What does Autumn mean to you?

Warm colors as the leaves change, a hint of a cool breeze from a light wind blowing through the leaves still on the trees, sunsets that bring light through the trees and stretch the summer warmth as far into the day as possible. Ahhh, nature! Also, a good excuse for hot cider and cuddling up with your favorite throw blanket (and favorite person!). .Can you tell I like Autumn. It's one of the reasons I named my design firm 'Autumn Light Interiors'.

As the leaves fall, they provide a carpet of warmth for the earth. So what a great jumping off point to talk about area rugs! Have you ever wondered what the best rug material there is for your particular space? Do you know how to determine the best size for an area rug? Let's take a brief look at carpet materials and how to pick the right size for your space, then I'll go over the meaning of a few warm colors, and end with some fantastic area rugs to dress up your home during this beautiful autumnal season.

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There is a rug for everyone. You just need to take note of two basic points when picking the quality of your rug - Construction Type and Rug Material. Jaipur has this great page that describes various construction types and common rug materials which can help you pick the right type of rug for your budget, how you use your space, and its exposure to elements like  the sun, moisture, pets, and human traffic. 

I often see size as an easy mistake made by homeowners choosing their area rug. It typically ends up too small looking like a postage stamp in a sea of larger furniture or an island under a coffee table or bed with far too much space left rug-less around it. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I found this rather pleasant blog post by Allisa Jacobs that talks size and more!

Rugs we use underfoot can be quite artistic, so consider rug art for your walls, too! This blog post will tell you how and where to hang your rug as art.

Color theory notes: Warm colors include shades of red, orange, and yellow. Some explanations here are taken from an article by Kate Stanton for 99 designs.
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Red is associated with passion and energy. This can be good or bad depending on whether the passion is love and the energy is excitement or whether the passion is hate and the energy is anger or fear. Do you ever feel hungry when in a red room? Restaurants are in on that idea! It's often difficult to pick the right red when painting a room and I feel it is because this color can turn on you with the type of lighting and other elements brought into the space. When the right red is chosen, watch the magic!

Pink is a tint of red. It is more innocent, playful, and sweet. It can be romantic and light. MIx in more red and blue and watch out for hot pink to squash the innocence and drive up the excitement.

Orange is our social friend - energetic, enthusiastic, lively, and happy. It gives off energy like red, but is more inviting and cheerful. You'll find many brands use orange in their ads to invite you to take action. (I'm guilty here! My website has always used orange as part of its branding due to having Autumn in its name!) 

Yellow has been know to evoke thoughts of sunshine and joy. It's optimistic and spontaneous and makes people happy and feel positive. It often is used in areas where you want to promote conversation and friendship.

Image by freepik

​Here is a curated collection of area rugs under $500 that will complement your fall color scheme. 

Have fun and get outside to kick around a pile of leaves!