Falling in Love

The first time I truly experienced living through the season of fall was when I was in college, studying abroad at Oxford University. Having grown up in Southern California, where fall is a concept rather than a reality, I was stunned by the daily occurrences of crisp, cold air, getting to crunch through fallen leaves on my way to lectures, seeing the bright reds and oranges of fall foliage and enjoying hot drinks that really did chase the cold away.

I’m back home now, where 90-degree September days mean that there’s no cold to chase away when pumpkin spice lattes appear on coffee shop menus. So I’ve learned to recreate my own version of fall instead, through fall-scented candles, autumn flower bouquets, pumpkins on my front porch and cozy plaid accents.

Whether you have the opportunity to watch a true seasonal change outside your window or are fighting against a never-ending summer, we’ve got inspiration and ideas that will help make your farmhouse cozy and fall-focused this season. Tour a mountain cabin filled with fall flowers (page 60), find out all about plaids (page 28) and get our picks for fall touches you can add to your own home (page 18). Go vintage this season with collectible-friendly fall houses (pages 44 and 78) and insider tips on collecting (pages 22 and 122).

It’s also the time to start getting serious about entertaining, even if all our dinner parties will have smaller guest lists this year due to social distancing. Get inspiration from gorgeous tablescapes (pages 108–121), essential entertaining picks (page 20) and tips for being the best host (page 24).

Don’t forget to take a step back this season to be grateful. Even with such a stressful year as 2020 has been, there’s still plenty we can be thankful for as we head toward Thanksgiving.