As Summer Softens, Preparing Our Homes for the Season Ahead
There is always a moment towards the end of summer when I notice the subtle changes.
The mornings feel a little cooler, the light begins to soften and the evenings slowly become shorter. The garden is still full of colour and we continue to make the most of being outside, but there is a gentle shift in the air.
Perhaps it is because I spend so much time in my garden, I find these changes fascinating. Nature never changes overnight, more a gradual move as colours deepen, textures change and the light softens. Almost like the eclipse we experienced, slowly changing our homes, I think, can do exactly the same.
As September approaches, I often find myself looking at interiors with a slightly different eye. After months of open doors, bare feet, long days of hot sunshine, crisp fresh linens and outdoor living, we naturally begin to crave a little more warmth and comfort, with subtle adjustments that reflect the season ahead.
A Gentle Shift Indoors
Summer encourages us outside, but as the evenings draw in, our homes begin to call us back.
The sofa becomes more inviting, lamps are switched on earlier and we start to notice the comfort of a beautiful rug beneath our feet. Windows may still be open during the day, but in the evenings a little more softness and warmth begins to wind its way in.
A few subtle changes can make all the difference. My thought is that a well considered interior evolves naturally throughout the year. The foundations remain, whilst smaller details change with the seasons.
A beautiful linen cushion can sit alongside a heavier woven throw, a pale summer palette can be warmed with deeper tones, and beautiful cut flowers from the garden can gradually give way to branches and foliage, creating a new sense within the interior.
It is about layering rather than replacing.
I love the idea that a room can slowly evolve around us, almost without us noticing, where the character remains but the feeling gently changes as the seasons do.
Letting Colour Evolve
Colour is one of the simplest ways to acknowledge the changing season.
During summer, I am naturally drawn towards softer greens, warm whites, sandy neutrals and pink tones, gentle neutrals and colours that reflect the landscape around us. As the light changes, these shades can take on an entirely different character, becoming more golden and considered.
There is something particularly beautiful about the warmer, more earthy tones that begin to appear as summer moves towards autumn. Burnished greens, warm ochres, soft terracotta, muted pinks and deeper natural shades can bring a wonderful sense of depth to a room.
I love the idea of gently drip feeding autumnal colours into our interiors rather than making a sudden change. I will be seeing the new ideas next month at the Design Centre, it will be exciting to reveal those!
Perhaps through a beautiful piece of fabric, a cushion, a lampshade, a piece of artwork or even a collection of seasonal flowers.
Sometimes one carefully chosen colour is enough to change the feeling of a room.
Photos Paolo Moschino
The Changing Light
The bright, high light of summer gives rooms a fresh and airy quality. As the season changes, the light becomes lower and warmer, and suddenly we notice different aspects of our interiors. This is when lighting becomes particularly important.
Light enhances so many elements of our homes and plays such an important role in how we experience each space. A carefully designed lighting scheme is so important to a space, I love creating layers of light through table lamps, floor lamps, wall lights and carefully positioned accent lighting.
As evenings become longer, these little pools of light create warmth and atmosphere, allowing us to use our rooms differently.
It is often something that clients notice immediately once it has been changed. The room has not necessarily been transformed, but the way it feels certainly has.
Bringing the Garden Indoors
My love of gardens naturally influences the way I approach interiors, and I find that this connection becomes even more apparent as summer begins to soften. Throughout the warmer months, we bring the garden into our homes through flowers, foliage, natural textures and views through open doors and windows.
As the season changes, that relationship does not need to disappear.
A beautiful branch gathered from the garden, a collection of seed heads, dried flowers or foliage can create an entirely different feeling indoors. The changing landscape outside can become part of the story of the room.
For me, this is one of the joys of designing with nature as an influence. It creates an interior that feels connected to its surroundings rather than separate from them.
The garden does not stop being an inspiration simply because we begin to spend more time indoors.
Looking at Our Homes Differently
As summer softens, it is also a wonderful time to pause and consider how our homes have worked for us over these past few months.
Perhaps you have discovered that everyone gravitates towards the kitchen. Perhaps the dining table has become the heart of the house, or you have realised just how much you enjoy entertaining outdoors.
Each area of a room becomes more significant and an element to be considered. A corner of the room, a seating area, a console table or even the way a piece of furniture sits within a space can tell us something about how we actually live.
These observations are incredibly useful.
The way we use our homes changes throughout the year, and paying attention to those changes can reveal what is working and what could be improved.
As an interior designer, I am always looking beyond how a room appears and considering how it actually feels and functions for the people living within it.
A beautiful home should support real life.
Photos Paolo Moschino
Making Space for the Season Ahead
There is something lovely about September being a month of transition.
It is not quite autumn, and we are not quite ready to let go of summer. We can still enjoy the garden and make the most of warm afternoons, whilst beginning to look forward to evenings spent indoors.
I think our homes can reflect that feeling too.
Simply begin to introduce a little more texture, a little more warmth and a little more depth.
A beautifully folded throw over a chair, a new arrangement of flowers, a softly glowing lamp, a wonderful textural cushion fabric or a precious piece of art moved to a new position.
Small changes can have a surprisingly big effect.
Simply editing and rearranging what we already have can make a room feel completely different. Moving a chair closer to a lamp, changing the arrangement of a console or bringing a much loved object into view can give a space a renewed sense of purpose.
It is not always about buying something new. Sometimes it is about seeing what we already have with fresh eyes.
Designing for the Way We Live
This is ultimately what good interior design is about for me.
It is about creating a home that looks comfortable, feels inviting and has an understated elegance, with a sense of connectivity between each element in the room. A thread that runs seamlessly throughout, whilst still allowing each individual piece to have its own place and personality.
It is about establishing a space that can evolve with the people who live in it.
A home can welcome summer with open doors and outdoor living, with a gentle transition into the cooler months bringing warmth, comfort and atmosphere.
The best interiors have enough flexibility to accommodate these changes whilst retaining the character and personality of the people who call them home.
For now, I am still making the most of summer and we certainly have had a fabulous one, although slightly hot some days!
Somehow though, I am beginning to think about the warmth, texture and colour that will make our homes feel just as inviting when the doors are closed and we return indoors.
Perhaps that is the real beauty of a well designed home.
It changes with us, without ever losing its sense of who we are.
Are you looking at your home a little differently this summer and noticing spaces that could work harder, feel more connected, more considered, simply feel more like you? I would love to hear from you.
Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes, a little considered thought and design talent provides that moment to see your home in a new way.
Susie
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Based in Tunbridge Wells and working across Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London.
Email us at susie@creightondesigns.com