Dear Jane-Marie,
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 A client asked me the other day if her color scheme we were developing would be good for only one quarter of the year. I thought it was an interesting and valid question since most of us do associate certain colors with certain times of year. Retailers would like you to believe that you should use only pale pinks and greens for spring, hot vibrant pinks or cool blues for summer, oranges and browns for fall and red/green or blue/white for winter. However, I'd like to blow that rigidity out of the water and shake up your world. Color does not have to be seasonal. Read on . . .
Jane-Marie |
How Should The Seasons Affect Our Decorating?
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Rather than using color as a way to define the seasons, consider the list below as alternative ways to incorporate the change in seasons.  - The use of texture in fabric: For cooler months, layer on the faux fur, wool throws, velvet/chenille pillows. For warmer months, switch out to cotton or other light-weight throws (if any), and linen or cotton pillows. If your sofa is velvet, don't slipcover it in the summer - just lighten the weight of the pillows that compliment it.
- The use of texture in foliage: For cooler months, incorporate dried or dead grasses/sticks/sprays of foliage into your existing arrangements. For warmer months, incorporate more live plants and fresh displays into your decor.
- The use of accessories: Think beyond the contrived shells in a bowl for summer (especially if you don't live near an ocean!) and pine cones in a bowl for winter and think about purchasing accessories that have no seasonality to them. It's okay to layer in some seasonal displays but keep these to areas that are easily rotated in and out (i.e., your dining room table centerpiece or coffee table display). Forgo overhauling bookcases or artwork by season.
 
NOTE: In all of these examples, I want your color story to stay relatively the same. Where you can vary your color is in depth and tone.
- Example 1: The client mentioned above was moving toward an olive green, deep blue, putty and ivory color story. Rather than adding red to her decor at holiday time, I suggested staying with the cool tones and using a lime green/dark green/ivory seasonal color story on her tree and other decorations. A hint of a warm tone like a vibrant orange would be very pretty with this and would compliment the deep blues in her decor.
- Example 2: If your color story incorporates red, greens, browns and golds (a very popular color story in the Midwest), you may associate this with fall and feel that your color story will be limiting in the warmer months. However, if you accentuate the fresher colors in the warmer months (i.e., the green) and accentuate the warmer colors in the colder months (i.e., the reds) by using accessories, pillows and foliage, you can keep your existing color story the same while giving it some movement throughout the year.
In the photo above, this room can change easily to fall by adding a deeper olive green and a dark blue to the flower accents, by adding a nubby chenille throw and by changing out some of the blue on white pillows for a deeper color. Flooring, furniture, walls, art and window treatments can stay as is.
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