The Autumn personality for interiors- Colour Psychology
The third post in my series on the Psychology of Colour and the seasonal personalities sees one of my personal favourites, Autumn.
Ah, Autumn- one of the most triumphant times of the year when it comes to watching nature in all its colour splendour! From leaves turning into vibrant fiery russet reds and auburn golds to spotting the toadstools and conkers lying on the ground, autumn is a colour explosion. And after the lazy summer vibe, the energy turns up a notch. It’s the time of year to ready for winter, from stripping back the garden, lighting bonfires, and raking leaves to picking up the last of the windfall apples, like Spring, it’s a busy time.
The energy of Autumn is vibrant, signified by the bonfires and firework parties we host throughout November. Toffee apples, mulled wine and toasting marshmallows is all part of the ritual (and just a few of my favourite things). With that scene in mind the Autumn personality presents these warm and fiery traits but with a strong and grounded sensibility and the colour palette reflects that it is warm, rich and earthy. But aside from the obvious Autumn colour, it also falls into that rich set of jewel tones too- think berry reds, vibrant peacock blue and forest greens. The common thread is the autumn colour palette is intrinsically warm so it follows that it creates cosy and inviting interior spaces, but turn up the saturation, drama and decadence too.
To sit alongside these warm and earthy colours, Autumn personalities have a strong connection to nature, so that includes natural materials like wood, stone, linen and wool through to the motifs found in the great outdoors. William Morris’s designs typify the Autumn interior, with patterns reflecting the flora and fauna combined with that deep and earthy colour palette. Autumn celebrates the imperfections and passionate environmentalists will seek out old vintage pieces and are kings of up-cycling and repurposing. All adding to the character of their home.
Some great autumn Instagram accounts for inspiration @the_idle_hands @banjo.beale @mad_about_the_house @sarahbrowninteriors @manwithahammer @nofeaturewalls @lukeedwardhall
Autumn interiors will always focus around the fireplace, be it a rustic inglenook or wood burner. And books, lots and lots of books. Autumn people really don’t care for trends and are more likely to look to the past for inspiration. They make passionate conservationists and serial fixer-uppers, always looking for treasures at the reclamation yard. All these elements pull together to create an interior which feels rich, warm and inviting. As they don’t follow fashion the spaces will often appear eccentric. The Autumn personality is the natural home of the maximalist as their passionate personality loves to celebrate art, craft and the handmade.
Do you think you might be an Autumn personality or know someone who is? Of the thousands of people I have taught online Colour Psychology for interiors Autumn trends as the top most popular. If you’d like to understand more about your personal style and how colour affects our mood and behaviours then the course is open for enrolment during May. I’ve taken what is a very scientific and complex theory and applied it to my own interior design practice, combining it with all my knowledge of how to make room schemes work. To discover which personality type you and your family are, sign up for the course today and start designing rooms you love to live in! You can find out more here.
I’ll be posting about the Winter personality next, which will complete this series of posts!
Featured image at top of post by Little Greene
