10 Ways to Refresh Your Living Room & Dining Room for the Fall Season

A living room decorated with plush pumpkins and other home accents in warm fall colors.

The crisp air and delightful aroma of pumpkin spice signal the end of summer fun and the beginning of Pinterest enthusiasts’ favourite season. The fall season brings inspiration for fun, fresh, and creative home design ideas and sets the stage for a shake-up of your favourite spaces.

Each new season presents an opportunity to change your home just as the leaves turn colour. Whether you’re swapping summer décor for fresh fall colours or introducing new furniture into the mix, the power of customization is in your hands.

With fall in season and the holidays on their way, there’s no better time to refresh your entertainment spaces. Simple adjustments to your dining room décor and versatile upgrades to your living room furniture will add refreshing change to your home.

Grab your favourite flannel, pour yourself an apple cinnamon tea and get ready to fall in love with your home all over again.

A thanksgiving dinner

Give Everyone a Seat at the Table
Is it your turn to host Thanksgiving dinner this year? We understand the struggle of prepping and cooking a full-scale holiday dinner while trying to stay engaged with the family gossip. While we can’t stop your Aunt Helen from spreading rumours, we can suggest simple tips and tricks to prevent a scramble for seating when dinner is ready.

1. Stock Up on Extra Seats
Buying extra dining room chairs can get pricey when you are trying to replicate the dining room set you’ve already purchased. Our pro-tip – don’t. Invest in functional, multi-purpose chairs that suit your dining room style or can slide into the living room once the party has begun. Your choice of extra seating should check three boxes: cost-effective, comfortable, and multifunctional.

Stay away from vibrant colours and eccentric styles and find simple and clean looks like the Karen Side Chair.

Karen Dining Chair

2. Invest in a Dining Bench
If plus ones turn into plus twos, investing in a dining bench may be a better way to solve your seating issue. Benches present a seamless fit in any room of the house and recently became a trendy option for dining room design.

If functionality and cost are primary factors in your decision, look no further than the Tyler Creek Bench. Simple and elegant, this bench is a great option for extra seating at the dinner table.

Tyler Creek Dining Bench

3. Bar Stools Save the Day
Sometimes even the kids table is out of chairs—that’s where bar stools shine. Bar stools are the perfect last-chance option for guests who barely made the list (you know who we are talking about).

Whether you have a counter or table for them to sit at or not, stools like the Torjin Bar Stool are easy to store, adjustable, and the perfect option for extra seating at family dinners.

Torjin Bar Stool - Grey
Torjin Barstool - Brown

Add Functionality to Your Living Room
Is it your turn to host Thanksgiving dinner this year? We understand the struggle of prepping and cooking a full-scale holiday dinner while trying to stay engaged with the family gossip. While we can’t stop your Aunt Helen from spreading rumours, we can suggest simple tips and tricks to prevent a scramble for seating when dinner is ready.

A group of friends playing games together during Thanksgiving.

4. Set the Stage with Symmetrical Sectionals
The living room is your stage for fun and comfort. Frame your living room with a simple and spacious sectional that leaves tons of room for customization and functionality.

Our Charlotte 3 Piece Sectional provides a seamless fit for any living room with customizable colour and layout options.

Charlotte Sectional

5. Add Flavour with an Accent Chair
Spice up your living room style with a bold and exciting accent chair. While you may play it safe with sectionals and motion recliners, accent chairs provide an opportunity to add flavour to your entertainment space.

Combine comfort and fashion for the ultimate addition to your living room with accent chairs such as the Hansridge Accent Chair or the Gia Chair.

Hansridge Accent Chair
Gia Chair

6. Increase Flexibility with Multi-Purpose Furniture
The living room is the most fluent and everchanging room in the house. Whether for style or functionality, you could always use more space. Capitalize on space and mobility with furniture that offers storage and style to your home.

The Janismore Coffee Table offers a sturdy tabletop, two-level storage and wheels for easy mobility. Multi-purpose furniture is key to creating a flexible and dynamic living room.

