As we transition out of fall and say goodbye to pumpkin spice lattes, turkey dinners and autumn colors, some people find themselves apprehensive and fearing what winter has to bring.
To my delight, and the surprise of many, winter colors are quite invigorating. Winter colors can bring a sense of appreciation and warmth to the season that so many dread.
I know winter can get a bad reputation, and I can appreciate the frustration that people find with the season. The weather, the cold and the darkness can be quite challenging on the mind, body and spirit.
However, I find winter to be a calming time. It’s a perfect time for self-reflection, an appreciation of quiet nature scapes and a chance to prepare yourself for the year to come!
In this article, I will be discussing how embracing winter colors can help you and others discover some pleasant characteristics of winter that you may not have considered before.
A color consultant will not run and hide from the color opportunities the colder seasons present. I hope by embracing winter colors and the design opportunities the season presents, you will enjoy winter more than you thought you could.
Just like other seasons throughout the year, there are more than a select few colors or color palettes to represent the entirety of the winter season in all regions. I will cover some of the most significant winter color palettes to take advantage of.
There’s an ingrained tendency to think of holiday color palettes when talking about winter colors. Yes, this is true – the holiday season is foundational to winter color schemes and color palettes.
Who doesn’t love the classic golds, silvers, reds and greens that comprise the holiday color palettes!? These colors are synonymous with Christmas and Kwanzaa. Add a navy blue to your color palette and you’re tying in the colors of Hanukkah and even New Year’s! Include the right colors and we can effortlessly create nostalgia and warmth in our hearts.
However, these color palettes are fleeting and can only be tastefully incorporated through the celebrations without looking out of date and stale. Use holiday color palettes during the appropriate times, but try to not let them linger longer into the winter.
Close your eyes and picture standing next to a frozen pond in the woods during sunset. Breathe in the cold air and listen to the cracking of the branches. Hear the whispers of field swallows darting in the wind. It’s utterly serene.
You are surrounded by soothing/calming soft sky blues, creamy peach clouds, sparks of light orange from the sunset, and deeper reds and the sun lowers in the sky.
The easy-going winter color palettes find inspiration from nature and the soft calmness that accompanies some of winter’s most peaceful scenes.
These colors not only work in winter but are effective at creating a deep sense of calmness in any room, any time of year. An experienced interior paint consultant will tell you, you can create a calming bedroom design scheme by simply incorporating some of the soothing blues and silver grays that winter provides.
The cooler colors of winter can be paired with richer, more striking colors to create a beautifully dynamic color palette.
Picture a vibrant red cardinal sitting on a soft gray branch while white snowflakes fall in the surrounding woods. The cardinal’s body is a brilliant (and playful) accent color juxtaposed within a calm and neutral environment. This type of scene can be captured in a color palette that incorporates a rich color or colors against the calming neutral hues of winter.
We often look at the winter landscapes and think of them as having less color than other times of the year. In some ways, nature seems colorless in comparison to spring flowers and fall foliage. Truthfully though, the soothing palette of the winter landscape can be wonderfully inspiring. Think of soothing lavender, delicate blue and even winter whites against charcoal grays. These colors can be stunning against a contrasting burgundy or shades of plum. Suddenly these colors are worth waiting all year for!
To add these colors into your home, add sparkling winter lights across your outdoor patio and hang some red berries wreaths to your outdoor entrances. Whether you still have decorations up from the holidays or not, consider decorating with glistening white decorations all winter long. It can be an elegant way to change up your home for the season. Feel free to add a “spark” of contrasting color while working with the calming winter colors surrounding you.
Sure, winter may not be your favorite season, but it doesn’t need to be your enemy. Winter colors are some of the most majestic, soothing and versatile hues a color expert can recommend.
It’s all about creating the right mindset. If you go into the winter months feeling uninspired – chances are that feeling will continue unless you incorporate some passion, optimism and color-inspiration into the colder months.
By embracing the winter colors that surround you and working with them to create a unique color pallet and innovative design choices, winter will be your friend, not your enemy.
To learn more about winter colors, designs and color-inspirations, please reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you. Winter is the coziest time of year. Stay warm and start planning your cold weather decor. It’s time to start collecting the perfect design elements, so your home will sparkle this winter season!
