Give your potted plants some legs to stand on. Resting them on old wooden stools adds a unique touch to a floral arrangement. Yellow and orange flowers are the perfect look for fall. Photo courtesy of savvysouthernstyle.net

Avoid the ick with this trick. Instead of carving your pumpkins, paint them. Use neutral colors and the family’s initial for a look that lasts long past Halloween. Photo by Leigh Anne Butler

When you’re using a harvest theme for your porch decor, corn stalks give an authentic touch. Complete the look with a wreath made of dried corn on the front door. Adjacent stackable pumpkins add a pop of autumn color to offset the beige. Photo courtesy of betweennapsontheporch.net

Looking for a new concept for your fall wreath? Try pinecones, painted or unpainted, hung by a decorative string. It’s simple, cheap, and unique! Photo courtesy of thenewwittys. blogspot.com

Never underestimate the power of a strategically placed hook. Keep kids’ stuff off the floor with a series of hooks mounted right by the door so they don’t miss it when they come home from school. A raised shelf is perfect for extra storage or festive tchotchkes. Photo courtesy of downrightsimple.blogspot.com

Bins don’t just have to be for basement storage. Put a wicker bin by the entryway for easy storage that even the youngest family members can manage. It still adds a chic accent to the room. An entryway table provides a solid surface to throw your keys when you first walk through the door. Photo by Katie Alberter/Little House of Four Blog

When you greet guests with “come on in, take your shoes off,” wouldn’t it be great to actually have a place where they can put them? Or even better, a place for them to sit while they do it? A bench in the entryway is a perfect place to take off shoes, and a shelf underneath makes for great out-of-sight, out-of-mind storage. Photo courtesy of theschmidthome.net

No one likes to see clutter. Keep your stuff hidden and organized with a cabinet that blends into the wall. Everything is within reach but out of sight. Washington Post photo by Katherine Frey