Tips for finding comfort at home for fall

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press/USA Today Network • Oct. 2, 2021

Fall arrived quietly a few days ago and in Southwest Florida and we’re anxiously awaiting a cool morning breeze, an evening that makes us look through our closet for a jacket and any signs that a new season has arrived.

And while our northern neighbors are covering the pool and bringing in the patio furniture, we’re looking forward to heading outdoors after a long, sizzling summer. And it only takes a few news reports of snow storms to realize again, how lucky we are to live in this tropical paradise.

But until then, we dream of fall.

As the sun is sets on summer, there are lots of color palettes and ideas from Kravet to welcome the fall season to your home. Photo: Kravet

Just as the trees shed their beautiful leaves, we’re reminded that it’s important to let go of what no longer serves us or supports us. And that’s what fall is all about. Letting go. Hope. Comfort. Change. In our lives and especially in our homes.

And even though there are only subtle changes, it’s important to acknowledge the season. Especially now as we continue to navigate through challenging times.

As a Fort Myers Interior decorator, I believe adding little things that give us comfort in our homes and making small changes to mark the coming season. Some of my favorites include:

• Start with a good decluttering. Say goodbye to anything that no longer makes you happy or supports your lifestyle.

• Go to your closet, bring the long sleeves and jackets and boots to the front.

• In the pantry, clean out all of the old spices and make room for the new as we get ready for the coming holidays.

• Visit fall art shows and flea markets to invest in a new piece of art or an accent piece.

• With shorter days, now is a good time to take a look at your lighting and perhaps add a new lamp or two.

• The change in seasons is a perfect time to invest in new linens, towels, throws, blankets.

• Freshen up a room or outdoor space by adding a new rug.

• For an outdoor space, add string lights. They are cheerful and add atmosphere to an outdoor dinner.

• Change your fireplace mantel or tablescape with creamy neutrals accented with seasonal tones, gourds, pumpkins, leaves, baskets, accents.

• As you spend more time outdoors, add some new pillows and throws (for chilly nights) to your chairs.

• Start at the front door with mums, a new welcome mat, wreath and faux pumpkins (Tip: spray paint the pumpkins to reflect your color scheme).

• While you’re at the front door, consider giving it a fresh coat of paint. Think about some yummy seasonal colors from Benjamin Moore: Peach Cider, Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Seeds, Autumn Cover and Witching Hour. Check here for tips on painting a front door.

• On the first cool morning: open all of the windows and let the fresh air into your home and breathe it in.

Happy fall!

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information, visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 239-850-5800 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Making home your happy place

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • June 6, 2020

We’ve spent a lot of time at home for the past three months.

Mostly waiting. Waiting for things to get back to “normal.” The only problem is that we don’t know what that will mean. So we just wait. And try to figure out what home means now. What do we want and need? What changes will give us the most comfort?

Is your home your happy place? We may want completely different things as we move forward with our new “normal.”

It’s a fact: our lives have changed since the COVID-19 stay-at-home began. We (most of us) are social distancing, wearing a mask to protect others and being kind and patient as we venture out.

But it’s a bit frightening and we all have anxiety about our reentry. My take on it is that we will be spending more time at home for a while. As we ease out a little at a time.

As a Fort Myers interior decorator, I’m passionate about making homes pretty, functional and comfortable. And I like to start with what my clients have and work from there. It’s always a privilege to come into someone’s space to help make it suit their lifestyle and provide a sense of calm. It’s what we are all seeking. In that regard, we are all in this together.

After being at home for the past three months, we are trying to decide what we want our homes to be as we go forward. What works? What doesn’t? How can we be more comfortable? One thing for sure, color plays a huge part in how we feel. From Benjamin Moore, the facade of this home is in Flawless AF 320, Aura Exterior, satin. Shutters: Shorehouse Green 2047-50, Aura Exterior, semi-gloss. Photo: Benjamin Moore

Since we have all had plenty of time to look around our homes, if you are like me, you have made a list of what you want to change. Maybe a paint color or a piece of furniture. Something that may be fine if home is where you just eat and sleep before starting a new workday. But if we are spending more time in our space, it takes on a different tone as we try to create a calmer environment. We’ve had some time to decide what we really need and what we can do without.

