6 Ways to Use Pumpkin Spice in Your Decor

Add a dollop of this harvest hue to your home to get ready for fall

Becky HarrisSeptember 1, 2017

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.

The autumn equinox isn’t until Sept. 22, but starting today Starbucks is foaming over with pumpkin spice lattes. Throughout recent history, the massive amount of hype about this event has spawned pumpkin spice smoked salmon, pumpkin spice Greek yogurt, pumpkin spice beer, pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls and even pumpkin spice hair. In spite of this oversaturation, I’m a sucker for pumpkin spice in decor. It’s unexpected, it’s cozy, it works with a bunch of colors, and it’s a great signal that fall is just about here.

Julie Ranee Photography

First we need to get technical for a moment. Pumpkin spice lattes don’t actually contain pumpkin; the flavor is a take on the spices in a pumpkin pie. However, the packaging for pumpkin spice products tends to take its color direction from the orange gourd. And so will this story.

Stedila Design

1. Outdoor furniture. We love the way jack-o’-lanterns look on our porches, so why wouldn’t we love the color on our outdoor cushions? This looks like an inviting spot to gather and drink some warm spiced cider. Or that other thing from that coffee place I won’t mention again. They already get enough buzz.

Cushman Design Group

2. Curb appeal. A pumpkin spice front door is particularly attractive on a cabin or a rustic-style building. It’s a cheerful contrast to the weathered wood.

TILTON FENWICK

3. Tufted velvet. There isn’t a cozier color and texture to curl up on next to the fireplace. Pairing the chaise with soft blue is a decorating home run.

McCaleb Homes

4. Bedscape. A quick and inexpensive way to change up your bedding seasonally is by switching out a pillow or two, or using a different throw. Here suzani pillows bring in rich, spicy orange hues, and a blanket adds another warm layer. If the rest of your textiles are neutral, it’s easy to swap in mint green in spring or navy blue in summer.

The Yellow Cape Cod

5. Bath towels. Bring the fall flavor into the bathroom for these colder months. If you really want to go nuts, lather up in some coordinating pumpkin spice body wash. (I was just kidding when I typed that, but then I looked it up, and lots of companies make pumpkin spice body wash, which I find weird. What do you think about smelling like a pumpkin pie all day? Let me know in the Comments.)

Find pumpkin spice-hued bath linens

Stedila Design

6. Accent wall. Painting an accent wall a pleasing orange is a wonderful way to warm up a room. But in order to live with this, everyone who uses the room needs to be an orange person. Orange tends to be a color people adore or abhor, so survey the family first. If anyone is on the fence, take it as a yes. Living with the wall eventually will make the person a fan of pumpkin, as it can be an acquired taste.

Share: So are you a pumpkin spice person, whether in flavor or decor? Or even hair or body wash? Let’s chat about it in the Comments.

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