Fall in love with these autumn/winter interior trends

Summer may be over, but as the leaves fall and the nights turn cooler, there are plenty of rich autumnal colours to inspire your décor at home. Out with the pastels and in with the rich festive tones, dressing your home for this time of year is a firm favourite for interior design enthusiasts.

We’ve spoken to Karen Wootton from The Design House in Aberdeen for her top tips on how to bring those outdoor colours into your home, creating a warm, cosy atmosphere, ideal for those movie nights with the fire on. Karen recently designed the interiors of Bancon Homes’ newest show home at its woodland Lochside of Leys development in Banchory, where the latest textures, colours and stylish furniture can be seen in the four-bedroom Knockburn house style.

Go Green

The colour green will be your best friend this season. 2019 has seen an influx of this colour used across all rooms, with a tone to suit each feel.

Using vibrant or lighter shades of green creates a bright, airy and fresh feel for a kitchen or dining space, while deeper shades add mood and ambiance to a living room or bedroom.

Inside the Knockburn, the open plan kitchen-diner boasts an impressive olive-green leather feature wall, adding warmth and sophistication but keeping the room bright and welcoming.

The olive-green tones continue to the utility room, bringing the outside in and creating a natural transition leading out to the back garden.

Along with olive and sage, shades of khaki, emerald and forest green are undeniably timeless and versatile for sophisticated interiors, offering a calm and restful base.

Karen’s style tip:  Although shades of green work with most colour options, they especially

compliment nude and blush tones, creating a relaxing vibe. For a pop of colour, opt for a bolder contrast colour such as magenta.

Statement trends

Many people think that the only way to properly add a theme to your room or to follow a trend is with accessories, but it’s actually possible with key pieces of furniture, says Karen. Sometimes it may be an ornate armchair which acts as the room’s main focal point, or it could be an abstract coffee table.

In the Knockburn, Karen has used oversized bedside cabinets in the master bedroom which compliments and balances out the high headboard, adding width to the room and creating the illusion of even more space, a key factor in modern living. This style of cabinet is also useful for extra storage – a win-win all round!

Additionally, florals are making a huge comeback, especially in the form of wallpaper, fabrics or cushions.

In the master bedroom, Karen has used a beautiful floral panel on silk effect wallpaper to work above the oversized headboard, giving a soft feminine touch to the mocha colour scheme.

Karen’s style tip: The benefit of florals is the ability to choose how ‘statement’ you want to go. With patterns varying from sparse and delicate that are maybe similar tones and colours, to the busy, intricate style which use contrasting colours, likely to be seen as a feature aspect. There’s a floral pattern to suit all personalities.

Layering texture

Over the years, fashion has adapted to the climate and that’s where layering comes in. It’s a stylish way of keeping warm and looking put together. In many aspects this is similar for interior design, especially for a cohesive theme.

Just like with clothing, this season has various materials which are hot on trend, including the likes of leather and velvet.

Learning to use a combination of these fabrics allows us to build a comfortable environment. As seen in the Knockburn show home, Karen has layered soft white linen curtains next to the olive leather wallpaper in the dining room, softening the leather while retaining the style. 

Karen’s style tip: Contrast! Mix different textures of fabrics as this builds up ambiance and depth to a room.

Quality over quantity

Many of us love that designer look for less, but sometimes it’s important to invest in key pieces that really do last you a lifetime. Karen’s advice is to think of the pieces in your home which you use most throughout your day. The quality of fabric and texture is important here, as it will impact how you relax and unwind.

In particular, sofas and carpets are a strong example of quality pieces that it pays to invest in to create that long lasting timeless look.

Karen’s style tip: Spend money on good quality, staple items - the things you use every day, all year round such as furniture and flooring. Accessories can be altered and replaced much more cost effectively. 

• For more inspiration, visit the show home at Lochside of Leys, Burn O’Bennie Road, Banchory, from 10am to 5pm, Thursday to Monday. To find out more, please call 01330 825487 or 07918 677891 or email lochsideofleys@bancon.co.uk