What do you think of when you picture autumn? Halloween and fireworks? Conkers, fallen leaves and the nights drawing in?
Autumn brings a totally different feel with it. The sun sits lower in the sky with a softer glow than during the intense days of summer. The light, the temperature and the entire mood shifts into a mellower gear in autumn.
Autumn’s when you tend to retreat back indoors, which can make you look at your rooms differently. You may want your living room to feel cosier and more inviting. Maybe your bedroom needs a softer shade. It could be time for a warmer look to welcome you home.
These autumn-inspired paint palettes will help you find colours you love beyond this season.
Autumn paint palettes that capture the spirit of the season
Embracing an autumnal colour palette doesn’t mean reaching for the nearest tin of Halloween orange paint. It’s about creating a warm, cosiness in your home. Making your home somewhere you want to retreat to after a muddy walk in the woods, or a dark commute home. After all, the colours of autumn extend beyond orange to shades of red, yellow, brown and green too.
Warm neutrals
As the temperatures drop and the light dims, cool white walls can feel stark and cold. You can keep your stylish neutral colour palette, but opt for warmer tones of white, cream, grey and beige.
Our beautiful, soft beige, Donkey Ride brings a relaxed, welcoming feel to your room. It pairs wonderfully with seasonal accent colours like burnt orange or mocha brown. That accent could be an accent wall or alcove, or simply on soft furnishings like cushions, throws and rugs.
A popular alternative to pure white, the warmer undertones in White Clay make it ideal for the cooler, autumn season.
Another perennial favourite is Straw. It’s a versatile and easy-going warm neutral that works all over the house.
Earthy tones
Inspired by nature, earthy tones make an ideal autumnal colour palette. Picture the varied shades of crunchy, fallen leaves underfoot and seasonal fruits and veg, from apples and pears to squash and sprouts.
What could be more earthy than brown? Think muddy paws after a long walk and the sticks your kids have collected along the way. Seasonal brown colours span deep, chocolate brown to a lighter, golden brown.
Our aptly named Muddy Boots brings very autumnal vibes. It’s a soft, tawny brown that welcomes you home in a reassuring way.
Equally soothing, is the ever popular sage green. Like a walk amongst the trees, this natural green colour encourages you to unwind and breathe that bit deeper. Our comforting soft sage green paint colour, Ragdoll feels like a warm hug.
Then of course, there are the orange shades that are synonymous with the season. Rather than a zesty orange, the autumnal colour palette’s softer and more subdued. Typical shades include burnt orange, terracotta and sienna. Freckle and Flower Pot both bring sun-warmed terracotta tones, whilst Humpty Dumpty is a more earthy ochre. The character of all of these colours is grounded in the natural clay they’re derived from.
Rich, dark colours
If you love the thought of hibernating, you can embrace and reflect the darker days with your paint colour. Create an enveloping, cocooning effect with deep, dark colours. It works wonderfully in a living room where you can curl up with a good book or film. Or perhaps in your bedroom where you want to relax and feel comfy. You could even create a cosy nook, with a dark accent wall and an armchair to sink into.
Sumptuous and luxurious, like a warming cup of hot malt chocolate, Rocky Horse is a reassuring, soft brown. Pair it with a soft pink, like Ballet Shoe, for contrast. Or you could go fully autumnal and team it with a deep red paint, like Lady Bug. Rich red is another autumnal colour that works well in a snug-like lounge or even a dining room to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
You could immerse yourself in a dark, botanical green. Retreat inside to a forest green space that envelops you and makes you feel safe and secure. Create a woodland feel with bold Hobby Wood. For something a little more subdued, but equally restful, try Secret Room or Oliver Twig.
How to choose the right autumn paint colour for your home
There’s a lot to think about when choosing an autumn paint colour. How do you want your space to feel? How do you use that room? What about the light, both natural and artificial?
Your light
In autumn, the light is less intense than in summer. The sun sinks lower in the sky and sets earlier and earlier as the season progresses. Colours with cool undertones can look and feel positively chilly. Rich, deep colours appear particularly dark.
Even south-facing rooms that benefit from sunlight streaming through the windows feel cooler and darker in autumn. North-facing spaces can feel cool and dark on the sunniest of days, so they can feel gloomy and uninviting once summer’s ended.
Light’s a really important factor to consider when picking your paint colour. Try a Sample Pot or Swatch before committing fully. See how it looks at different times of the day and in varying weather. How does it change with and without your lights on, whether it’s lamps, spotlights or even the big, overhead light? That’ll give you a better picture of how the colour will look in your room.
Also, a dead flat matt paint softens and enhances the light in your room. Our Claypaint’s ultra flat matt finish helps to make the most of the light that your room does get.
Your lifestyle
It’s important to think about the practicalities of how you use a space too. Is it a rarely-used room or a busy thoroughfare? A spare bedroom or dining room has much lighter treatment than a bustling hallway, kitchen or family living space.
In autumn in particular, your entrance hall gets a hammering! Picture wet kids and dogs, muddy boots, dripping coats and hats all descending on your hallway. There may even be dirty bikes and scooters added to that mix.
You need something durable, wipeable yet still stylish. Our Lifestyle paint ticks all those boxes. It’s easy-to-clean, long-lasting and tough enough to withstand the demands of busy families.
How to keep autumn colour shades timeless
Updating your home with an autumnal colour palette isn’t about jumping on board a seasonal trend. It’s about making your home feel welcoming and cosy. It’s choosing colours that feel right. It’s creating a warm aesthetic that works for you all year round.
There are certain factors that are particular to autumn. The softer sunlight and longer, darker nights. The changing colours in nature. The drop in temperature. All of those contribute to wanting your home to feel like more of a retreat; more cosy than in summer.
You can embrace autumn colour by completely redecorating a room in seasonal shades or just adding an accent colour. It could be as simple as a subtle shift from cool neutrals to warm neutrals. As ever, it’s important to create the look and feel that works for you and how you live.
Time to cosy up
There’s a definite seasonal mood change as the nights draw in and the temperature drops. Autumn’s much mellower than bright, intense summer or harsh, frozen winter. As such, it‘s a good time to make your home feel warm, welcoming and comforting.
There are plenty of ways to bring autumn’s warmth into your home. You might love the gentle backdrop of a creamy white, the comforting familiarity of a soft brown or the immersive depth of a forest green. Warm neutrals, earthy tones or rich, dark shades are three very different takes on autumn colour palettes. Which look suits you best?
Remember, paint colours change at different times of day or year and in varying levels of light. Try paint samples out alongside your furniture and flooring, in daylight and lamplight.
Whether you paint every wall or add colour to a small corner, choose autumn shades that make you feel happy to be home. They’re the colours you’ll enjoy long after autumn’s passed.
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