The kids have survived the first 10 days of school at the time I am writing this….and I have survived (barely) all the chaos that this time of year brings.   As I said to a colleague the other day, “September has hit me like a herd of elephants!”

So what else has September hit me with?  A little more drizzle (more than we had ALL summer, in Toronto at least), a little more darkness and…..the realization that my sandals will soon migrate to storage to make room for boots.

Wow – I am sounding very negative, but ALAS, there is a positive side to this story!  I L-O-V-E the colours of fall, and have been thrilled to see them popping up in the shop windows and on the leaves as they are just starting to show signs of change. (I see a shopping trip and a Sunday road trip in my near future….)

On the note of fall colours, I will first take this opportunity to reminisce a little about the fun I had this summer (it will make sense soon!)  I was lucky enough to have made a trip to the Pottery Barn studio in San Francisco to film some decorating videos. You can check out the videos at the Pottery Barn Design Library.

San Francisco is quickly becoming one of my favourite cities in North America – and if you have been, you know why.  Travel is personal, but for my tastes, this is what makes it such a great city:  The weather is moderate, (I experienced the same weather in February as I did in July), the city borders the beautiful pacific ocean, it’s hilly with great views (I drove for the first time down crooked Lombard St – what an experience!), it’s colourful AND it is filled with amazing restaurants! So although I have only visited for business trips– I am loving it!  Here are a few of my snaps…..

Colourful sea salts at Fisherman’s Wharf http://www.sfbsc.com/

The famous “Painted ladies” on a beautifully overcast San Francisco day.

Typical Victorian architecture…looks like Newburyport blue and Putnam Ivory to me!

Driving down Lombard Street.

The iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

Now, back to the real reason I went to San Francisco– an insider’s look at Pottery Barn’s Fall bedding.  Patterns range the likes of traditional paisleys, vintage ticking and botanicals and then solids are embellished with ruffles on silks, velvets and linen…..it was definitely eye candy to a colour and textile fan like myself.  Here are few of my favourites.

Pottery Barn Linen Ruffle Euro Sham

Pottery Barn Madeline Paisley

Pottery Barn Vintage Ticking

Pottery Barn Suzani Quilt and Sham

The Pottery Barn style is associated with a very particular sense of colour: very classic and typically muted.  But for this fall the colours are vibrant and extraordinary – for bedding and living as well.  I have included a few suggestions of wall colours in case you are inspired by these beautiful linens to redecorate!  But for more, take a look at the 33 colours the designers at Pottery Barn selected from Benjamin Moore’s full library of colours to coordinate with the Fall line.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any exotic trips lined up for the next few months….so my spring and summer inspirations will have to do me for a while.  Maybe this is my chance to finally renovate my laundry room!?

What Fall decorating projects do you have planned?

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