Fall Designer Edit: When Cozy Meets Brutalist Vibes
There’s something about the shift into fall that makes us all crave a little more intention in our homes. The air cools, the evenings stretch, and suddenly our spaces need to feel both comforting and elevated, places where we can curl up with a blanket and tea, but also entertain with a sense of drama and style.
As a designer, I live for this seasonal shift because it’s the perfect opportunity to layer in new pieces that spark energy and conversation. But here’s the truth: not just any “fall décor” will do. The seasonal aisle at your local store is full of the same predictable textures and colors year after year, and that’s not what makes a home stand out.
The best homes are built around contrast, and this season I’m leaning all the way into one of my favorite juxtapositions: cozy meets brutalist. It’s a balance of soft and strong, familiar and daring. And when it’s done right, it transforms a space from “styled” to curated.
The Beauty of Contrast
Contrast in design is about balance: pushing one element just enough that the other feels amplified. Brutalist design on its own can feel cold, heavy, or intimidating. Cozy elements alone can sometimes feel too safe or expected. But bring them together, and you get the sweet spot: a space that feels lived-in and loved while still making a strong design statement. For example, a raw concrete side table might sound like something destined for an art gallery, but put it next to a deep, down-filled sofa wrapped in buttery leather, and suddenly the space feels both elevated and approachable. That’s the energy I want to share with you this season.
My Handpicked Fall Finds
This fall, I’ve handpicked five standout pieces that embody this tension perfectly. They’re bold, sculptural, and rare; items you won’t find in big-box stores. Each of them tells a story, and together they create a layered synergy that feels distinctly fall.
Pick #1: Sculptural Black Brutalist Chair
Let’s start strong… literally. With its exaggerated conical legs, angled arms, and charred black finish, it’s unapologetically bold. On its own, it’s a sculptural statement… a conversation starter that commands attention.
But here’s where the cozy balance comes in: style it with a heavy wool throw, place it on a warm rug, and suddenly its sharp geometry is softened without losing its edge. I often use chairs like this as punctuation marks in a room. They ground the space, reminding everything else to fall in line. This one is a rare gem, the kind of piece that instantly elevates your home into something gallery-worthy while still being livable.
Pick #2: Cipullo: Making Jewelry Modern
I’m a firm believer that every great interior needs books—beautiful books! They’re tactile, personal, and instantly humanize a space. But more importantly, they can act as design objects in their own right.
Cipullo: Making Jewelry Modern is one of my fall must-haves. Its metallic gold cover, featuring Aldo Cipullo’s iconic nail bracelet, brings a polished, modern edge into the home. Style it on a coffee table, layer it beneath a lamp, or prop it upright on a shelf where it can catch the light. It always feels intentional.
The beauty here is in the duality: the comfort of curling up with a book on a cool night, combined with the unapologetic glamour of Cipullo’s designs. It’s luxe, it’s intellectual, and it’s exactly the kind of layering that makes a home feel lived-in but elevated.
Pick #3: Sculptural White Ceramic Table Lamp
If fall is about anything, it’s atmosphere. And atmosphere begins with lighting. This lamp is my perfect example of cozy/brutalist balance. It’s functional, but it’s also art.
The base is a sculptural ceramic with a basket-like texture that reads bold and architectural, yet the white finish and oversized shade keep it airy and approachable. By day, it’s an eye-catching object that adds depth to your vignette. By night, it transforms the mood of the room, diffusing light into a warm, golden cocoon.
Lighting like this proves that function doesn’t have to come at the expense of form. I recommend styling it alongside darker, moodier materials, like the hexagonal side table below, for a contrast that makes each piece sing.
Pick #4: Dark Hexagonal Wood Side Table
Every room needs a grounding element, and this table is just that. Its hexagonal silhouette feels geometric and modern, while the rich dark finish brings weight and stability.
It’s not a flashy piece, but it doesn’t need to be. This table is quiet power. It balances the room, offering practicality while anchoring the more sculptural items around it. Used as a nightstand, a side table, or clustered as a coffee table, it has a chameleon-like quality that adapts without ever fading into the background.
This is what I call a designer’s “secret weapon” piece: versatile enough to work in multiple ways, but still unexpected enough that it never feels ordinary.
Pick #5: Draped Fabric Chandelier
No list of fall essentials would be complete without lighting that makes a statement, and this chandelier might be my favorite piece of the season.
Its oversized, draped fabric shade is soft and cloud-like, diffusing light into the most inviting glow. But don’t mistake its softness for fragility… its scale and bold form bring real presence. It commands a room, creating that daring tension between airy texture and sculptural shape.
Hang it over a dining table for intimate fall dinners, or place it in a living room where it can soften the sharp edges of more brutalist elements. Either way, it’s more than illumination, it’s atmosphere. It changes the way the room feels, which is the ultimate goal of design.
The Power of Synergy
Individually, each of these pieces is striking. But together, they create a dialogue, a synergy that defines this season’s design mood. The Brutalist Chair and Hexagonal Side Table provide grounding, architectural weight. The Ceramic Lamp and Draped Chandelier bring sculptural coziness and light. And the Cipullo book acts as a luxe connective detail, layering the space with story and soul.
This is how you design a home that feels truly curated: by embracing contrast and letting cozy and brutalist elements play off one another. It’s not about filling your home with more; it’s about choosing better.
The Insider’s Edit
Here’s the truth: these five are only a fraction of my picks for this season. Behind the scenes, I’m curating an entire edit of pieces, rare finds, designer favorites, and under-the-radar items that most people will never have access to. And thanks to my trade relationships, I’m able to connect you directly to these incredible design items.
✨ Want to see the full list? Sign up for my Insider Mailing List below. Every season, I share my personal edit of must-see items, styling tips, and direct links to shop, straight from a designer’s desk to your inbox.
Because your home deserves more than just seasonal swaps. It deserves to feel intentional, layered, and elevated, every single season.
