vase of faux fall flowers, a few stems of dried grasses, or even a handful of leaves from the yard is enough to shift the whole vignette into the season. This is the easiest way to ease into fall before the pumpkins and Halloween decor arrive.
• Echo your home’s existing style. Heidi’s arrangement is rustic because her home is rustic. Ours leans traditional, so I reached for antiques and vintage pieces that would work in a traditional home. Don’t fight your home’s personality. Work with the style you already have, and your fall decor will feel effortless and cohesive.

And that’s our cozy early fall entryway, styled entirely with pieces we already had. No pumpkins, no shopping trips, and nothing new to buy. Nothing that shouts fall. But you know for sure that it’s not spring, summer or Christmas. Just a fresh, welcoming arrangement to greet everyone who walks through our door as the season turns.

I hope it inspires you to look around your own home with new eyes, because the very thing you need for a beautiful fall vignette might be tucked away in a linen closet or waiting out in the garage. Early fall is such a gentle, lovely season, so let’s savor it before the busyness of the holidays arrives.

Questions Answered

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

Here are more early fall decorating ideas to help you get started on this season:

• How to Transition from Summer to Fall
• 19 Early Fall Decorating Ideas
• How to Style a Fall Mantel with Easy DIY Projects

Check out these Fall Pinterest Boards for more inspiration: Fall Home Decor Ideas, Fall Mantels, and Fall Living Rooms.

Now keep going on the blog hop! Be sure to visit the rest of my talented friends to see how they interpreted this month’s inspiration. I know you’ll find plenty of ideas to inspire your own fall decorating. Next up is another Texas friend, Barb of French Ethereal.