We Love Fall Most of All

Written by Marissa Moldoch

Photographed by Hector Sanchez

Styled by Crystal Cox

Even with a busy schedule, this mom finds time to create a welcoming fall atmosphere in her Alabama home.

Without a doubt, fall is one of the coziest times of the year. From the crisp weather and changing leaf colors to knit sweaters and pumpkin- flavored treats, this season has something for everyone.

Crystal Cox, a mom and goldendoodle breeder, couldn’t agree more.

**WELCOME HOME.** For Crystal, transforming the outside of her home is never an afterthought. “[The front porch] is always my favorite thing to decorate,” she says. To create an autumnal look, she used chrysanthemums, pumpkins and cornstalks she picked up from a friend’s house.

“Fall is my favorite time of year,” she says. “I love making things feel homey and cozy, so fall is perfect for that.”

When it comes to decorating her gorgeous home for the season, Crystal holds nothing back.

“I truly love fall décor,” she says.

**COME RIGHT IN.** Crystal’s striking entryway is just a preview of what the rest of her home has to offer. “I love to mix patterns with thrift store blankets and pillows,” she says.

And, because her furniture has a neutral aesthetic, she likes to add fun pops of color wherever she can. For instance, Crystal brings warmth to her entryway by integrating a yellow blanket and orange pillows.

“The front entryway is my favorite area in my home,” she says. “It’s the most fun to decorate due to having all the pegs and the shelf. I change my décor here every season.”

**CRYSTAL’S CRAFTSMANSHIP.** “I designed my range hood and love how it turned out,” Crystal says. On her open shelves, she displays candles, pitchers and fairy lights. “I love using fairy lights with all my holiday décor,” she notes.

**RICH AND SAVORY.** Cool temperatures call for warm solutions. “You can always find soup on my stove in the fall!” Crystal exclaims.

**TASTY TREATS.** Crystal does a considerable amount of baking and cooking during the chillier months. While she likes to try new recipes, she says that one of them will never go out of style: “I love making apple cider for the kids in the fall. It’s a favorite of theirs.”

Although Crystal knows she wants her home to look beautiful and feel inviting, she has a tough time defining her style: “I have never really known how to describe it. I like to call it ‘whimsy, cozy fairytale.’”

No Plan? No Problem!

At the beginning of September, Crystal starts transforming her family’s home for fall. However, she doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting, because her husband helps her a lot.

Crystal has a large collection of fall décor, so she has plenty of pieces to choose from when she puts together a design.

**SPOOKY SEASON.** Crystal arranged LED candles from LampLust in her living room fireplace to give it a warm glow. To add a spooky touch to the cozy environment, she put small bats on the mirror. “Last year, I used the bats on the mirror in their original black. This year, I painted them gold to blend with my neutral tones,” Crystal discloses.

“A lot of my items come from thrift stores,” she reveals. “I have had some things for years.”

Instead of picking out her seasonal decorations ahead of time or sticking with a tried-and-true design, Crystal likes to go with the flow.

“I do things differently every year,” she shares. “I am a very spur-of-the-moment person. I do everything without a plan.”

While she might not plan her seasonal décor, she always finds herself including candles throughout her home.

**FRUIT FOR THE WIN.** Crystal gave her gorgeous dining room tablescape a sweet touch. “I always use fresh pears in my fall décor,” she reveals.

“I love candlelight and the cozy feel it provides,” she points out. “I use a mixture of real candles and LED candles with remotes.”

She also creates variety by incorporating different textures and layering her items.

“Sometimes, I’m afraid I do too much, but honestly, it’s my personality!”

**BARKING UP THE RIGHT TREE.** Crystal regularly uses branches to give her home a rustic flair. “I took a branch from an old tree and hung it from the ceiling with hooks and fishing wire. I also attached the pampas grass with fishing wire.” To round out her design, Crystal propped an antique mirror against the wall and hung curtains that she made from tablecloths.

Although Crystal clearly puts significant effort into giving her home seasonal makeovers, she doesn’t find the experience to be too stressful or challenging.

