Colours For The Winter Season

When the days shorten and the light turns thin and grey, our homes have to work harder. Winter is the season we spend most time indoors, making it the perfect opportunity to rethink colours and fabrics. The right palette doesn’t just look seasonal, it changes how a room feels. Here’s how to build a winter scheme that’s cosy and characterful, as well as timeless.

Start With The Mood

Winter palettes tend to fall into three moods, and it helps to decide which one you’re drawn to before you pick up a single swatch.

Cosy and enveloping:

Think deep, saturated colours that wrap around you: forest green, burgundy, aubergine, dark navy and chocolate brown. These shades absorb light, making a room feel intimate and secluded from the outside world.

Frosted and serene:

Icy blues, silvery greys, soft whites and pale sage capture the crisp stillness of a frosty morning. This scheme feels calm and airy, and works especially well in rooms that get a good amount of natural light. 

Warm and earthy:

Terracotta, ochre, caramel, rust and oatmeal bring the warmth of a log fire and the colours of a winter woodland. They’re forgiving, welcoming and extremely layerable. 

If you are looking to upholstery a sofa, armchair or headboard, winter is a wonderful excuse to go bold. Jewel tones look especially good in fabrics with a bit of depth:

Emerald or bottle green velvets are a timeless choice. The pile catches the lamplight and the colour deepens beautifully in the evening.

Burgundy and oxblood in velvet or soft faux leather, feel traditional without being stuffy, and pair well with brass or antique gold accents. 

Deep teal and petrol blue sit somewhere between green and blue, giving a modern twist on classic winter richness. 

Plum and aubergine are rich and slightly unexpected, making them a great choice for against warm neutral walls. 

If a full sofa feels like too much of a commitment, try a single armchair or ottoman in a jewel tone and let it be the star of the room. 

Texture Is Half Of The Colour Story

In winter, texture does as much work as colour, if not more. The same shade can look flat in a cotton and utterly luxurious in a heavier weave. When choosing upholstery fabrics look for fabrics like velvet, faux fur, boucle, wool blends and chenille. Velvet adds depth and sophistication to a space whilst wool blends are made to add comfortable durability. A good rule of thumb is to mix at least three different textures in a room. A velvet sofa, a chunky knit throw and faux fur cushions in similar tones will feel far richer than three items in the same smooth fabrics.

Warm Neutrals

Not everyone wants to commit to dark, dramatic shades, and that’s perfectly fine. A winter neutral scheme works beautifully as long as you favour warm neutral over stark ones. Swap bright white for cream, ivory or warm stone. Choose taupe, mushroom, oatmeal and soft camel over cool grey. Then add interest with texture, such as wide ribbed corduroy or boucle. 

If you like changing your interiors with each season, a neutral base gives you a cohesive foundation to build from with handmade cushions and throws without having to fully redecorate. 

Using Accent Colours With Confidence

Every winter scheme benefits from a couple of well placed accents. Here are some of our favourites:

Forest green paired with copper for a classic, country house feel.

Navy and mustard for contrast with a hint of retro charm.

Charcoal and blush pink for a softer contemporary twist.

Cream and burnt orange for a warm, autumn into winter transition.

Icy blue and silver for a sparkling, frosted look.

Consider Lighting

Winter light is cooler and weaker, so test your fabric samples at different times of day, as well as under lamplight. Warm toned lighting will enrich reds, browns and golds whilst cooler tones can make deep blues and green look flat. Layer your lighting with table lamps, candles and wall lights, rather than relating on one main light. This will allow your velvets and metallics to do what they do best: catch the glow. 

The best winter colour scheme is one that makes you want to come home. Whether that means a moody, jewel toned snug, a frosted serene living room or a warm and earthy retreat. Let your colours and upholstery fabrics work together to make your dream sanctuary.