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The Latest and Greatest Fall Home Trends

As the days shorten and autumn arrives, it’s time to start considering holiday gift items, or even a couple of household goodies you might just want to keep for yourself.

Take, for example, the remotely controllable slow cooker from WeMo, which lets you check on your meal in progress without actually having to be in the kitchen. Quickly and easily adjust your device’s temperature and cook time via the WeMo smartphone app, or just turn it on or off completely while you’re away. Plus, its six-quart oval stoneware cooking chamber is removable and dishwasher-safe.

Forget fall foliage and Indian corn—add some festive color to any of your home’s doorways with a natural or faux berry fall wreath. Many retail and online home stores and garden centers are offering stemmed bittersweet wreaths gleaming with russet red and persimmon, instead of autumn’s more understated browns and oranges.

Or, add rustic charm to any abode with small-scale set of burnished-bronze Anthropologie Airen antlers (Anthropologie.com, $21). Their hefty aluminum build is sturdy enough for holding purses and scarves by the door, or can just as easily be displayed in the living or bedroom as cruelty-free, cabin-inspired wall art.

Match them up with a pair of Pier 1 Imports antler-shaped candle stands ($28 each). Substitute in lieu of a traditional cornucopia to open up the visual space, while giving any tabletop or nook a more dramatic feel.

If you’re not ready to panel an entire room, or looking to add a few natural woody accents, try Target.com for one or more sets of decorative Weathered brand wood panels. Their eye-catching geometric design is described as the perfect home decor for the minimalist household.

Or if you want the easy-to-apply—and remove—effect of wood, JCPenny.com offers extremely authentic-looking and American-made Beachwood Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper. Use it to freshen up a backsplash, as intriguing shelf-backing, to accent small areas, or on an entire wall.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

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Revealed: 100 Best Places to Live in America

Editor’s Note: This was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. See what else is cookin’ now at blog.rismedia.com:

Ever wondered who is living the good life, and where? A new study done by MONEY with the help of realtor.com® runs down the top 100 best places to live in the U.S.

But how does one quantify “best,” a term that feels quite subjective? The study’s methodology focuses on towns with a population of 10,000 to 100,000, to avoid the big cities and spotlight smaller suburbs and towns that often get overlooked as folks gush about Portland, Ore. and Austin, Texas.

The variables MONEY focused on with these smaller places included job availability, school systems, crime rates, convenience, home values and community/cultural outlets. Realtor.com stepped in to assist with the real estate aspect, and together the two sources unveiled 100 great places to live across the country, from North Dakota to New Jersey and back again.

So what are the top 10 spots? Some may surprise you:

  1. Fishers, Ind.
  2. Allen, Texas
  3. Monterey Park, Calif.
  4. Franklin, Tenn.
  5. Olive Branch, Miss.
  6. Dickinson, N.D.
  7. Lone Tree, Colo.
  8. North Arlington, N.J.
  9. Schaumburg, Ill.
  10. Bozeman, Mont.

For more details, check out MONEY’s post here, and to see how realtor.com broke down what is occurring in the “Best Places” housing markets, click here.

Zoe Eisenberg is RISMedia’s senior content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at zoe@rismedia.com.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

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