Ways to add autumn warmth

Colour and texture add cosiness as the mercury drops, writes Kirrily Schwarz

There’s a lot to like about Toowoomba in autumn, especially when the leaves change. The days are warm, the nights are cool, and the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows are stunning.

Interior design plays a huge role when it comes to adding warmth into your home at this time of year. There are lots of options available to suit all budgets and cocoon you in cosiness.

A great place to start is with homewares and soft furnishings.

Dominique Koronui, interior designer at Feather and Lawry Design in Toowoomba, says earth tones can make all the difference. She suggests bringing in elements such as wood, stone, rattan, and linen, as well as warming natural scents. Mixing up your textures can also add warmth on a budget –for example, adding chunky knits, woven rugs and baskets, velvet, and wool. Items with heavier material weight will add extra snugness as the weather cools.

The next step is to add a warm glow throughout your house.

“You might not immediately consider the power of changing your lighting,” says Lisa Alward, principal interior designer at Bella Vie Interiors in Brisbane.

“Using warm lighting in your home is a great way to bring in that lovely feeling of hygge. Better yet, it can improve your own mood and create a calming effect to keep your home feeling bright and cheerful.”

Lisa suggests changing all of your lights to warm white bulbs and going for a layered lighting effect to tailor the mood in each space. The easiest way to do this is by adding table and floor lamps with different shades and colours. You can even light some candles.

“They’re so portable and easy to move around so you can get that warm shimmer and intimate ambience anywhere,” she says.

“Light candles before visitors drop by. The gorgeous fragrance of scented candles helps to make your home smell great, too.”

If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can also look at some minor renovations. Current trends include adding some brass fittings –which look incredible in the winter sunshine

Picture:GraficoWallpapers

– to your decor, or thinking outside the box when it comes to graphics, particularly on wallpaper.

Damian Corney is the creative director at Grafico. He’s based in Melbourne, but he has lots of clients in Queensland and has also been featured on The Block.

He says classic patterns are making a big comeback, especially checks, gingham, houndstooth, and stripes.

“These sorts of patterns are really popular and you’ll see them not just in wallpapers, but in textiles and homewares,” Damian says.

“They create a country style that works in a wide range of homes – it’s not just limited to period homes, although it does suit them really well.”

Lot of his clients are wrapping whole rooms in wallpaper, instead of just opting for one or two feature walls. He says in this way, the wallpaper becomes a type of art – since it’s such a feature, you can structure the

Picture: Bella Vie Interiors

From the 11th of April Concept Kitchens & Detail Joinery will be operating from 1 Newington Street, North Toowoomba (just around the corner!)

We are very excited to be moving to larger premises which will feature a brand new showroom just in time to celebrate 21 years in Business.

Brett, Paula and the team wish to thank all their loyal builders and clients for their continued support.

Picture: Grafico Wallpapers whole room around it to ensure you get the full effect.

“Colour-wise, we’re seeing all the subtle sage greens, blush pinks, some steel blues, those are very popular,” he says. “Lots of nude colours are also in demand at the moment.” And finally, don’t forget to bring in some plants. Exposure to nature is associated with lots of positive feelings, such as calmness, creativity, and concentration. Tending to a couple of indoor plants can have huge benefits for your mental health, especially on cold days when all you want to do is sit on the couch with a blanket, some snacks, and a fresh pot of tea.