How Do I Update My Home For Autumn With Colour?

This week we officially turn our attention to the autumn period. For many, it is a time for hunkering down, getting cosy and enjoying comforting food. It’s also a great opportunity for people to assess their homes and make some seasonal switches to their interiors ahead of colder months and darker evenings.

In interior design, there is a delicate dance between tradition and innovation, trends and personal choice. This ensures our homes evolve with us while retaining our personality and reflecting our lifestyle. While this autumn period is awash with new colour and decor trends, don’t be swayed to add them to your space without considering how and why you wish to use them. By introducing popular colours and designs in versatile and flexible ways, you will keep your interiors stylish and fresh for a new season but also allow them to stand the test of time.

What is colour theory?

A great way to help your home evolve and transition is to use colour theory. This is an interior design framework that guides the use and combination of colours to create harmonious spaces which look and feel great.

By first focusing on the mood you want to create and the function of the space, you can select the right dominant hue, which should then be supported with a complementary colour to bring into the scheme and a punchy disruptor to ensure the space is balanced.

I really love how richer colours have been celebrated in recent years. Jewel and inky shades work well to drench a room and bring a sense of joy and emotion to a space, which more muted hues, neutrals or monochromatic schemes can’t achieve.

How To Add Complementary Colour

To make our rooms work year-round, introducing a complementary colour can add a dose of vitality and interest. Adding joy to our interiors is key to ensuring that our homes reflect all elements of our lives throughout the seasons – from the beautiful sunny summer days to brightening the darker times of the year. Dulux’s new colour of the year, True Joy, is perfect for this. It is a vibrant and energising colour and one which is warm and welcoming which makes it suitable for lots of different spaces and styles, from home offices and playrooms to kitchens and hallways, where it adds energy and life to a room.

True Joy complements the rich navy and forest greens which have dominated interiors in the last few years. These pairings, when balanced well, make a space feel a lot more luxurious too. Used as an accent or upholstery on a statement piece of furniture, True Joy can also help to lift a more neutral space. I’ve even used it to brighten up my Downpipe in the kitchen, and it looks striking against an exposed brick wall.

How to work with colour temperature

Colour temperature makes an enormous difference to the mood of a room, warmer palettes on the red, orange and yellow spectrum can really help to bring comfort to your home in the colder months, especially if you have some rooms that do not benefit from a lot of natural daylight.

The kitchen could have the benefit of warm sun throughout the day in summer but if you have used colours in this space which are cool in undertone such as greys, blues and purples, the sudden lack of sun could result in the space feeling cold and unwelcoming. Don’t panic, you do not need to redecorate everything. You could add visual interest and bring in richer or brighter colours into the scheme such as more intense navy and warm golds to upholstery and textiles such as a striking pattern on the kitchen blind.”

While trends open our eyes to new ideas and fresh thinking, designing for the long term and considering how you intend to use your space and home is much more important. Be mindful of this as you are treated to a cacophony of new interior trends.

If you need any help with planning out your space or understanding more on colour theory, do get in touch. You can view our portfolio here.

Anne Marie Cousins

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For further information about AMC Design or Ann Marie Cousins, please visit: www.amcinteriordesign.co.uk