Chico and Redding are incredible places to witness the changing of seasons, and fortunately for us Autumn is almost here. Yes, the time has almost come for warm stews, steaming coffees, walks in the crisp air, leaves turning from green to blazing colors of red, yellow and orange, and a shift in your home from summery fun to fall relaxation.

Interior design can be difficult in an apartment, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy all aspects of living in Chico or Redding in the fall. That’s why we have created a three-part blog series just for you when it comes to decorating for fall. Take a look at our first of the three blogs below which is all about knowing the right color palette and placements within your home!

How to Use a Color Palette

Colors should go from dark to light. Meaning darker colors should be in the lower quadrant of the room (1), medium color values should be in the two middle quadrants (2 & 3), and light color values should be in the upper quadrant (4).

Your overall background color in the two middle quadrants should be in the same color family as at least 20% of your accents and smaller pieces (your accents should account for 20 to 25% of color in the room).

For example: You have a tan sofa. There is a vase on your light brown coffee table. The vase is glass, with deep purple glass rocks and a cream colored candle. The candle and the coffee table are in the same color family as the sofa. The purple glass rock is your accent color.

When all else fails, find the focal point of your room. It will dictate the rest of your   design and color. Whatever the colors within your focal point are, use those (and colors within the same family) as the base for your accents and smaller pieces. Use contrasting colors like you would the purple glass rock.

Noteworthy Color Palettes for Autumn

To the left, you'll see a more traditional color palette for Autumn. The dark brown is for low lying, larger objects (think rug, coffee table, flooring, or trunk). Quadrant 1 and possibly 2, are prime candidates for large areas of this color. The tanish-brown is light enough to occupy quadrant 2 & 3 of the room, preferably in smaller quantities. Great bases for the two middle quadrants would be lighter neutral colors. The burnt rubia red is a great choice for wall hangings (rubia being the primary color), and any accents reaching up to quadrant 4. The rubia can be used in quadrants 2 & 3, but not surpassing 15% to 20% of the color majority in those quadrants. The dijon yellow is a fantastic option for accents in quadrants ranging from 1 to 4.

If you have slate greys (with blue undertones) and/or red-stained browns, this palette (to the right) is perfect for you! What’s even better is the flexibility of these hues. You can swap the colors for similar hues. The burnt yellow can be swapped for gold, the royal purple for a deep shimmer color, even the red-stained brown can be swapped. It’s also not necessary to have all five colors in your room. A simple combination of three or four will bring Autumn into your home.

For example, if you happen to have a dark brown couch you can add a couple throw pillows in a soft royal purple and a slate grey (quadrant 2). Add the burnt yellow as an accent on your coffee table to give the space a small burst of color.

Include some burnt amber accents, or even bronze (examples of different accents coming in the next two blogs). If you’re looking to draw the eye into a specific part of the room, a dijon yellow would be irresistible against this color scheme without detracting from the masculinity.

No matter what colors you choose to decorate with, just remember to keep it light and fun so that you don’t overwhelm the eyes! Home decorating for the fall season can make an old place start to feel like new again, which is always a refresher.

Make sure to come back in the next few days for part 2 of this Fall Decorating with Hignell Rentals series, where we will be talking about a popular fall accent (but we shall keep that a secret for now, ensuring that you come back!)

For more rental living tips, check out our Rental Resources!