Summer sure treated us to an encore performance this year. And although I’ve absolutely loved the extra sunshine and warmth, I have to admit that it feels good to finally welcome fall. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and it’s time to get cozy at home.

That means bringing on the layers, especially on our beds. One of my team’s favorite finds is the Rejuvenation Poppy handstitched quilt, shown in the Sunburst colorway, which we picked for the primary bedroom of a newly renovated Tudor we worked on in Edina (above). Plush velvet pillows in solid hues balance the mix of patterns in the linens. As our nights get longer, I sure wouldn’t mind spending more time lounging in a spot surrounded with cozy character like this. The same goes for the design ideas and inspiration below, which we’ve recently integrated—or will soon integrate—into projects. Happy fall!

Summer charms us with its rich tapestry of textures, from lush layers of foliage and flowers to the blues of our lakes, rivers, and skies. The tactile beauty we seek out in the season can bring our interiors to life, too, with depth, character, and oftentimes layers of color. Our favorite textures, in fact, are the ones that are unexpected and even a bit edgy. Light fixtures, rugs, wall coverings, upholstery, and works of art come to mind as natural examples. But what about something with a textural pattern that is otherwise flat and hard, like tile? Absolutely.

One of my favorite instances of this idea comes from a project of ours, where handmade glazed-clay tile in denim blue covers the backsplash of the beautiful butler’s pantry (above) in a lakeside home. Paired with the blue cabinetry, the overall look is seamless and almost monochromatic. But the tile has a subtle texture you almost want to touch—character that enlivens the space without attracting too much attention. Here, the choice works perfectly, but in other cases, bolder and more pronounced textures could work just as well. See what I mean with these picks from the MDD team.

Spring’s arrival always gets a warm welcome from me, even if it comes on the heels a winter where we got off pretty easy, except for that last hurrah of a storm we had in March. The palette and patterns of the season feel refreshing and rejuvenating—exactly what we need right now.

Artists have an especially beautiful way of seeing the season. One of my favorites is St. Paul painter Suyao Tian, who has an MFA from MCAD. Her main medium is watercolor, which she uses in brilliant interpretations of botanicals and other small creatures (see an example of her work below). As if that weren’t fun enough, the MDD team is going big, quite literally, with Suyao’s artwork in a wallcovering by Minneapolis-based Area Environments for The Finch, a multifamily project in Edina. Stay tuned for that! In the meantime, get a sense of the idea in our work for The Finch’s sister building, The Fred—here with a wallcovering by Austin, Texas-based artist Andrea Pramuk. Andrea describes her work as bringing together interests such as biology, geology, and spirituality, which you sense in this design.

Not every idea needs to be this big. One of my favorite ways to refresh a room, as you know, is through flowers—see a few of my team’s favorite sources (some with flower arranging courses) below. Flowers, after all, are nature’s works of art—and they’re an easy, elegant way to celebrate spring.

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).