Style extends beyond the wardrobe. Our homes reflect our individual tastes, and often reflect the key trends of the season too.
In many respects, fashion and home interiors are very similar. There is certainly a psychology behind the clothes we wear, with colours, materials, and comfort playing a role in how we feel. Casual clothes can help us become more friendly, personable, and creative, whereas structured uniforms instruct us to be more attentive and focused. In the same sense, home interiors play a vital role in our lives. Wall colours and floor textures are bound to affect our mood.
But while our wardrobes rotate through changing seasons and trends to reflect our personal change throughout the year, it may be a little difficult to achieve the same through our home interiors.
But our homes can still be transformed. Home furnishings can be interchanged and reused in different fashions to serve different purposes. Below, we explore how you can style your home to match different seasons, and create an atmosphere that stands the test of time and lives through various trends.
Accents and accessories
Much in the same vein that capsule wardrobes are increasingly popular, our homes are often designed to be evergreen.
Capsule wardrobes rely on essential garments that maintain popularity regardless of seasonal changes and trends. Jeans, hoodies, and jackets in plain and neutral tones achieve a seamless look that is as stylish now as it was five years ago. Achieving a fresh look begins with accessories. Layered with wardrobe essentials, bags, jewellery, and shoes can be used to specify trends and seasons.
The same can be achieved with our homes, according to Rudolph Diesel, an award-winning interior designer. He said: “In a very simple way, you can turn your home into a capsule home. But it starts with you not getting drawn in when you see something on sale. You need to get your base right and then build on that, allowing you to turn your home into a ‘new home’ whenever you please or when the seasons change without you leaving a negative footprint behind.”
The same can be achieved with our homes. Accents and accessories can be used with more-permanent furnishings to specify the season and the trends you want to follow.
Cushions, throws, candles, and curtains are all furnishings that can be switched out depending on which trend or time of year inspires you.
Consider the motifs that are in trend for the season. A Christmas tree is an obvious symbol that both winter and the holiday season have arrived. But the same principle can be employed for all seasons. Consider the motifs of each season and consider how they can be integrated into your home. Spring blossoms and animal motifs help present the refreshing months of April and May. Cool white linen continues into the Summer before transitioning into bold and warm colours by Autumn.
Rudolph explains that outdoor seasonal colours can help: “Look at nature for inspiration too and see how effortlessly nature combines colours that work. All the different greens and yellows during summer and how that dramatically changes in autumn and winter.”
Materials are as versatile as these motifs in our homes, changing use as well as style. Throws used for warmth in bedrooms during colder months should move into living spaces for comfort and relaxation when it’s warm.
Pillows should also diminish in size during spring and summer to give your interior a stripped back and airy feel.
A home for all seasons
While accents and accessories can be used to transition your home through the seasons, quality home designs are needed on the base level. Quality furnishings and fittings that remain consistent throughout the year help to elevate your other finishing features.
Soft and natural colours are easy to decorate around and are ideally suited for upholstery. To avoid boring tones, matte sofas can be used with flecks of beige, grey, taupe, and cream. This adds texture and interest to your furniture.
Of course, you should aim to use the colours you enjoy in your home and understand what other colours pair well with them.
Rudolph advises: “If you are someone who likes black, you will naturally pair it with whites – chrome rather than gold – and you will not really bring neutrals into the mix. With the black, you can add dark green, which can be your plants and you will naturally have grey thrown into the mix too.
“Before you know it, you are starting to build on your base colours that you (and your partner) are attracted to. If your partner is perhaps more into light colours or perhaps has a slightly eclectic taste in colour then you might want to look at those colours and see how you can bring their taste into the spaces too.”
Surfaces and flooring should also be light and reflect the monochromatic tone that your upholstery shares. This helps your furnishings and home accessories contrast and match your permanent fittings.
New-build homes are strong examples of interiors that are designed with quality fittings and allow homeowners to add hints of their personality and taste to the overall look and feel of a property. Strong and personable home interiors begin with the hardware. In the kitchen, consider which colours and features add personality to your design. Lighting features that brighten up spaces also add to the liveliness of your home, allowing you to appreciate every corner of your living space.
If you were to part exchange your home or view new homes for sale for example, you would be able to choose quality interiors before adding your own finishing touches. After the base of your home’s interior has been designed with quality fittings, your furniture and accessories can be used as layers. Upholstery, mirrors, surfaces, and art can all be used to transform spaces, reflecting your personality.
Find home accessories that can be used interchangeably to reduce their financial and material impact. Rudolph suggests that “Perhaps you can find a two-toned throw which you can turn around as and when you change your look.”
These ideas pin down the essence of purposeful interior design. Homeowners should approach permanent fixtures with a focus on quality and timelessness. Accessories and furnishing can then add extra dimensions to the home.
Ultimately, our homes can be similar to the way we dress and style ourselves. Mirroring, quality and timeless underlayers, combined with seasonal and on-trend accessories, allows us to create looks that stay relevant and stylish throughout the year and beyond – whether it’s our home or wardrobe.