What are your top tips for making a room feel warm and inviting during colder UK months?
How can seasonal colours, textures, and materials be used to create a cosy autumn-winter atmosphere?
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.
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.
What types of lighting works best for setting a relaxing, warm mood at home?
Living spaces, especially at this time of year, need at least three levels of lighting; a pendant, spotlights directed at architectural features, art or statement window treatments and table and/or floor lamps.
Your pendant light should be the jewel in the crown – the main light source, while the other lights in the scheme do more of a focused job, ensuring that the room is balanced, warm and welcoming.
Lighting systems like Reiko or Lutron are a great choice to ensure you set the right mood, whether you wish to come home to a cosy atmosphere, or you need brighter lighting in areas for activities such as cooking or reading. If budget doesn’t allow for automation, make sure that your lights operate on different dimmer switches. Dimmers give you flexibility of lighting levels so you can create a warm glow over a piece of art which you want to highlight while keeping a statement pendant on a low light over the coffee table.
What affordable ways can help transition a home for autumn and winter without a complete overhaul?
The lack of light at this time of year can make us feel cold and uninspired. Mirrors and mirrored surfaces will bounce light around and create a warmer glow, especially if we use them as foundation for other light sources, for instance candles on a mirrored tray.
A faux fur throw on a textured sofa will feel much more inviting on a winter’s night than leather seating or other hard surfaces, layering textures will warm up a room and add depth.
If you don’t have the budget for works ahead of winter such as insulating your property or adding underfloor heating, a rug will add a layer of warmth and increase the sense of cohesion and cosiness in a room, particularly if it is made (at least in part) of wool, silk or other natural fibres. Always use a rug pad for extra warmth and staying power, particularly if you’re layering the rug on top of a carpet.
