Skip Jack-o-Lanterns — This “Ralph Lauren” Vintage Trend Is Simply Stunning

A bunch of gorgeous seasonal pumpkins adorning your stoop or countertop will always be fabulous and can be all the decor you need. But there’s a rather inventive way to create seasonal fall decor that one designer is sharing online, and it’s asking you to rethink the way you showcase your favorite gourds. You don’t need to pair them with scarecrows, fall foliage garlands and wreaths, or cornstalks — instead, take an upscale approach and think outside the box.

“These are some of my favorite ways to style pumpkins that a) don’t look basic, and b) don’t look like everyone else’s,” designer Preston Konrad, who also stars in Freeform’s That Thrifting Show, shared in a recent Instagram video. And his ideas are catching on with thousands of DIYers who are leaning into an upscale fall look that you’ll love for years to come.

It all has to do with blue and white, which are represented when you pair pumpkins with classic chinoiserie pottery. Konrad notes that this color combo is “a little unexpected, but so classic,” as blue and white chinoiserie-style pottery — especially anything thrifted or sourced from an antique store — is extremely timeless. “This has an inherently ‘Ralphy’ look to it, but what I like is that it doesn’t feel so Thanksgiving,” he adds. “It kind of feels very Connecticut or Hamptons in early fall.”

Plus, pairing your pumpkins with an existing dishware or vase collection makes your fall decor feel more like you. You’re not putting away your blue and white pieces just because summer is over. Rather, you’re bringing them into the next season — and the pairing of orange and blue (which are complementary colors!) is just so beautiful.

You might think that gold or brass tones would look best with pumpkins and other fall foliage decor. However, Konrad invites you to think differently — and choose silver instead. Again, the contrast of cool and warm tones between time-honored silver or chrome and bright pumpkins provides a bit more visual interest. The visual pairing makes both the orange of the pumpkins and the brightness of the silver stand out.

“I love how [pumpkins] look in a beautiful silver bowl,” he says in his video, noting that styling pumpkins with silver serveware on a sideboard or end table could be a beautiful way to pair the two together. “I think it’s a really nice texture. And you could even layer that with the blue and white moment.”

Konrad also loves the idea of stacking pumpkins in an outdoor urn, as well as using tonal pumpkins to add variety to your front stoop or tabletop. “Pumpkins in urns … is such a fun, country chic way to [style them]. It has a little bit of whimsy to it, but still feels very classic,” he says. “A tonal pumpkin moment … is a really fun way to incorporate pumpkins into a tablescape without it being too Halloween or thematic. You can always mix in a couple of oranges just to make it pop,” he adds.

Make these designer tips your own by using them as a jumping-off point to try something new. “At the end of the day, they’re pumpkins,” Konrad notes at the end of his video. “Don’t take it too seriously and just have fun.”