As the nights draw in and interiors turn towards warmth and depth, Lara Clarke, Founder of Lara Clarke Interiors, shares the trends shaping her projects this Winter. From confident pattern layering to characterful lighting, from hardworking boot rooms to bold artwork, and not forgetting wow-worthy kid's bedrooms. Here is Lara's take on the details making the biggest difference this season, along with advice to bring each one home.
Confident pattern layering
This season, clients are moving away from safe, single-pattern schemes and leaning into richer, layered looks instead. It's a trend that rewards confidence over caution.
All images © Lara Clarke Interiors
"Most people stop at one pattern because they're scared of getting it wrong," says Lara. "This autumn, I'm encouraging clients to be braver. The trick is to start with one dominant pattern, whether that's a statement wallpaper or a rich, textured fabric on a sofa or armchair, rather than introducing several bold patterns at once. Once that piece is doing the heavy lifting, balance it with plain but textured fabrics elsewhere, and add interest through details like a contrast trim. Scale matters just as much as the pattern itself, pairing a large-scale print with smaller-scale patterned cushions lets the eye move comfortably around a room rather than feeling overwhelmed. Once you understand that principle, pattern stops feeling risky and becomes one of the easiest ways to bring warmth and personality into a room for the colder months."
Lighting with character
With daylight hours shrinking, lighting becomes one of the hardest-working elements in a scheme, and it's an easy way to add warmth without a big renovation.
"A patterned lampshade is one of the easiest ways to add personality and warmth to a room, which is exactly what we're after as the evenings draw in," says Lara. "There are a few things worth getting right first. Size is the first rule, as a guide the height of the shade should roughly match the height of the lamp base. Fit matters too: too low and it looks squashed, too high and you'll see the bulb, so check how it sits on the carrier before committing. Once the proportions work, it's a brilliant place to introduce colour and pattern for the season, playing with a bold, large scale or something more delicate depending on the room. If you're sourcing your own, I'd point you towards OKA, Pooky and Penny Morrison, and it's always worth checking your local interior shops too."
Harder-working boot rooms
As muddy boots and heavy coats become part of daily life again, the boot room is one of the spaces clients ask to prioritise most this season.
"If your boot room is always messy, it's probably a design problem, not a family problem, and it only gets more obvious once the weather turns," says Lara. "When we plan one, we think specifically about where everything is going to go, right down to whether there's enough height for the wellies. Can your children reach into the cupboard and hook their own coat up? If not, bring those hooks down to a lower level. We plan all of this through bespoke joinery, so there's a proper home for school bags, sports kit and wet weather gear, and even a plug for the hoover. It's these small details that make the biggest difference to how a space actually works through the colder months."
Going bold with artwork
Artwork is one of the quickest ways to inject personality into a scheme, and this season clients are choosing bolder, more characterful pieces rather than playing it safe.
"Art is one of the easiest ways to bring warmth and personality into a room," says Lara. "This autumn, we're moving away from safe, neutral prints towards bolder choices, whether that's a richly coloured abstract piece or a traditional oil painting in an unexpected setting. Placing something classic in a more contemporary room creates a lovely contrast that feels curated rather than matchy. I always encourage clients to use art to tie a scheme together, echoing a colour from the cushions or curtains works beautifully, and it's a brilliant way to make a considered room feel finished. Don't be afraid to mix old and new either, a vintage find hung alongside something more current adds real depth and character to a space."
Wow-worthy children’s bedrooms
With children spending more time in their rooms as the weather turns, getting the layout and storage right matters more than ever this season.
"If your kid's bedroom feels too small, you don't need a bigger bedroom, you need a better layout, and that matters even more once they're spending more time in there through autumn and winter," says Lara. "The biggest wins come from making the floor plan work harder, not from adding square footage. Built-in storage is where we start; wardrobes and shelving that run floor to ceiling make far better use of the walls than a freestanding chest of drawers, while keeping the floor clear. Furniture that grows with a child is worth investing in too, think a bed with storage built underneath, or a desk that adjusts as they get taller for homework season. If the ceiling allows, a raised bed frees up the whole floor beneath for a reading nook, and completely changes how the room feels."
