Quick Change-5 simple things to update your home for fall

It’s that time of year again. When the trees begin to turn, the foliage begins to thin out and the weather shifts from warm to cold. It is a magical time of year and according to most, probably their favorite time of year. The fall captures family and joyful memories for many people making it a great time to redecorate. Here are five quick and easy tricks to update your home for fall:

1) Pillows

Put summer brights into the closet and add pillows around your home in warm fall colors. Burnt orange, slate blues, earthy grays and warm golds are a great way to update your home quickly and easy. Such colors bring the out doors in and also give added comfort for the many nights in on cooler nights.

2) Quilts

Craftyblossom: pantone parade :: a custom quilt.

Plush quilts are a great way to add warmth and color to your fall decorating scheme. Many quilts have wonderful patterns and add a feeling of comfort and “home” to a space in an instant. Choose quilts that have many fall colors but don’t necessarily match your everyday interiors.It is better to choose quilts that coordinate instead of match to give your space a more collected and homey feel, perfect for the holiday season.

3) Art

DIY paint chip art.

A quick and easy way to add fall color to your space is through inexpensive art. One of my favorite things to use for inexpensive art is paint chips. They are easy to find, and really versatile in all sorts of mediums. Whether you choose to completely frame them or apply them directly to canvas it is the easiest way to update your art and home with the feeling of fall.

4) Baskets

Seems like a simple thing, but adding baskets to your home adds warmth and functionality. Filled with blankets or easy reading like magazines, baskets add texture and an element of wood which is perfect during the winter months. Place them around the home in nooks, next to chairs or under tables.

5) Making Scents

Vintage White Milk Glass Hobnail Scalloped Decorative Bowl - Candy Dish

Etsy Dish

Take a decorative dish (like this one above, from Etsy) and create a wonderful DIY homemade air freshener. One of my favorites scents is peppermint but you can use any essential oil that creates an aroma that you love. For me, peppermint adds a fresh and invigorating smell that reminds me of the holidays. It is also safe for kids and pets!

AB Home’s Peppermint Dish

3 Tbsp Vodka (non flavored)

3 Tbsp vinegar

30-45 drops peppermint oil

Combine all ingredients in an attractive dish and place in living room, or any room that needs fragrance for an instant air freshener.

All simple and easy tips to update your home for fall. What are some of your favorite things you do to update your home for the holidays?

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AB Homes Interiors Blog

Colors you need now for instant holiday glamour

Color is such an intrinsic part of the holiday season. When fall leaves begin to change, the colors of warm cinnamon, spice, and umber envelop us with familiar things. It is no surprise that people love fall. When the warm temperatures quickly turn cool, we gravitate towards warm earthy colors that provide us comfort and bring us back to the routines that we are accustomed to. The holidays deliver to us rich traditions that remind us of joyful memories spent with our families and friends and each year our rituals begin: the decorations get unpacked, the recipe cards get pulled, holiday cards get sent and the decorating unfolds.

This year I wanted to embark on something new. As a designer I am an expert at creating stylish and updated homes, and I wanted to approach this holiday season with this same frame of mind.  I teamed up with Lori Sawaya of Color strategies to talk shop about how you can create stylish and updated holiday decorations with new colors in a way that still honors our favorite season but giving your home a fresh take on an old classic.

One of the biggest trends in fashion this fall was deep plums, with splashes of yellow. I loved this combination and wanted to sit down with one of my favorite colorist to find out why this combination works, and how we can incorporate it into our existing holiday decor for a fresh take on Christmas 2010. Listen below to my conversation with Lori Sawaya, color expert:

Click here to Listen to our podcast:

Purple & Gold~Indulgence and Joy!


How are you going to incorporate this new combo into your decor this season?
Tune in next week to learn how we incorporated this new color combo in our Festive table scape post.

AB HOME Interiors holiday photo shoot 2010

Next week will be our final post for Mrs Bliss’ holiday workshops. We are delighted to bring to you my tips on:

Festive Tablescapes-A guide to true Southern style.


We had the opportunity to use Christina Strutt’s, (the owner and CEO of Cabbages and Roses) beautiful linens to show you how to get true Southern style.
Christina will be offering up her top holiday tips and I will be offering up some of the best tips to set your table with Southern grace with a little AB HOME twist.
My staff and I had a blast doing this photo shoot (see a sneak peek above) and I cannot wait to share all the fun. Be sure to follow our blog and leave a comment because we will be raffling off several
of the goodies from the photo shoot, styled by Amanda Burdge (moi) and staff of AB HOME Interiors, and photographed by Christy Bryan of Waldorf Photography here in Nashville.
Dont forget to follow the Holiday Workshop Train with our host Mrs Bliss!

Mindy Lockard Getting your stationery wardrobe ready for the holidays + a giveaway
Pemberley Collections Creating a Fall Centrepiece

The Entertaining House Cocktails to Kick off Your Holiday Season
Lily Lemon Tree In Vogue at the Tailgate Party: The Height of Chic on the Twenty Yard Line
Tatertots and Jello Thankful Garland
Lucky Life Parties Setting Up Bar and Food Stations
The Daily Basics Creating Fun Holiday Traditions – Memories You’ll Love

Housewife Bliss The Art of Wrapping

Do you need decorating assistance? Want your home to be filled with warmth and joy?
Call us about our online design services.
We offer an array of services to meet your design needs whether you live in our area, or out of state.
Click here for more info!



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3 ways to make party punch more interesting and fun

Most adults will agree that the school dance without punch just wasn’t a dance at all. And thanks to Angie Sanders, the coolest senior in High School, I learned that punch was way more interesting and fun with booze! But between you, me, and the fencepost, I’ll never admit that to my mother because according to my bent truth, I didn’t start drinking the magic juice until my early twenties. ( but I swear that woman has eyes in the back of her head and she knows more then she’s saying!)

Fast forward to now and most adults still like punch but eventually the day comes when punch just isn’t enjoyable and we forget to make it. In this A.D.D generation of the ‘grass is always greener elsewhere’ we crave variety. I personally crave all things easy and find my thoughts wandering to an easier time of school dances, endearing crushes on boys like David Thompson and fruity punch.  As we approach this fall season amidst record breaking highs, punch not only seems appropriate, but refreshing and fun!

AB HOME’S Adult Party Punch
1 C Sugar
1 C Water
4 C Orange Juice
1C Lemon juice
1 C strong tea
6 Sprite zeros
As much vodka as you need
(I recommend generous amounts)



1) Tip number one- Roll lemons or limes on a hard surface with the heel of your hand before cutting. This softens the fruit from the protective wall, and makes squeezing fresh juice much easier.


2) Tip two-For this holiday season, make punch more fun by hollowing out a pumpkin and using it as a punch bowl for Halloween. Serve up in mason jars filled with a few slices of fruit for extra flavor



3) Tip 3-Soak apricots,  fresh or frozen in Vodka for three to four weeks and store in the fridge in a sealed mason jar. The day of the party put flavored fruit into the pumpkin with punch and let sit for an hour before you serve. Use remainder of vodka (as much as you need) to flavor punch.

Boil sugar and water together for approximately ten minutes. Add tea and chill. When you are ready to serve punch mix everything together and pour into the pumpkin with ice. For extra amusement, you can also float strawberries, cherries, lemon and orange slices on top for decoration;  in my opinion this makes the punch a nutritious and a well balanced meal!


Gulp Drink up!


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