I’ve always been a fan of Pier 1 Imports.  Growing up as a small town boy, there weren’t too many places to chose from when it came to interior decor.  But, Waco did have a Pier 1 (and I believe they still do).  It was one of my favorite stores to go into growing up.  That’s right.  I could have cared less for the toy stores and the sports places, I wanted to go to Pier 1!

So, when Pier 1 contacted us to see if we would be interested in a $250 designer challenge to introduce a touch of autumn into an interior space, I was overly eager to accept the challenge, and get started!

As soon as I wrapped up at the office for the day, I headed straight to the closest Pier 1 I knew of!

Of course they have all of their new fall items out on display, including everything form fabulous pumpkins & fall leaves, to napkin rings and wine glasses.  All of which are available in every rustic autumn color you could imagine!

I really liked this set up of a mirrored chest with the “blinged” out crystal and metallic owls!  Check out that divider screen!  Perfect for separating a single space into two, or, an interesting way to fill up some area and add dimension to a bare wall.

When I turned the corner and saw this, I was reminded how fashion forward Pier 1 is.  Dorothy Drapery style chests are a highly sought after commodity in the design world, and very few people can afford the real McCoy.   Pier 1 has created an excellent imitation of the Dorothy Draper “Espana Chest”, and check out that awesome price!

Accent pillows are a perfect way to spice up a sofa or a bed.  It’s also an easy way to create a color palate change that won’t break the bank.  With the endless color, pattern, and textures that Pier 1 offers with their pillow selection, you’ll definitely be able to find what you’re looking for!

Who doesn’t love candles?  Pier 1 has an assortment of candles that come in every color under the sun to compliment any decor, and they have the best scents ever!

Another great thing about Pier 1 is that every store always has a clearance section where you can really find some great stuff!  These prices just can’t be beat!

Now, back to the challenge…. I quickly decided after I arrived, that my front living room needed the most amount of attention, and is usually the first room guests enter when they come over.  My next step was figuring out how I was going to choose from so many decor options!

After I made my selections, the fabulous Candise helped me bring it all to the cash wrap, and began to ring up my items.  Thanks for all your awesome and friendly help Candise!

Below are the “before” shots of my front living room.  Notice that it doesn’t really have much life to it, and nothing really matches.

While I was at the store, I decided that I wanted to go outside of the box a little.  Sometimes, when you’re readying your home or a room for a new season, you don’t necessarily have to go with the obvious choices of decor.  Which in this case, would be the traditional fall leaves and gourds.  I chose to go a little more of a sophisticated route, choosing items that incorporated a fall color palate.  Here are the “after” photos:

How awesome is this over-sized clock?!  The moment I saw it, I knew it would be the perfect focal point for the room!

I chose a rich rust colored velvet pillow to introduce an autumn color pallet.  This is accented by a striped velvet pillow with different shades of orange, and also shades of blue.  I always try to add an unexpected accent color when I can.  In this case, it ended up being a deep cobalt blue.  That shade of blue is really hot right now, and I just had to incorporate it!  Blue is also the complimentary color to orange, so I felt that it was an appropriate choice.  Just the pillows alone added much needed life to this room!  I also added a cobalt glass candle stick and ivory candle on one of the clustered tables in the center of the room.  I still can’t believe I found all this great stuff for only $250!

After I was finished with adding all my new wonderful autumn inspired items to my living room, I sat down at my desk, and realized that it too came from Pier 1!  Even the chair and cushion!  I guess it goes to show, I’m definitely a fan of Pier 1 Imports.

Be sure to head to your nearest Pier 1 store, and find some fall decor of your own to spice up your space!

Looking for a great way to get some awesome Pier One items in your house for FREE?  Email Emily your favorite Pier One accessory at [email protected] for your chance to win a $50 gift card to Pier One to deck out your pad for free!  The winner will be chosen at random.

Good Luck!