“Fall decorating seems easy to me, because I put so much into Christmas,” she explains. “I actually enjoy decorating for fall more than for Christmas.”

Fun-Filled Fall

For Crystal and her family, fall can be a busy time of year.

“We’re a football family,” she says. “We have two football players, a cheerleader, a dance line member and a child who helps coach peewee football,” she notes.

**AN ECLECTIC ROOM.** Crystal’s kitchen includes a stylish coffee bar and a large pantry. “I love the old apothecary cabinet in the pantry. It’s perfect for [storing] spices and other small kitchen items,” she notes. Above the doorframe, Crystal highlights more vintage décor. “I have a lot of salvaged architectural pieces from old homes throughout my home.”

**NO CLUTTER HERE!** Because Crystal’s sophisticated laundry room has plenty of storage space, she can keep everything neat and tidy. “I love the set of old lockers. I purchased them from Facebook Marketplace and painted them with chalk paint,” she points out. “My kids keep all their backpacks and sports items in there.”

Moreover, Crystal and her husband coach cheerleading and football, respectively.

“That takes up a lot of our time in the fall,” she says.

In addition to these exciting activities, Crystal also works with goldendoodles.

“I take a lot of pride in my ‘babies’ and take great care to place them in the perfect home. All my goldendoodles are genetically and health tested.”

After she clocks out for the day, Crystal takes care of her own sweet goldendoodles, Willa, Posie and Aspen.

Waterfront Wonderful

**A MOBILE MANTEL.** “This is an old mantel I picked up from a thrift store and painted green,” Crystal says. Although she has “moved it to several different places,” in her home, Crystal is currently using it as an accent piece in her bedroom. By layering it with old mirrors and windows, she added height to her design.

**A RELAXING RETREAT.** After a long day, Crystal likes to unwind in her freestanding tub. “It’s my ‘oasis,’” she says. The candlelight and fall décor make the space feel even more luxurious.

Despite everyone’s packed schedules, Crystal and her family still find time to go on fall adventures.

“We love to go to pumpkin patches,” she says.

They also create memories in their own home.

“I love to have a candlelight dinner on the back porch for the kids, and that includes apple cider and fall snacks.”

**LOOK AROUND.** Crystal’s bedroom is a masterpiece from top to bottom. “I had beams installed in the tray on my ceiling to give it an older look. They are raw wood with no stain,” she says. Glance down to find an upcycling project on the nightstands. “My lamps are old lamps from a thrift store. I chalk-painted them and added new shades,” Crystal shares.

**HIDDEN ACCESSORIES.** Crystal keeps her 7-year-old’s hair bows in this cabinet’s drawers. “It’s hard to find a good place for bows. This works perfectly,” she says.

**KICK OFF YOUR SHOES.** Crystal’s mudroom is both fashionable and functional. “I had this built for my kids,” she says of the storage unit. “It serves so many purposes.” For instance, she keeps her children’s shoes tucked away in the baskets.

**OUT WITH THE OLD.** As much as Crystal likes to add to her fall décor collection, she says she also sells items from it yearly.

A Stunning Front Porch for Fall

Crystal Cox shares how to recreate this charming autumnal look in your own outdoor space.

What You’ll Need

Cornstalks
Chrysanthemums
Pumpkins
Ribbons
Twine

What You’ll Do

Hold the cornstalks up to the front of your column or post.
Wrap the twine around the stalks to hold them in place.
Tie a tight knot.
Add a ribbon and a few flowers to the stalks for a fun pop of color.
Arrange your chrysanthemums and pumpkins on your steps or porch.

Create a Magnificent Mantel

How did Crystal get all her décor to stay put on her mantel? Her answer might surprise you:

“Believe it or not, there’s nothing holding the décor in place,” Crystal reveals. “I like to make a base in which I intertwine flowers or vines. Then, I start poking the stems in from left to right. It becomes one, big piece that’s stuck together.”

Because she purchases her flowers “from thrift stores or sales throughout the year,” she now has a nice assortment to choose from when she’s ready to decorate for fall.