Winter

Winter conjures up images of barren landscapes covered in white snow and ice flooded by cold, blue light. The winter palette is one of contrasts – vivid deep colours meet ice cool colours joined by intense black and pure white. The winter landscape is simple and streamlined.

Not scared to use strong colour, Winters often love reds but avoid soft pinks. Achromatic colour schemes employing tonal variations of black, white and grey are commonplace, giving clean lines and sharp contrasts. Assertive purples are considered a safe choice for the main colour in a colour scheme, a sharp contrast to other seasons who will use purple sparingly as an accent. Blues run the gamut of ice blues through to blue blacks, cool and delineating and reflect onto the green palette giving a range of strong aquas. Neutrals are blacks, whites and greys for dramatic relief against the stronger feature colours. You won't find warm creams here. Simple colour schemes are favoured – one colour as the canvas and then accents of other strong colours for contrast and drama. Like Winter personalities, the Winter palette is self-assured and intense. Subtle colours are left to the other seasons.

Winter homes are uncluttered with large windows, clean lines, square corners and expanses of shiny surfaces such as mirrors, stainless steel and glass tabletops commonplace. All combine to give a sense of space. The sheen and hi-tech feel of metal or chrome is preferred to the natural warmth of timber. The latest technology is perfectly at home in a winter home, with cutting edge electronic equipment through to sleek lighting and stainless steel kitchen appliances. Furniture is square, solid and high quality. Fabrics are single coloured, more likely to be textured or leather than strongly patterned.

Accessoring is done with care for maximum drama and contrast. A few pieces or art or ornaments will decorate a room as an accent supported by clear strong lighting. Textures are favoured over patterns. The Winter home may feature strong colours and heavy textures, but patterns other than a basic stripe or geometric designs are unlikely to appeal.

Winters tend to be drawn to living in the city – the fast paced life suits them whereas the rustic atmosphere of the country does not. The quick adoption of new technologies means many look to Winters as trendsetters. Confident, innovative, decisive and ambitious – Winters are suited to the business world of quick decisions and objectivity. In their personal lives Winters tend to prefer a small group of close friends rather than large circles of acquaintances. You can rely on a Winter.

Colours to try:

Winter quick check:

• Modern and contemporary.
  
• Hi-tech.
  
• Functional and practical.
  
• Contrasts – icy undertones, black and white with vivid colours.
  
• Uncluttered, spacious, minimal accessorising – a few key modern objects for drama and impact.
  
• Drawn to glass, chrome, stainless steel, mirrors, for both accessories and use in furniture.
  
• Expansive windows, window treatments simple – the window and light are key.
  
• Strong clear directional light.
  
• Prefers textures to patterns.
  
• Square edges, clean lines, patterns if present are often geometric.
  
• Sleek, cool and in control.

Mixed seasons

Living alone you can decorate everything true to your season, but what happens when you live with others who may have completely different colour personalities?

Ever seen a couple trying to redecorate their home and select colours? If they both agree readily on the same colours they will generally share a common colour personality, which means that the combinations that appeal to one will generally appeal to the other. If they both can't agree on anything, chances are they have different colour personalities. If this sounds like your household, don't despair! Accommodating the personalities of different family members is easy when you know how:

• Allocate each family member a favourite room, such as their bedroom, and let them select furnishings and colours for that space that suit their colour personality. That way in at least one part of the house they will feel truly at home in. Bedrooms are an ideal room for this.
  

• To incorporate the seasons of other family members accessorise the room with one item from each family member's dominant season. For example, to appeal to an Autumn personality in a Spring room you might add an ethnic artefact to reinforce their dominant personality.
  

• Colour personalities do overlap. Look for the common ground and use that as the basis for your colour scheme. For example, Springs and Summers both like curved shapes, Springs and Autumns both like warm palettes, creams, ivories and wooden furniture, Springs and Winters like large windows with simple window treatments and cool palettes, Summers and Autumns like mid toned woods and share taste in mellow muted colours, while Autumns and Winters enjoy intense dark colours and opt for textures rather than patterns.