I’ve always loved celebrating the autumn equinox, and over the years, it’s become my preferred time to have a harvest celebration. My mom and I actually talked about starting a “Thanksgiving” tradition around the autumn equinox instead of November because it always felt like the wrong time of year. Here in the Midwest, by the end of November it’s usually snowing, the roads are icy, and family often have to travel 8–10 hours to get together.

Celebrating at the end of September just made more sense. The weather is still beautiful, the harvest is at its peak, and, honestly, it felt witchier to us. We always dreamt it as an outdoor picnic rather than a formal affair. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get the chance to see it fully come to life before my mom passed, but I’ve carried it on in my own home. Every autumn equinox, as I cook and gather around the table, I’m reminded of her and it’s a sweet little way to keep her memory alive. Below are a few of the recipes I love making to celebrate this time of year.

Perfect Roast Chicken

Sunday roasts are a tradition I intend to embrace fully this autumn/winter season and this recipe is going to be in frequent rotation. In the past, I’ve halved the recipe and only roasted one chicken, which gives the two of us a few leftover meals as well. If you’re serving more than 4, I’d recommend following the recipe as-is. It’s such a quick recipe that you can pop the bird/s into the oven, and prep the caramel apple tartlets while they roast.

Green Beans Almondine

Is there anything better than browned butter? If there is, I haven’t found it! This recipe works best when you use the best butter you can find, my go-to is Kerrygold as I find it provides the most flavor and fat. And the pinch of nutmeg takes it to another level. * Chef’s Kiss *

Roasted Potatoes

We received so many spring potatoes in our CSA this past growing season that this recipe was in frequent use in our home. This one is perfect any time of day; from breakfast potatoes to a side dish with steak. I do like adding other seasonings like paprika, rosemary and onion powder (garlic powder in a pinch if I don’t have fresh) and always, always measure with my heart rather than a teaspoon.

Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash

The best part of our CSA was an opportunity to try different vegetables I wouldn’t typically purchase, like acorn squash. I’ve always found these to be the most adorable gourd shape for the season, but I’ve never tried baking them. This recipe adds the right amount of sweetness turning them into almost like a sweet potato. The best part: I end up roasting the squash, potatoes & chicken at the same time…I just keep an eye on everything to ensure the potatoes and squash don’t burn.

Caramel Apple Tartlets

Last Christmas we received an Omaha Steaks package that included these delicious caramel apple tartlets. After we devoured them, I was determined to find a simple recipe to recreate. I landed on a combination of recipes. The recipe linked above is certainly the inspiration and the filling. But the crust is my old tried-and-true recipe from Fifi O’Neill’s cookbook, “The Romantic Prairie Cookbook: Field-Fresh Recipes and Homespun Settings”:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2c/225g all-purpose flour

• 1 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 sticks225g cold butter

• 1/2 c/120ml cold water

STEPS:

1. Sift the flour & salt together into the bowl of a stand mixer. Cut the cold butter (I find it’s helpful to cut the sticks into chunks) into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal. For this step, I like using one of my grandmother’s vintage pastry blenders as I feel it works better than the stand mixer hook. Add cold water by gently stirring it into the flour and butter mixture using the hook attachment until completely moistened (do not over stir!).

2. Divide the dough in half and refrigerate for at least two hours. Freeze half the dough for another time.

3. Roll the pie dough out to 12 inches/30cm in diameter and 1/8 inch/3mm thick. Press the pie dough firmly into a 10-inch/25cm pie pan. Pinch off any excess dough around the edges. Put in the freezer for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400F/200C

5. Line the pie crust with a sheet of heavy aluminum foil. Fill with dried beans, uncooked rice, or metal pie weights to prevent the shell from shrinking while baking. Bake the lined crust until it dries out, about 15 minutes. The crust is ready when the aluminum can be easily removed.

6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F/180C. Remove the foil and weights and return pie crust to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

7. For the apple tartlet crust, I cut this recipe in 1/2 but I still bake the crusts separately for about 10-15 minutes before adding the apple mixture by placing them over the cups of an upside-down muffin tin.

For the caramel sauce, you can use store-bought caramel sauce or unwrapped caramels, but homemade caramel sauce is so quick & fairly easy to make; plus, you probably already have all the ingredients on hand.

PRO TIP: I would say that Fleur le Sel is not an optional ingredient, however, especially as you want that sea-salty flavor to come through in the sauce.

I hope these recipes give you a little taste of the season. Whether you’re celebrating Mabon or just enjoying the flavors of autumn, it’s nice to take a moment to slow down, gather around the table, and enjoy the season. And if you’re looking to bring a little extra autumn charm into your home, you can check out The Shoppe where you’ll find my curated collection of harvest-inspired decor to make your space feel cozy and festive.

here’s to fall, family, and all the little things that make this season a sweet one

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When I sold my first home — a darling 1920s bungalow with its own unique features and quirks — and bought an 8-year-old new build in a development where the same four floor plans were copy & pasted, I quickly realized that in my trade for condition, location and price, I had sacrificed all the elements that I believe truly transform a house into a home. It took me a long time to realize that, what makes a home feel lived-in is the layers. Those tiny, often overlooked details that give a space a point of view. But the good news? Almost all of them can be added in, no matter how new or builder-basic the house you’re starting with.

