Planning Ahead for Fall: Why Early Design Planning is Key to Successful Installations

As we move into late spring and early summer, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about your fall design goals. Whether you’re in the vacation rental, hospitality, or event venue industry, planning ahead for larger projects is crucial.

The fall season brings a unique set of challenges and opportunities, and to ensure a seamless transition into the cooler months, during the optimal window on your calendar, careful design and installation planning need to start at least a season in advance, or more, depending on the scope of the project.

At Wild Birch Design, we specialize in creating designs that support both immediate needs and long-term visions, setting you up for success through the fall, winter, and beyond.

Planning Ahead Matters

Planning and design for major installations, whether for interior spaces or outdoor landscaping, takes time. Larger projects—like designing winter-friendly mudrooms with gear storage, creating outdoor trails for year-round use, or installing wellness amenities like four season fire pits, saunas, and cold plunge tubs—require careful attention to detail, coordination with contractors, and seasonal considerations. We find that larger design projects often require 3-6 months of lead time to ensure smooth execution.

Designing for Seasonal Transitions

Fall is a transitional season, and it’s important to design spaces that can handle both the warm weather of early fall and the cold temperatures that follow. For example, designing cozy interior library nooks or game rooms that encourage guests to spend time indoors while the weather turns cooler and unpredictable can be planned now.

Anticipating the Winter Needs

For wedding venues, restaurants, and vacation rentals, the addition of fire pits or saunas can turn outdoor spaces into winter havens. These types of installations can take longer to execute because they require more preparation and quality materials. We recommend beginning planning in late spring to allow for enough time for proper installation before the colder months arrive.

Designing for Wedding & Event Venues

As the fall and winter months approach, wedding venues to be prepared to keep guests comfortable in a variety of settings with year-round featers. Cozy indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, like intimate seating areas with ambient lighting or fire features, are essential, and these types of designs often need more time for approval and installation. According to The Wedding Report, with year-round features like heating elements, cozy seating arrangements or dreamy heated glass houses see increased bookings and event success.

Restaurants & Hospitality

For restaurants, this is the time to think about extending your outdoor dining areas into the colder months with thoughtful design upgrades. Installing heaters, adding fire pits, or enclosing patios with retractable screens are projects that need careful planning and a lead time of several months to execute properly.

Are you ready to plan ahead for fall?

At Wild Birch Design, we know that great design takes time. Whether you’re thinking about fall planters, functional mudrooms, outdoor trails, or adding wellness features, we’re here to help you prepare your venue for the months ahead. 

Start your planning today in our Design Lab to ensure your space is ready to welcome guests with comfort and style—no matter the season.

Design Lab with Kate

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