After picking out a couch (see my sofa shopping post), the rest of our living room fell to the back burner, especially with the arrival of baby # 2! My toddler’s rainbow colored toys gradually creeped their way onto all the bookshelves, before I finally decided it was time to refresh the space and add some seasonal touches.
Samsung The Frame TV Quick Review
I’ve gotten lots of questions on our TV so wanted to quickly share our experience with it! We’ve had the Samsung Frame TV for about a year now and absolutely love it—some people mistake it for hanging artwork, which is the goal when the TV’s not in use. We’ve had fun uploading our own digital drawings and photography to display across the seasons (see it with a wintery vibe at our old condo). We have since also gotten the 43″ size for our bedroom.
My only complaints relate to the cost of add-ons. You can definitely get a TV with similar or better picture quality for less, but not with the same sleek design aesthetic, so I don’t mind spending more for that. The TV itself comes with a black frame, though, so if you want a different color to match your room, you’ll need to purchase a colored bezel (aka frame) which cost us another $100 to $150.
And lastly, for the power and AV inputs, there’s a thin clear/light gray cord that comes out of the TV that’s supposed to feel “invisible” along the wall and connects to a large black box. You can see this cord in my photos and the box is hidden in one of the white baskets. The cord doesn’t bother us, but some will not love this visually so I wanted to point it out. Note we used to run the cable behind the wall in our wall cutouts to hide cords, then read that this particular cable is not rated safe to go behind the wall (potential fire hazard) unless you can purchase a behind the wall cord for an additional ~$200. We’ve made do with using mantle decor to hide the standard cable it comes with!
Here’s a few of the accent pieces and Fall decor I incorporated, all of which are very affordable!
Affordable Fall Home Accents
- Pumpkins: I went with faux so we can reuse them year after year! Scroll down to the Pumpkin section for the different stores I bought these from. For real pumpkins, you can’t beat a family trip to a pumpkin farm, or Trader Joe’s has them for $7.99 in all sizes and colors!
- Storage baskets:
- These large woven baskets come in 3 colors and are very functional for hiding junk! I used one to stash away toddler toys, and another to conceal our tech gadgets and TV box (I cut a small hole in the back to fit the cords through). I also use the smaller size basket to store various loose items
- I also have these cotton rope bins (pictured above on the floor), which are sturdier and thicker compared to the Target baskets. I use these bins for toys and throw blankets.
- Vases: This 2 tone ceramic vase in a sage-cream color is a favorite of mine. I also picked up this trio of distressed gray vases, 2 of which are pictured on my upper left shelves.
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Frames: I used a mix of simple, matted & non-matted frames from this brand in various sizes. You get what you pay for with the non-matted frames, while the matted ones feel a little more sturdy.
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Faux Greenery: I have this set of 4 mini potted plants for use around the house. For stems, I like faux eucalyptus or lamb’s ear stems to display in a white pitcher or vase. I also cut up a stem and inserted pieces throughout my pumpkins, along the mantle.
- Throw pillow covers: One of the easiest ways to seasonally update the color scheme and textures in a room! I have these ribbed pillow covers in cream that are super duper soft and come in lots of colors. I also got a grey plaid flannel cover to add a cozy touch. I usually order pillow covers that are 2″ smaller than my pillow inserts, for a fully stuffed look.
- Books: Two ways to use books in stying your bookshelves / built ins:
- Turn a row of books around so that the spine is facing the wall, for a consistent neutral white/cream color.
- Place them in a stack horizontally to elevate an accent piece like a plant, candle, or bowl.
Where to Buy White & Sage Green Faux Pumpkins
- Home Accents Holiday: 3 piece stacked pumpkins (see more colors) for outdoor & indoor use. Pictured above on the ground in the outdoor patio photo. I LOVE these. They’re cleverly designed to use either stacked or unstacked, and all 3 nest inside each other for storage. Material is a durable feeling semi-matte plastic with an antiqued cream coloring.
- Pottery Barn: heirloom faux pumpkins in green, ivory, and orange. Albeit pricier, these are definitely better looking in person compared to cheaper options, also the pale sage green color is just right!
- Amazon:
- 6″ resin pumpkins ($10 a piece if bought in sets of 2 or more). These look great in person!
- 10″ Northlight pumpkin – pictured on my right mantle. Pricier but looks great, also in a 6.5″ size.
- Michaels: 9″ craft pumpkin. More round than “heirloom” shaped, and less realistic-looking closer up with a foam-like feel. These are good if you want to carve or craft with them, i.e. make a centerpiece with floral arrangement in a pumpkin.
- Target:
- 5″ foam pumpkins – cheaper looking close up with a glitter black stem, but are ok from afar!
- 14″ white pumpkin – very decent looking larger pumpkin for the price! Pictured in photo #1 on the ground to the left of our fireplace.
- White pumpkin soup bowls – so cute!
If you want to try your hand at DIY, another option is to buy inexpensive faux pumpkins of any color and paint them yourself! This chalked white paint is a nice option to get that matte finish.
Home Decor Friends & Family Sales
For your Fall decor needs, I also wanted to mention 2 stores with Friends & Family sales right now!
- West Elm: 15% off furniture, 20% off everything else with code FAMILY
I picked up some home decor including their lacquer wood trays
- Cost Plus World Market: 20% everything with code PRIME20, plus additional 10% off if you do curbside pickup (if applicable). See a few of my sale picks here!
