As the warm summer breezes fleetingly says goodbye, fall enters the scene with all her beautiful harvests and sunburst colors. For many, it is an opportunity to look forward — and an excuse to change your decor. For those that live in areas with drastic fluctuations in temperature and season, it is a justified change. And for those that live in more moderate climes, a change in seasonal decor helps to mark and recognize the passing of each season.

The first thing to change or remove are cotton or linen slipcovers, allowing the colors of upholstered furniture to be exposed, dusted. Out come a half-dozen luxurious, decorative pillows in velvets and silks that shimmer in soft light.

Area rugs can help mark the seasons. For example, cotton durries or seagrass area rugs can be replaced with the luxury and warmth of an antique wool Oriental rug or faux animal skin rug. Lightweight cotton drapes and sheers panels, that are perfect for summer, can be replaced with drapery panels of thicker fabrics such as a brocade, thick linen or velvet.

Decorating for the fall and winter seasons can be extremely enjoyable, as you can add layers that in other seasons are just not needed. Sometimes armchairs beg for an arm throw — they add a punch of color and are great for keeping warm on a cool night. A large faux-fur blanket can be tossed on a sofa for a sumptuous feel.

The harvest always adds a bit of fun seasonal decor in any home, whether a pile of gourds on a butcher block or colorful pumpkins on a sideboard in a dining room. These fruits of the earth help celebrate this special time of the year when we prepare to give thanks with friends and family. Fall foliage, collected or store-bought, can be wrapped and entwined around lamps, chandeliers and staircase balusters for extra bits of color.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this is the time of the year for candles. Each room in my house has a different scent to capture the mood and decor. While not burning them all at once, nor for more than one to two hours, candles help keep the atmosphere of rooms fresh.

The fall and winter seasons lend themselves to decorate for an air of nostalgia and romanticism. These details make a house into a home. As mushy as it sounds, I'm all for cozy homes. Homes with character create memories that endure. Decorating for the seasons can help make your home one of these places that have that indelible "it" factor. Go out buy yourself some flowers, candles and new pillows and enjoy it all season long.

Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Fla. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.