Janismore Coffee Table
Janismore Coffee Table

Turn Storage into Décor
A fall refresh isn’t official until you’ve introduced new décor and fresh colours to your space. With the weather paving the way for the return of your favourite sweater, your home will require a place for more than your Thanksgiving and Halloween decorations. Rather than stuffing your extra items in bins or hidden away in chests, rejuvenate your entertainment spaces by turning your storage into décor.

7. Utilize a Holiday Bar Cart
Storage has never looked (or tasted) so good. If you’re looking for a fresh new addition to your living room, dining room or kitchen, a bar cart is a great option to fill your need for new. Plate Thanksgiving appetizers, create Halloween cocktails or put some of your favourite decanters and glassware on display—the options are endless. Find a style that matches your fall vision, add your décor, and watch your guest marvel at its versatility and fit.

Boderidge Bar Unit
Bevinfield Bar Unit

8. Display Stylish Storage Baskets
Have extra space on your bar cart or shelf? Display baskets and create more useful storage in your home. From blankets to plants, baskets offer a stylish way to display your storage.

The Parrish Basket is one of our best-selling baskets and a great option for diverse and stylish storage for any room in your home.

Parrish Basket
Parrish Basket

Decorate Your Home with Fall Décor
The best part of refreshing your space is placing the final touches on your new furniture. From pillows to candle holders, the small details and accents are what make a space exclusively yours. Fall is the perfect time to accessorize because the colours range from vibrant to neutral, meaning they can be used seasonally, or they can be included in your décor year-wide.

9. Living Room Details
It may look daunting, but take a deep breath, sip that apple cinnamon tea that’s finally cooled down and start thinking about how you want to accessorize your living room.

The best place to start is the accent pillows on your sofa or sectional. The colour of your sofa is the first factor to consider. If your sofa has vibrant colours, patterns and texture then the pillows and other accents should be simple and clean for balance—add or subtract a pop of colour based on the colour of your furniture.

Gyldan Accent Pillow
Dunford Accent Pillow

After deciding on accent pillows, you can work out the rest based on the existing colour scheme, or you can mix and match as you please. That’s the beauty of interior design—the result is completely up to you and is never permanent. Consider finding vases, wall art and area rugs that complement your creative vision for a refreshed living room.

Jayden Vase Set of 3
Grantton Wall Decor
Breeze Area Rug
Breeze Area Rug

10. Dining Room Décor
The dining room is the perfect place to tie your home design together with a bow and enjoy a must-deserved celebratory beverage to mark the end of your fall refresh journey. Adding small details to the table, wall and floor of the dining room can set the stage for a new and rejuvenated dining room.

Mirrors are magic. They make any room appear larger than reality and, while they may not tell you if you are the fairest of them all, they will create an illusion of added space. Introduce a medium to a large mirror and avoid any ideas of wall teardowns from your family and friends who think they can conduct major renovations.

Oengus Mirror

Finally, add a touch of your style into the mix with small tabletop décor that ties the room together. Whether it’s candle sticks or floral arrangements the room will benefit from your creative additions to the dining room.

Marissa Candle Holder Set of 3
Lucio Tray Set of 2

Next Steps
As the leaves fall and change colour and the orange pumpkin leaf bags start to line your neighbour’s front yard, you have the opportunity to completely change the look and feel of your entertainment spaces.

With a plan in hand, it’s time to visit your local showroom. we highly recommend working with one of our home experts, rather than trying to navigate the store on your own. Your expert will work with you to narrow down your options and help you find everything you need to complete your fall overhaul.

While you’re in the store, don’t be afraid to explore customization options and ask our experts for their advice on colour, texture and style. Your expert will work with you to choose the perfect complements to your style and vision of your living room and dining room.

Let's Take This to the Next Level
Discover our full selection of living room and dining room furniture and decor online or visit your nearest Dufresne today. Don’t forget—you can book an appointment at your local store for a relaxed, no-pressure shopping experience with a dedicated home expert.

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