Fall Home Refresh 2025: 3 Simple Designer Swaps to Instantly Update Your Space

I keep my October reset simple on purpose. When life is full, you do not need a project. You need a short list you can finish in under an hour and still feel a real shift at home. Here are the three swaps I use with clients and in my own space, plus the research that explains why they work.

1) Swap your pillows for texture, not just color

What to do

• Keep your existing inserts. Change only the covers.

• Bring in one richer texture: velvet, boucle, chunky knit, or a subtle rib.

• Aim for two solids and one quiet pattern so the room reads calm.

Why it helps

Comfort is not only visual. Textiles change how warm and secure a space feels, which influences perceived thermal comfort. Research in indoor environment and textile science shows that fabric composition and loft affect how we experience warmth against the skin and in room settings. That comfort signal can reduce the urge to over-heat a room and can support overall well-being as the season cools.

Pro tip

If your room already leans warm, choose texture in a neutral palette so you gain the cozy signal without visually shrinking the space.

2) Rotate artwork and refresh framed photos

What to do

• Move one piece of art to a new wall to change the sightline you see most often.

• Replace at least one frame with a recent photo that evokes a specific positive memory.

• If you own nature imagery, bring one piece forward for fall.

Why it helps

There is a growing body of evidence that visual art can reduce stress and improve mood. Reviews of art in healthcare settings report reduced anxiety and improved well-being, especially with nature imagery. While most studies are in clinical spaces, the underlying mechanism is visual attention and affect regulation, which translates at home.

Lighting matters too. Seasonal changes in daylight are linked to shifts in mood and energy. If a wall now sits in shadow earlier in the day, moving art to a brighter spot or adding a simple picture light can preserve the positive effect.

Pro tip

If you do not want to buy frames, just reprint photos you love and swap them into frames you already own.

3) Add one throw, avoid clutter

What to do

• Choose a single throw that complements your main seating or the bed.

• Drape it once neatly. Skip extra baskets or stacks.

• If your palette is cool, try oatmeal, caramel, or tobacco to warm the read without busy pattern.

Why it helps

Visual clutter competes for attention and can increase cognitive load. A clean vignette reads calmer than a busy pile of textiles, which is why one intentional throw outperforms a stack of five. Research in visual attention shows that our brains have limited capacity and that distractors reduce efficient selection in cluttered scenes.

Pro tip

Fold the throw so one clean edge faces the room. That single line becomes the “quiet” anchor that keeps the scene composed.

Five-minute checklist

1. Gather your existing pillow inserts and three fall pillow covers.

2. Pick one art piece to relocate and one photo to reprint.

3. Lay out one throw and put the others away.

4. Do a thirty-second sweep of surfaces. If a decorative object does not support the story of the season, remove it.

5. If time allows, finish with your preferred non-toxic cleaning set from my organic routine so the new textures and art read crisp. (I reuse the same visuals from my “Organic Cleaning Made Simple” post.)

What to expect

You should see an immediate change in how the room feels. The textures give you tactile comfort. The rotated art and updated photos provide a new focal point with positive associations. The single throw and reduced visual noise make it easier to relax and focus. These outcomes are consistent with evidence on textiles and comfort, the effects of art on stress, the role of daylight on mood, and the cognitive cost of clutter.

Sources and further reading

• Cardillo ER, et al. “Benefits of Nature Imagery and Visual Art in Healthcare Contexts.” 2025. Evidence review of art’s impact on stress and well-being.

• Foster MW, et al. “The effects of viewing visual artwork on patients, staff, and visitors in healthcare environments.” 2025. Overview of physiological and psychological outcomes.

• Brown MJ, et al. “Residential Light and Risk for Depression and Falls.” 2011. Links self-reported daylight to mood and safety.

• Adamsson M, et al. “Seasonal Variation in Bright Daylight Exposure, Mood and Behavior.” 2018. Observational study of seasonal mood shifts. es-Bravo J, et al. “Natural light design and perceived happiness in housing.” 2022. Housing daylight and emotional perception.

• Seidl KN, et al. “Neural evidence for distracter suppression during visual attention.” 2012. How clutter impairs selection.

• McMains S, et al. “Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in attention.” 2011. Limits on processing many stimuli at once.

• Princeton attention overview. Plain-language summary of how visual clutter taxes focus.

• Angelova R. Textiles and Human Thermophysiological Comfort in the Indoor Environment. Routledge. Foundations on how fabrics affect perceived comfort.

• Islam MR, et al. “Clothing Thermophysiological Comfort.” 2023. Modeling heat transfer and comfort signals relevant to textiles.