As the seasons swing around, so too do the seasonal colour palettes. Think icy whites and berry reds for Winter. Soft floral pastels in Spring and beachy shades for Summer. And of course Autumn brings us the greens and oranges of the spectacular show put on by the trees at this time of year. All nature inspired, you’ll notice. And just like the seasons themselves, everyone relates to colour palettes differently. Finding themselves drawn to a particular seasonal palette not only for it’s aesthetic but for what it represents. This is seasonal colour psychology.

What is colour psychology all about?

Put simply, colour psychology is all about how we, as individuals, connect with colour. How it influences us without us even realising. How colour enables self expression and connects us to our emotions. As Karen Haller puts it in her 2019 book The Little Book of Colour:

“[Colour] is woven into our emotions and influences how we think and how we behave. If we were to switch off colour, we would switch off our feelings”

Understanding colour the psychology of how it interacts with our brains, allows us to harness its power in many ways. Practically we use it as a tool to streamline communication. On a deeper level we can use it to evoke emotions and in turn influence our wellbeing. Interior design is just one of many industries where colour psychology is woven into the practice.

Here at Hygge and Cwtch, we talk often about how connecting with ourselves and our homes is really the only way to truly feel content. In the same way that our feelings are all truly unique to us, our interpretation of colour and its meaning to us is also completely individual. So using colour in our homes which resonates with a homeowner and aligns to their personal needs is a powerful tool in driving those connections to ourselves and to our homes, therefore improving wellbeing and happiness at home.

Where do the seasons come in to it?

It’s fair to suggest that every individual has a preference for a particular time of year. Each season comes with a set of feelings which as humans, we have an innate understanding of. And just like colour, some seasons we have a personal affinity with more than others.

A colour psychology theory, developed by psychologist Angela Wright, categorises our unique personalities and preferences into four types which are, you guessed it… Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. It’s often the case that we relate heavily to one particular ‘season’ but have secondary seasons which we are drawn towards. Just like our personalities, it’s more nuanced than just putting ourselves in one seasonal box.

These personality types are aligned to a set of colour palettes most associated with the season, and therefore we’re able to begin aligning interior design to that individual’s personality.

Remember, we all perceive colour differently and have a unique set of needs for our homes, so this is a starting point for blending personality with design.

So, let’s take a look at each season and how the personalities and colour palette align…

Spring

We associate Spring with new life, energy, hope and warmth after a long cold Winter. People with a Spring personality often love being connected to nature, throwing open the doors to the garden and embracing the more sociable side of the longer days and brighter weather.

Designing for a Spring personality usually involves maximising natural light and a sense of space. Enhancing indoor-outdoor connections and creating social spaces with a light, bright and airy vibe. It’s a transition season so there’s still a softness to the Spring personality. Consider offering the ability to retreat, to take things a step at a time with a fresh, hopeful energy.

A Spring colour palette is usually playful and fresh with a sunny warmth. Soft pinks and whites, fresh greens and yellows. 

Summer

The typical Summer personality reflects the heat and stillness of the weather on a perfect Summer’s day. Often reserved characters, a Summer personality is associated with elegance and calm. Drawn to the ocean or to the countryside, they’re all about finding their joyful place, enjoying the warmth of the sun and connecting over slow sunsets and balmy nights.

The colour palette of Summer is more dusky and muted than you may expect. Hazy shades, vibrant yet sun bleached and a faded contrast of dark and light. Corals, pinks, blues and greens, but never heavy, always relaxed and understated. 

Autumn

A change of pace for Autumn as our hunter gatherer instinct kicks in ahead of the winter months. Autumn personalities are do-ers. Driven and motivated with a reflective and determined nature and a fiery energy to match bonfire night itself. According to the Wright theory, Autumn personalities feel strongly connected to nature and have a deep empathy and concern for its preservation. 

The Autumn colour palette is reflective of this energy. As Fiona Humberstone describes in her book How to Style Your Brand, “of all the seasons, Autumn has the widest gamut of colours”. Think burning shades of red and gold, earthy greens and browns of nature. It’s an intense palette paired with natural materials and warmth of character, weighted like a cosy blanket on a crisp day. Interiors speak to Autumn personalities when they are timeless and sustainable with the focus on feeling cosy and grounded. So very hygge.

Winter

You only have to think about the visual landscape on a cold Winter’s day to conjure up an image of a Winter personality. Nature in Winter can be brutal and unforgiving. While we’d never attach these exact qualities to a person, a Winter personality can be described as straight forward, no-nonsense. They possess a sharpness and a clarity which enables them to live as boldly as they please, without questions or doubt.

Aesthetically this translates to minimalism, statement pieces and stark contrast in colour. Hard surfaces and striking design paired with cut glass icy whites, intense blacks, reds and blues. The Winter palette, like the people it personifies, is bold, to the point and makes no concessions. Full of cool undertones, it’s the only palette which includes pure white and black. It’s as no-nonsense as you can get.

Which season are you (and can you guess which one I am?)…

After reading about the seasonal personalities and colour palettes, do any of them resonate with you? Does the personality described align to your preferred colour palette?

It could be the key to unlocking some interior design sticking points. Rooms that have never felt quite right may have colours from different seasonal palettes, jarring instead of blending. Or they evoke all the wrong emotions for the room you’re in. Perhaps a room has felt wrong to you all along and now you realise the design doesn’t fit your personality type.

For me, I’m without a doubt an Autumn girl. I use those classic hygge colours throughout my home and they very much speak to my personality, my love of the season and that desire to prepare for Winter, whilst hunkering down in the cosiness of my Autumn-inspired home. My secondary season would be Spring. I see a lot of myself in the description of the season and am drawn towards the delicate, playful colour palettes.

If you’d like to learn more about how colour theory can help to transform your home and how you feel in it, drop us a line and let’s have a chat.