Text by Bethany Adams
Becca Bertotti credits her love of decorating to her grandmother Ruth, but it wasn’t until she and her husband, John, purchased their home eight years ago and started making it their own that she learned to embrace her current dreamy, neutral style. “We slowly embraced DIY,” Becca says. “I painted our kitchen cabinets, and then that led to taking down cabinets, adding open shelving, building a wood vent, laying laminate flooring . . . One thing kind of snowballed into the next.”
Through the process, her tastes began to change, and anyone who steps foot into her cottage today might be surprised to learn that she once favored reds, golds, and greens. “Over the years, it has evolved into [being] very light, neutral, with subtle pops of color for the season,” Becca says. “And now, I love it because, for me, white is a perfect backdrop for any colors you want to add without it looking sterile or cold.”
Becca’s theory comes to fruition during autumn, which she starts decorating for in August. “Only because fall is my favorite time of year,” she explains. “It’s the time of year when we can start to make our homes feel really cozy.” Her love for throws and pillows grows as the weather cools down, and cable knits, flannels, glowing candles, and crackling fires join her list of must-haves alongside traditional touches like orange pumpkin decorations. “You can never have enough textures during fall,” she says.
But perhaps the most eye-catching details in the home are her vibrant floral displays. Spilling out of baskets, pitchers, and vases alike, the arrangements showcase Becca’s creative spirit and enthusiasm for the season. “The fuller the better when it comes to fall,” she says of her approach to creating them, pointing out a preference for picks and stems in varied heights and diverse palettes.
Other fanciful touches pop up in the form of tea towels, loose seasonal sprigs, and wreaths. “I have peg racks in both the kitchen and our dining room” Becca says, adding that they’re helpful for instilling character and contrast with linens, baskets, and more. “That’s another fun way to add color and texture—especially during fall.”
Her autumn tablescape showcases both rustic charm and timeless elegance, pairing neutral transferware with the glitter of a crystal chandelier overhead. The faux murals that flank an over-the-top arrangement on the buffet shine with creativity, as Becca ordered the peel-and-stick wallpaper from an artist on Etsy and framed the squares with wall trim, adding layers of allure to what would have otherwise been an empty wall.
It’s a tribute to Becca’s ingenuity in design—and to Ruth, who started it all. “She would decorate and redecorate, over and over, well into her nineties,” Becca says. “So, she is my inspiration and the reason that I decorate the way that I do.” From fall and into the rest of the year, it’s a legacy that shines in every room of the Bertottis’ home.
To see more of Becca’s home, visit her on Instagram at @adventuresindecorating1.
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