Rethink color

You may be surprised at how your tastes have changed. More muted tones of bold colors. Go with what you love. No rules.

A word about clutter

For some, a life without clutter just does not work. My suggestion: make it work for you. Organize it and control it. Make it part of your eclectic environment. Your signature look. If that’s what you want.

Make things convenient

Rearrange items that you use every day so you can reach them without climbing on a ladder or crawling on the floor to reach the back of a cabinet. Shift things around until they work for you on a daily basis.

Create a gallery wall.

During our time at home, a client asked me what she should do with a stack of favorite photos that she had ripped out of magazines. I told her to hang them on a wall in her office from ceiling to floor. I mean, why not? It looks great, adds visual interest and she loves the photos.

Display photos of people you love

For a couple of years, there was this thing about not having too many personal photos around the house. Now that we are missing family and friends, they have made a reappearance. My suggestion is to put them all together. On a table, a piano or a bookcase. People love to look at them and usually will move their photo to the front row when no one is looking!

Rearrange the furniture

Okay, maybe you are limited here but try it. You can always move it back. Split the two chairs apart. Move the sofa. Try a different view. It might work.

As you think about making some changes, take a breath and come up with a list and a plan. And consider a few things that we all hope to never see again:

Word art

Go for a pretty piece of art instead.

Bedroom “sets”

Matchy matchy. You can do better. Purchase a great bed and repurpose or purchase nightstands that don’t match. Flea markets, antique shops, online sales.

Barn doors

These, along with shiplap had their day and it is done. Unless you really can’t live without either or have a farmhouse theme. Barn doors have become an accent piece but on a practical level, are exhausting. If you have space for a big, bulky, heavy barn door, you have room to install a pocket door.

Chevron.

Did anyone ever really think chevron was pretty? Okay. It was “different.” But now it’s just plain tired. There is so much that is gorgeous. Don’t waste your money.

Terrazzo.

Every few years this makes a return appearance. But as we seem to be moving away from mid-century modern, it’s time to say goodbye to this and look at other options.

Huge entertainment centers

They take over the entire room and most are just plain unattractive. Instead, go for a streamlined TV stand and arrange some art around it.

Loveseats

They have no real place in a home. Only one person can sit in one so why not purchase a sofa and a chair or two? Don’t let a anyone talk you into one.

Formal living rooms

If you have been at home for a while, you know how useless and uncomfortable they are. Most of my clients have turned them into bar/entertainment rooms.

It will be a while before we figure out what our home means now. Meanwhile, take breaks from social media. Avoid non-stop news. Stay safe. And take a nap.

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail .For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog

Decorating for the soul: The comfort of a friend's porch

In a time when we are all searching for comfort in some form, I think of porches. For me, porches help to make sense of a world that has gone off the charts.

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A friend's porch.

I think about one of my closest friends who decided it was time to make an addition to her home. She wanted to add an L-shaped porch that wrapped around the entire back of the house.  A place that would extend the living area and add another dimension to this already charming, vintage home in Winter Park.  

I was happy to be asked to help because there is nothing more fun than coming up with a decorating plan for a friend whose taste you know. Hers: a combination of eclectic, cottage chic with very cool accessories collected from her travels and living abroad. It is much more than just a porch.

Today, it is a place where friends gather. Family celebrations take place. Important decisions are made. Friends have shared happy times on this porch. Solved world problems and a few of our own. Planned road trips. Shared dreams and concerns. It is always a place of comfort.

Big wicker chairs, candles, tables filled with beautiful orchids, comfy pillows, breezy fans. It is a place where you can get off the treadmill and enjoy the peace and quiet. Simple and uncomplicated.

It is one of my favorite places. My home away from home. They say the distance to a friend's house is very short. The same goes for the back porch.  

So, on a day where we still cannot make sense of it and the horror of 9/11 still lingers heavily, I think of the comfort of a friend's porch.