Paint

Photos from Pinterest

By far, the easiest (and most affordable!) way to add character to any space is with a fresh coat of paint. Over the years, I’ve gone through my fair share of trendy color choices, but I’m partial now to creamy whites that allow me to create a neutral base and swap a seasonal palette of decor throughout the year. My favorite color options are Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee and Sherwin Williams Alabaster.

PRO TIP: Get a high-quality 2” angle brush—this one is my personal favorite—and you’ll never need to tape again.

Paper & Wall Moulding

Photos from Pinterest

Alternatively, wallpaper can add a punch, especially when papering a small space. I love the unexpected pop of pattern, texture, and color in places like closets or half-baths.

When appropriate, applied moulding gets you a similar sense of age and craftsmanship. The options are endless with picture frame moulding, board and batten, or a simple rail.

Swap Outlet & Switch Plates

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Replace those plastic outlet & switch plates with ones that provide a bit more pizzazz. It’s a small enough swap that you can knock out an entire house in a weekend, but it’s also one of those details guests notice without being able to say exactly why the room feels different.

This is also an instance where less is more. I’d focus attention on swapping out those more visual elements—for example: the switch plates when you enter a room—rather than replace every outlet plate hidden behind furniture.

Add or Change Knobs & Pulls on Cabinetry

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Personally, I love the look and feel that unlacquered metal provides. As it ages, it adds such warmth and patina to the space and, with more and more use, weathers the testament of time. Like Clooney, unlacquered hardware gets better with age instead of just looking dated. Every fingerprint and water spot is proof that the space is being lived in and loved.

DESIGN TIP: a mix of metals and styles (using knobs and pulls) breaks up the wall of cabinets and gives the space some visual rhythm instead of reading as one flat block. And because the swap is purely cosmetic, it’s one of the easiest projects to take with you if you ever move — pull the builder-grade hardware, box it up, and take your real knobs to the next house.

Change Floor & Wall Register Covers

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Who says your walls and floor vent covers need to stay basic? These are some of the most overlooked spots in a home, and swapping the standard builder-grade grate for cast metal or a decorative pattern is such an easy way to sneak old-house detail into a new build.

They’re also one of the few details in this list that were genuinely decorative even in the era they’re mimicking: old homes used ornate cast iron registers because they were visible, functional pieces of the room, not something to hide. A brushed brass or aged bronze cover in a hallway or at the base of a staircase does the same work now, and because most register covers are a standard size, it’s one of the more affordable swaps here too.

Replace Door Handles, Hinges & Door Stops

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Swapping the standard lever or knob for something with real weight to it such as an aged brass egg knob, a black iron mortise set, or crystal glass changes the way a door feels every single time you touch it. Don’t stop at the handles, either. Hinges and door stops are usually an afterthought, but a decorative hinge, magnetic door stopper or a simple brass acorn stopper is the kind of detail that makes a hallway feel finished instead of builder-basic.

This is also one of the few swaps that have not only daily interaction, but also the most physical. Every single day, without even thinking about it, your hand is holding, twisting, and turning the same knobs that has born countless past lives and that’s such a cool element to add to the story of your own home.

Add Dust Corners to Stairs & Wall Corner Guards

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These little darlings pull double-duty. Not only do they look cute and dress up the simplest of functional architecture in stairways, but they do a great job at keeping the dustballs from piling up. And, the wall corner guards are fantastic at protecting baseboards and drywall from the occasional vacuum cleaner ding.

Replace Light Fixtures

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Swap out those builder-grade basic fixtures with ones that actually have a shape and a presence — an antique-inspired sconce, a fluted glass pendant, something with a little age to it even if it's brand new. Lighting is one of the fastest ways to make a room feel considered instead of default.

Tile

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Tile is one of the few finishes that gets to be permanent or semi-permanent if using peel & stick, so it's worth treating it like an opportunity rather than an afterthought. When in doubt, lean into the classic styles: a hand-glazed subway tile, a small hex pattern in an entryway, or a bit of pattern on a backsplash can do more to age a space than almost anything else on this list.

Highlight What Exists

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At the end of the day, it's crucial to remember that a contemporary build will never truly look or feel like a different era home, no matter what changes are made. Rather, it's important to also highlight the architecture you do have — the trim, the windows, the built-ins — and let those existing features do some of the work instead of fighting against them. For example, my current home has vaulted ceilings in the living and kitchen. I would never add picture moulding to the angled walls because it would just look weird. I would, however, add an aged & weathered wood beam to drawn attention to the vault.

Every house, even a brand-new one, has architectural bones worth working with rather than around. And remember: the goal is not to trick anyone into thinking this is a hundred-year-old house. It's to make sure the character & charm you add has something real to stand on.

SHOPPE MY FAVORITES

I hope this inspires you to think about new ways to make your house a home. If you’re ready to get started, I’ve pulled together hardware, fixtures, and finishes we’ve used and loved throughout our own home. Take what fits your space, leave what doesn’t, and use it as a bit of inspiration as you work through your own list of updates.

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