by Jenny Barnett

Here on the homestead, we’re all about honoring the past, but we don’t forget to look ahead and plan for the future. As we continue our harvest and prepare for the upcoming autumn and winter, I’m also preparing to transition the guidance I offer here on the blog to a reflective and restorative autumn resource.

Autumn has a way of softening everything.
The light gets lower, the air gets thicker, and the home starts to feel more like a haven than a pass-through.

And that shift?
That’s when the soul of the house starts to show.

This season, we’re not decorating for likes or trends. We’re layering in warmth, memory, and intention. We’re preparing to slow down, conserve our energy, and spend a lot more time indoors, one wool blanket and iron hook at a time.

Let the Hearth Lead the Way

If home is where the heart is, the hearth is where the soul settles.

Autumn is the time to honor your fireplace, whether it’s stone, cast iron, or just a flickering candle-lit nook. Here’s how to make it feel lived-in and well-loved:

• Mantel layers: Dried florals, framed topo prints, beeswax tapers
• Log holders & fireplace tools: Choose pieces that feel as solid as they function, forged iron with weight and presence
• Cast irons on display: A kettle on the stove, a Dutch oven on the hearth, not just decor, but tools for comfort

We use the Breeo Cast Iron Kettle for simmer pots all season long. Toss in cinnamon bark, orange peel, or spruce tips and let the scent do the heavy lifting.

Layering in Texture & Tradition

Autumn isn’t about clutter, it’s about comfort with clarity.

Try this:

• Wool blankets folded in each room (especially on chair backs and at the foot of the bed)
• Forged hooks near the door or by the woodstove for scarves, coats, or lanterns
• Earth-toned linens that echo the fields and forests this time of year

We love Pendleton’s wool blankets for their heritage feel, and Old West Living’s bedding collection for rustic charm that holds up to real life.

Add in dried corn stalks, rosehips, gourds, or bundled herbs to bring the harvest indoors — no glitter pumpkins needed.

Decor That Feels Like a Memory

What makes a room feel cozy isn’t the throw pillow count.
It’s the story.

• A tin of handmade firestarter beside the hearth
• A basket of kindling cut from your own woodlot
• A blanket your mother wove or your father mended
• A hook on the wall that’s held the same lantern for twenty years (or looks like it has, anyways)

Autumn decor shouldn’t be disposable. It should feel earned, like it belongs there, season after season.

Share Your Soulful Space

We want to see how you’re settling into the season.
Drop a comment or tag your cozy corners, harvest hearths, or wildcrafted mantels using #WildWestTopos and you might just get featured in our seasonal roundup.

This is the season of soul. A time of quiet reflection where every flicker, fiber, and forged detail turns a house into a home.

Settle in. Light the fire. Let the land come inside.

— Jenny