Warmer Way of Living

After years of cool greys and perfectly polished interiors, our homes are beginning to feel a little more lived-in again

For much of the past decade, grey seemed to find its way into almost every corner of the home. Grey walls, grey kitchens, grey flooring and, inevitably, the enormous grey sofa. It was clean, contemporary and easy to live with, but interiors are gradually heading in a warmer and altogether more characterful direction.

Natural materials are playing a big part in that change. Timber with visible grain, stone, linen, wool and aged metals introduce texture without a room needing to be particularly colourful. Darker woods are appearing again too, after years in which pale oak dominated, while walnut and richer timber finishes can bring an immediate sense of warmth to a space.

Colour is changing with it. Earthy greens, clay, warm neutrals and deeper reds sit comfortably alongside natural materials and work particularly well in the softer light of autumn. Rather than decorating an entire room around the latest fashionable shade, however, the more interesting interiors tend to build colour gradually through furniture, artwork and objects collected over time.

There has also been something of a move away from perfection. Not every piece of furniture needs to match, and an old table with a few marks can often bring more personality to a room than something pristine from a showroom. Antique and vintage pieces are increasingly being mixed with contemporary furniture rather than confined to traditionally styled homes.

Perhaps that is the most welcome change of all. A home doesn’t necessarily need to look as though it has just been finished.

As autumn brings us back indoors, a few imperfections, some natural materials and rooms that actually look lived in can make home feel considerably more inviting.