As much as my team and I (and most Minnesotans) absolutely love summer, there’s a lot to love about the fleeting season of fall, too. Maybe it’s the way it nudges us to spend more time inside, with temps falling a few degrees by the week providing that friendly reminder of cold months ahead. Once inside, surrounded by layers of warm hues and textures, we’re grounded, reassured, and ready to nest.

My team and I are always reimagining the way we cozy up to fall. Sure, it’s about bringing in new blankets, pillows, florals, and candles. But even more, it’s about figuring out how to balance the classic touches that make us feel good with the surprises that feel fresh yet still true to the season. The idea comes together beautifully in a design we completed last year for a new home on Lake Minnewashta. The snug living space peers onto the lake but also cocoons you with its fieldstone-and-concrete fireplace and walls covered with Phillip Jeffries Gaucho Cloth in Phoenix Fringe. It’s a look made for playing cards or curling up with a book.

What’s perhaps most gratifying is the way many of the choices work all year round. A certain degree of cozy makes sense for all seasons. But with the right bones and base layers, you can dial up the warmth—and that’s exactly what our ideas do here. Happy fall!

Pops of color and pretty patterns almost always have a place in my team’s projects, so we are constantly scouring our sources for something fresh, fun, and a bit unexpected. But the color experts in us met our match when we spotted whimsical hand-painted pickleball paddles from one of our favorite local artists, Missy Monson. If that kind of color and pattern can make a paddle that pretty, think about what it can do for your home. Talk about game on!

Don’t get me wrong: We at MDD love timeless, tailored looks. But a little edge keeps things interesting, and it often comes in the form of color and pattern. It doesn’t have to be something that fills the entire room. It can come by way of pillows and poufs, place settings for the season, or a vase of favorite flowers. Pieces you can change out as your mood and mindset moves from bright and bold to a place that’s more subtle and subdued, then back again. Like in the Lake Minnetonka cottage we designed (above), where key furnishings on the porch provide a neutral backdrop to summery pops.

Without a single doubt, spring is our most fleeting season. And it’s truer than ever this year, because after taking what seemed like FOREVER to arrive, just like that—bam—summer is pretty much here.

The good news is there’s still time for a refresh with color. Our favorite way to make it happen is also one of the easiest—through books and floral. Both bring color and personality into a space, and books in particular can instantly convey what our clients are all about. What are their favorite artists and design styles? Travel destinations? Types of cuisine?

The best books marry a personal interest with an interesting cover. And by interesting, I often mean covers with COLOR. What a beautiful difference colorful covers make on a coffee table or bookshelf. And while some bibliophiles may hesitate, surprisingly the most colorful covers are often the ones UNDER the dust jacket (which you can always keep, if you wish).