Fall is the perfect time to freshen up decor so take a look at your home's exterior and consider how even small updates can make all the difference to make your home look lovely. And if you're putting your home on the market, there's nothing like some curb appeal to set your home apart from the rest and give buyers added incentives to make an offer.

Here's a sampling of the latest and greatest looks in outdoor decor and accessories for fall 2009.


1 Front door fixings
Install a coordinating handset, doorknocker and interesting address numbers to give your front door a "finished" feel that welcomes guests with style. Hardware like this makes up the "diamond earrings" of your front door according to Elaine Griffin, leading New York designer and author, speaking for Lowes home improvement stores. $7 per number for brushed nickel address numbers, $15 for doorknocker, $109 for brushed nickel handset, Lowes; lowes.ca.

2 A rockin' rocking chair
A nostalgic treasure for any front porch, a rocking chair sets the tone for leisurely evenings when you can take in a cool autumn evening breeze and sip on a mug of hot chocolate from the comfort of your relaxing seat. This bright yellow rocking chair livens up your porch and will contrast nicely with most house exteriors. $230, Pier 1 Imports; pier1.ca.










3 Backyard beauty
Extend your season of outdoor entertaining by heating up chilly autumn nights with a functional and fashionable fire pit. This copper bowl beauty was handcrafted in Turkey and features solid iron legs. $199, Restoration Hardware; restorationhardware.com.






4 Welcome mat
A wonderful welcome mat does more than scrub off debris from dirty soles before guests step into your home; it also grounds your front door decor, drawing your eyes down, and defines the entryway into your home. Autumn stripe $30 US Crate and Barrel; crateandbarrel.com.

 

5 Outdoor pillows
Adding new cushions to your backyard patio or front porch furniture is an impressive and inexpensive way to freshen up your outdoor decor. These 24" square rust- and espresso-coloured cushions offer cool style in fall-favourite hues. They're made of soft, weather-resistant poly canvas with lofty poly fill. $15 US, West Elm; westelm.com.

6 Landscape lights
Illuminate a pathway to your front door with these pretty solar lights. Don’t underestimate the power of lighting to set a wonderful ambiance and bring your home's exterior design to life when the sun goes down. Emerald Solar Metal Light $50 per pack of 4, Canadian Tire; canadiantire.ca.

7 Wreath from PC Home
Seasonal decor breathes new life into your front porch and this brilliant berry wreath is a perfect fall accent for your front door. $13 for a 20" berry wreath, Loblaws.

8 Water feature
A calming and artistic water fountain sets the mood for a relaxing garden retreat. This stainless steel gazing ball fountain is simple in design but offers enough visual interest to keep you and visitors entertained for hours. $130 Canadian Tire; canadiantire.ca.

9 Pendant light
Illuminate your entryway beautifully with an elegant pendant light that casts a warm glow over your front door. A suspended chain mount allows you to adjust its length to your preference and an acrylic diffuser has a pretty pearl finish. $83, The Home Depot; homedepot.ca.

10 A standout mailbox
This sleek and sexy mailbox adds instant style to your front entrance. Why live with a boring old mailbox when you can upgrade to this modern stunner. You can get one in brushed stainless steel or black and it measures 7.5" x 14" x 4". $105 for stainless steel, $63 for black, Umbra; umbra.com.