Fall Table Decor: How to Use Soft Colors in an Autumn Tablescape

In this post: If you’re looking for ways to use soft colors in your fall table decor, these 6 ideas will help you set a pretty and tranquil autumn table.⇒

I don’t really hate orange.

After all, who can hate a color that Hermès uses for all their packaging?

I digress. 

But I’ve often stated that I do not like fall colors when used all together. Oh sure, I love them on the trees! But in my home I prefer to be more subtle. Still, I enjoy a fall look and the use of some fall colors. I just like them better when the look is soft and tranquil.

Today I’m joining with my Styled + Set gang to bring you our annual fall entertaining blog hop. You’ll find tablescapes and other entertaining ideas, all styled for the autumn season, so be sure to check out my friends’ posts linked at the bottom of this one.

I’ve set a table this year that’s a bit different than the ones I’ve done in the past, in that I’ve not used this combination of colors before, particularly for the fall season. Below you will find 6 tips for using soft colors in your fall table decor.

Pale pumpkin plates

If there’s one thing that says fall more than anything else, it’s the ubiquitous pumpkin. Yet for a soft colored table, it’s fun to find plates in non-traditional colors and that’s where I began for this table.

Not quite neutral, this tablescape is centered around pale aqua with varied shades of ivory and cream. In order to keep such a palette decidedly ‘fall’, it felt important to utilize the pumpkin motif, so these soft hued plates were the perfect starting point. The aqua dinner plate underscores the color in the pumpkin salad plate, while the mosaic chargers provide a delicate foundation.

Fall flower accents

Perhaps the most essential key, however, to this gentle palette is the one surprising accent in the floral centerpiece. Pale blue hydrangeas rub shoulders with creamy white spider mums and ornamental cabbage flowers, yet the pop of bronze mums is defining for the table.

They add a note of warmth and a hint of fall color and are the vehicle that takes the whole tableau from summer coastal to unmistakably autumn.

Soft pumpkin clusters

But just in case you still weren’t convinced, using pretty pumpkins of varied faux materials in calm colors and tossing them about in modest clusters further drives the point home that this is an autumn gathering. The velvets are my favorites but there are many other options.

Touches of warm gold

A second benefit attributable to the bronze mums is that they allow for the unpredictable use of gold in the table setting. With soft blues and whites, one might expect only silver, but I love to mix metals and enjoy how the gold napkin rings and champagne flutes reflect the warmth introduced by the bronze in the centerpiece.

Rugged textured napkins

Somewhat more subtle, but very suggestive of the season, the use of rugged textures is common for fall. Whether burlap or other coarse weave fabrics, they work nicely in table linens. Here I’ve used a delightful napkin that plays the rugged texture off a soft sweet ruffle.

Artichokes and pumpkins on a candelabra

Harvest fruits and vegetables are additional motifs that read distinctly fall, and here I’ve balanced them upon a vintage candelabra, once again selecting colors that work with my soft color direction. You can also try placing faux artichokes in little bowls at each place setting if you prefer to save your candlesticks for candlelight at the meal.

As it turns out, it’s entirely possible to use bits of fall color while staying true to a soft color palette, and still presenting a table the reads seasonal for fall.

It’s even possible to do it with a touch of orange.

Fall Table Decor Resource List

To get the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. If an item is out of stock but may be restocked, I left it on the list.

Please note: Several of the items, including the primary plate in this table setting, were from Pier 1, which unfortunately has closed stores and is no longer selling online.  I’ve tried to supply options that maintain the same spirit.

(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.)

Please enjoy all of my friends’ posts below:

Craftberry Bush

French Country Cottage

Maison de Cinq

So Much Better With Age

Town n Country Living

Zevy Joy

Ella Claire & Co.

Tuesday’s posts:

On Sutton Place | Shabbyfufu | Cedar Hill Farmhouse
StoneGable | Edith & Evelyn Vintage

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

• Autumn Color in a Fall Tablescape

• How to Style a Soft and Neutral Fall Table Setting

• Mixing Casual and Formal in a Seasonal Tablescape

• A Soft Vintage Thanksgiving Table

• Using Velvet Pumpkins in an Elegant Fall Tablescape

• A Burnished Copper Tablescape for a Warm Thanksgiving Dinner

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