I am very excited to tell you that I have recently undertaken a course in Colour Psychology with Bernay Laity, Creative Director of In:Colour.  I can honestly say that, as well as changing the way I approach my design work, my new found knowledge of colour and peoples responses to it has completely changed my life.

The process started when I was a case study for one of Bernay’s Personal Colour Psychology workshops where we established a family of colours that harmonise with my natural colouring (eyes, skin, hair etc).  

Inevitably, this truly liberating experience got me thinking about how I might be able to apply colour psychology to my design work, could I look at peoples responses to colour when putting together a planting design for example.  If someone wanted to feel calm and relaxed, what colours might I use to facilitate this feeling when that particular space is occupied?  I was so fascinated that I approached Bernay about the possibility of doing some colour psychology work with her and she suggested a tailor-made course that would give me the tools to be able to apply colour psychology to my design work.

I spent 2 amazing days with Bernay learning about the power of colour psychology, how each colour has related psychological associations that we interpret and use unconsciously.  How, once we know what each colour represents, we can use colour to consciously have influence on how we, our business and our surroundings make us/the people around us feel. 

We also spent a time looking at the colour personalities (spring, summer, autumn and winter) and this is really where my new found knowledge is going to enhance the way I work with my clients.  The best way to demonstrate this is to take you through each of the seasons – the mood boards I created will give you an idea of the garden elements that will appeal to each colour personality.

Spring

Springtime brings signs of new life.  There is a feeling of excitement and new energy in the air and the colours surrounding us are bright and vibrant.  The spring person is enthusiastic and bubbly, quick witted and always open to new ideas and they love to be with people and having fun.  They like to be outside and free and favour a contemporary style – anything that’s “in vogue” but that has a sense of fun about it.

The Spring colour palette is warm, light and clear: sky blue; leaf green; fresh lilac; clear grey. 

Summer

In summer nature slows down and the colours and textures soften and fade under the summer sun.  It’s time to relax, enjoy holidays and long days.

Summer people have a dreamy, romantic quality. They love good quality and classic design and work calmly with great attention to detail, persevering to get the job done.  They are quietly supportive and will be very sensitive to the needs of others around them.  They prefer flowing lines and graceful soft patterns with an air of quality and materials that appeal to their sensitive side. 

The summer palette is soft, muted and cool. The colours are sophisticated and have a greyish quality: slate blue; dusty rose; soft grey. 

Autumn

Autumn is warm and earthy and nature is alight with reds, ambers and browns.  The leaves are falling and nights are drawing in, time to prepare to snuggle up.

The Autumn people are passionate, strong, warm, friendly and earthy.  They are very interested in others and learning about the world and environment.  They can appear a bit bossy or rebellious, but their natural enthusiasm and organised and practical nature makes them great leaders and campaigners.  They prefer natural materials that are authentic, textured, earthy and comfy.

The Autumn palette is warm and intense: rich reds, forest green, peacock blue; warm browns.

Winter

Winter is the season of withdrawal. The landscape is dramatic, strong and contrasting.  The colours are intense, clear and cool.

Winter people have a powerful stillness and strength and can command authority without saying a word. They are cool and objective and have confidence in their own abilities.  They know what they want, are highly motivated and very ambitious.  Their style is minimalistic, contemporary and glamorous with simplicity and structure.  They appreciate open space and statement pieces and seek light reflective materials such as glass and steel.

The winter palette is dramatic and contrasting: crisp white, ice blue, acid yellow, shocking pink.

I can’t wait to utilise my new skills and apply them to the design process – do get in touch if you would like to know more, I’d love to hear from you!

I have recently returned from a brilliant holiday in Crete where we stayed in the most amazing villa set amongst olive trees with fabulous views down the valley to the sea.  Read more

1.  Sheffield Park Gardens, East Sussex – informal landscape that was originally laid out by Capability Brown in the 18th Century.  Rare trees and shrubs provide stunning colour in Autumn. Read more

Very excitingly, we are finally going out to tender for the construction phase of my leatherhead project (back garden design shown above).  Last week I attended meetings at site with 3 of my preferred landscapers and I thought it would be good to share with you my reasons for choosing them. Read more

Conversely, it is also during these seasons that we remember that there are parts of the garden that really don’t work.  We remember the gaps in the planting and the difficult areas where nothing will grow.  We remember that there’s a rose that is out at the same time as a shrub and they just look hideous next to each other.  We also remember that the terrace is just a bit too small to be able to eat out comfortably and that there’s nowhere to sit in the shade when we do get those mini heat waves.  Read more

Autumn is my favourite time of the year, predominantly because of the warm colours and the rich tones that are all around us.  I automatically think of trees at this time of year because they really come into their own and dominate the landscape.  On a sunny day, you can’t beat the light effect when the sun shines through leaves that have turned a gorgeous Autumn colour.  Read more

AUTUMN – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER/NOVEMBER Read more

I have been very excited about the prospect of showing you the finished garden at Reigate – it looks really fabulous, even if I do say so myself!  Before I reveal the “after” pictures, I thought you might like to see the “before” pictures…. Read more

The average surburban garden is normally separated from its neighbours by the humble timber panel fence and, let’s be honest, it doesn’t really enhance the overall look of the garden does it!?  Of course there are many products on the market that allow you to paint, colour and preserve but from a design point of view, the colour you choose is really important if you are to achieve the right look for your garden. What you choose is up to you, but I thought I would give you a few general tips to help you along the way. Read more

I rarely see my garden in the same light as others, which I think must be an occupational hazard for anyone in a similar profession to me.  Designing for other people is so much easier because you’re not emotionally attached to the space.  When it comes to my garden, I’m always wondering if we’d done something different would it be better! Read more