Upholstery for the Turning Season

As the light softens and the evenings draw in, our homes start asking for something different. The breezy chenilles and crisp cottons that carried us through summer begin to feel a little thin against the first cool mornings, and interiors naturally shift toward warmth, texture, and depth. The fabrics that dress our sofas, chairs, and headboards set the temperature of a room. Here's how to make that transition thoughtfully, season by season.

Embracing an Autumnal Colour Palette

Summer upholstery tends to lean into sky blues, chalky whites, sun-bleached neutrals, and citrus accents that reflect long daylight hours. Autumn calls for the opposite instinct: richness over brightness, depth over freshness.

Think burnt orange, rust, terracotta, and amber, paired with deeper greens like moss, olive, and forest. Warm neutrals: mushroom, taupe, chestnut, and camel, act as a grounding base that lets richer accent tones sing without overwhelming a space. Deep berry shades like variations of reds and purples, are especially effective on statement pieces like an armchair or window seat, where a single saturated fabric can anchor an entire room.

A useful trick: don't discard your summer palette entirely. Instead, deepen it. A dusty sage from July can transition into a mossy olive for October; a soft blush can shift toward a warmer terracotta-pink. This creates continuity in a home's design story rather than an abrupt seasonal reset.

Introducing Warmth and Depth

Colour sets the mood, but fabric choice is what actually makes a room feel warmer. As temperatures drop, texture becomes just as important as tone.

Velvet is the definitive autumn/winter upholstery fabric. Its light-catching pile adds instant richness, and it pairs beautifully with the deep jewel and earth tones of the season. Cotton or linen-backed velvets offer durability without sacrificing that soft, luxurious hand-feel.

Boucle has become a modern staple for good reason, its looped, nubby texture brings tactile warmth and a relaxed, sculptural quality, particularly well suited to curved or rounded furniture silhouettes.

Corduroy is having a resurgence in interiors, offering a more casual, textural alternative to velvet with excellent wear resistance.

When selecting upholstery fabrics for the season, consider not just the colour but the weight and pile, a heavier fabric will instinctively read as "autumn" even before colour comes into play. 

Studio Edition Spotlight

This is where the seasonal story becomes most personal. Studio edition fabrics are a great way to add a touch of personality to your space, while still taking inspiration from the seasons. They offer considered colourways and respond directly to seasonal shifts, rather than simply following them.

We're constantly growing our Studio Edition range, so it's always worth keeping an eye on what we have available and what's coming next, especially as the seasons change and new colourways and designs are introduced.

 

Bringing It Together

The move from summer to autumn/winter upholstery isn't about discarding what came before, it's about deepening it. Warmer, richer colours; heavier, more tactile fabrics; and considered, small-batch studio pieces all work together to make interiors feel ready for the colder months ahead. Whether you're reupholstering a single armchair, wanting new made-to-measure curtains to keep the heat in, or planning a full room refresh, the goal is the same: create a space that feels as warm as the season looks.