INSPIRATION - AUTUMN TONES
The first chill of an Autumn breeze (gale) together with what I like to call “sideways rain” struck this week. Until now, we’ve been basking in one of those Indian summers where we get complacent and forget to book the chimney sweep or order logs.
“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall” Oscar Wilde
It’s the favourite season of so many designers. You don’t have to think orange if it clashes with your interiors, go more to the hues of soft browns and gold, muddy shades of yellow, pink and green that remind you of wellies and raincoats.
Textures of wood, velvet, wool and warm metallics will complement these colours nicely.
You are unlikely to paint or wallpaper a room to mark the changing season, so keep it simple with throw cushions, woolly blankets and candles. Flying Tiger have a fabulous collection of reasonably priced coloured pillar candles so you won’t feel bad lighting them every day. I like to keep a storage box in the garage marked “Seasons” so that it doesn’t take too much energy to switch out cushion covers and throws, together with a few decorative elements that we have been collecting along the way.
Bed linen is another luxurious and simple way to lift your spirits for Autumn, I like an earthy coloured bed linen for the coming months and keep spare sets with the other Autumn feels in storage containers until October each year.
Linen bed sheets by Jennieritchie.ie
As we moved back to Ireland from a tropical lifestyle, the seasons were the hardest to adapt to. Initially I felt sluggish and sad. The cold took my energy and left me lacklustre and a little lost. The key is to be prepared and relish each part of the year. I look forward to reading more books, trying to knit something and playing more board games with the children.
My favourite way to celebrate, of course, is to have friends for dinner. A nut brown linen tablecloth with copper candlesticks, crispy gathered leaves and wildly patterned napkins to create a proper party feel. It’s time for vodka tonics and red wine with something slow cooked and a great chocolate cake.
Autumnal linen cushion by JennieRitchie.ie