The Best Places to Buy Fall Decor That’s Chic, Not Cheesy [2024]
The Best Places to Buy Fall Decor was originally published in 2022, and updated for 2024
Yesterday I was at Target shopping for school supplies for my kids (they go back 3 weeks from today but who’s counting), and I took a casual detour past the home decor section, where I saw something that made my heart smile: Rows and rows of freshly displayed fall decor.
I am one of those fall people. While I don’t personally love a pumpkin spice latte, I fulfill pretty much all other autumnal cliches. Sweater weather. Apple picking. Spending a small fortune on pumpkins for my porch. And my favorite seasonal rite of passage: cozying up my home.
Overall, I also like a more subtle approach to seasonal decorating. I don’t love a motif, but prefer to evoke the overall season through color, texture, floral arrangements, candle scents, etc. so when I shop I tend to gravitate towards places that take a more restrained approach to fall decorating.
I also prefer to shop in-person for fall decor, coffee in hand, so I can really bask in the experience, but I’ve found that a lot of the best places to buy fall decor are often online, so I do both.
If you’ve got big fall energy like I do, I’ve gathered up the best places to shop for decor for fall, plus some of the best fall decor picks from each store.
Shop Fall Decor Under $30
The best places to buy fall decor
There are so many places to buy gorgeous fall decor, but there are a few that I always go back to.
1. Target
Stop 1: The Bullseye playground.
If you’re looking for quick-hit fall decor that’s guaranteed to be cute but also under $5, this is the place. Once you’ve ransacked those wire bins, it’s time to go to Target‘s home decor section, because both their outdoor and indoor fall decor selection is always top notch. Best bets are candles, wreaths, throw blankets, door mats, and accents like vases and faux florals.
Target Fall Decor Picks:
2. Hobby Lobby
True, Hobby Lobby is more of a craft store, but those of us who make fall our entire personality know that it’s also one of the best fall decor stores, whether you like to craft or not.
If you don’t have a Hobby Lobby near you, their online selection is also huge. In fact, the demand for Hobby Lobby fall decor is almost cult-like. “Hobby Lobby fall decor” gets about 40,000 searches on Google in September.
Once you weed though the overly cutesy “welcome fall” signs, you’ll find lots of fun wreaths and door hangings, florals and greenery, faux pumpkins, and garlands.
3. HomeGoods / TJ Maxx / Marshalls
HomeGoods fall decor is almost as synonymous with a basic fall as a pumpkin spice latte. But that’s because it’s hard to beat HomeGoods when it comes to fall.
They’ve got wreaths. They’ve got pumpkin-pie-vanilla-chai-cinnamon-spice-scented candles. They’ve got all fall kitchenware. And they have plaid blankets. GO NOW.
HomeGoods Fall Decor Picks:
4. Amazon
If you’re looking for those little bats everyone hangs in their windows or around their fireplace on Halloween? Amazon. Those witch hats all the Instagrammers hang from the ceiling? Amazon. I’ve also gotten cozy throw blankets, fall-colored taper candles, and fall faux-florals on Amazon. As long as you know what you’re looking for, Amazon is a great fall decor resource.
Shop Amazon Fall Decor Picks
5. Pottery Barn
For some reason, Pottery Barn just feels like a cozy store. It just reminds me of nicely decorated family homes where people have big Thanksgivings and it always smells like baked goods. It also might have to do with their fall and holiday decor selection, which is always more sophisticated and timeless than some of the lower-priced retailers (which I think justifies the higher price points).
Pottery Barn Fall Decor Picks:
6. Crate & Barrel
Definitely check out Crate & Barrel if your fall aesthetic is more restrained and subtle. Think of Crate & Barrel’s fall assortment as “more incorporating heavier textures,” less ‘happy fall, ya’ll.”
Crate & Barrel Fall Decor Picks:
7. Michael’s
Like Hobby Lobby, Michael’s is a craft store, but a craft store that doubles as a fall superstore. Michael’s has beautiful fall faux florals, lots of wreaths (or get supplies to DIY one), porch signs, and faux pumpkins, which you can either mix in with real ones (just be sure to preserve the real pumpkins so they last!), or incorporate into fall tablescapes.
Some of Michael’s fall decor tends to be a bit, er, much, for my taste, but you can find some toned-down items that work with a more subtle scheme.
My Michael’s Fall Decor Picks
8. H&M
I like shopping H&M for seasonal updates that aren’t themed, per se. So, if you’re looking for velvet pillow covers to warm up your home now that it’s fall, or amber-colored drinking glasses for your apple cider, H&M is the spot.
My H&M Fall Decor Picks
9. West Elm
West Elm‘s fall decor is a bit more hip than you’ll find at other retailers, but at the same time, it’s not overly expensive, either. I like it for indoor decor that actually goes with the design of the rest of my house, like neutral faux pumpkins, metallic skulls, and faux-fur throw pillows in muted colors.
Shop West Elm Fall Decor Picks:
10. Walmart
Walmart! Yes, Walmart. In the last few year they’ve really doubled down on their decor, especially online. A lot of that has to do with the fact that, like Amazon, Walmart now allows third-party sellers to seller product on its site, so you’ll get a lot more options than in the past.
Shop Walmart Fall Decor Picks:
What is popular for fall decor?
Popular fall decor trends for 2024 include:
- Wicker pumpkins
- Pampas grass, hops, and sedum florals
- Traditional plaids (not buffalo check)
- Layered fall door mats
- Piles of mums and pumpkins on the porch
- Velvet pumpkins
- Amber and Santal-scented candles
- Stick on bats and hanging witch hats for Halloween
- Amber-colored glassware
When does new fall decor come out?
It’s out! Many home stores start to put out fall decor in stores and online in mid-July or early August. Which again, seems early, but you know how that goes. Last year I tried to buy some last-minute Valentine’s candy for my kids the night before, and all I could find was Easter candy. Anyways!
I went to Target last week (around July 15) and the Bullseye playground area had pumpkin decor. Target also launched an early fall Studio Mcgee x Threshold collection last week. Michael’s and Crate & Barrel also have fall previews happening both in-store and online. Most retailers will have fall collections out by early August.
So, if you can’t wait til fall … you don’t really have to!
When can you start decorating for fall?
Can you believe there’s an official date when you can start decorating for fall? I’m not totally sure I understand the science, but I got a press release recently from a UK retailer called Secret Linen Store. They claimed to have analyzed ‘the data’ and say that August 17 is the official day you can start decorating for fall.
For me, I usually wait until early September, or around the time the kids go back to school. That just signals a season change in my mind, and it feels like time to slowly start making things more autumnal.