The Mulberry Stevie bags are our latest inspiration for colourful autumn interiors

The beginning of autumn announces itself through a few simple sensory pleasures. The smell of a log fire, a gentle crispness in the air, a cosy pub session with friends – and the sight of blackberries upon the brambles. There is something beautiful about those first berries – hawthorns, elderberries, sloes, and more – hanging heavily from the hedgerows in shades of purple, burgundy and jet black, and set appealingly against the fading greens of summer.

These are the colours of fruit and foliage, jewel and earth, and they seem to suit this time of year particularly well – and not just in nature. At Christopher Kane’s much-anticipated debut for Mulberry at London Fashion Week, the mulberry tree itself was the starting point of the collection, allowing that deep, inky fruit to provide one of the colours of the season in more ways than one.

Therefore, this autumn, my interiors colour scheme won't stop at the usual procession of camel or chocolate, and I'm looking beyond classical sources for interiors inspiration. Specifically, the new collection of Mulberry Stevie bags is offering me a seductive palette for the season. In other words, I'm making the case for letting a handbag dictate your latest interior design decisions.

Like the best interiors, Mulberry has given the Stevie a sense of personality and real life. Shot by New-York-based photographer Stevie Dance, the new campaign follows a cast of Stevies across the city, from a woman who inherited the name through a family bet to the designer who gave the bag hers.

The campaign tells a story of people, places and connections, while the bag itself exudes a duality – with a soft yet structured silhouette, and marrying Mulberry's heritage with a modern touch.

It comes in an array of classic and contemporary shades, including Ebony, Amethyst, Foggy Grey, Black and Royal Amethyst – and these five shades could feel just as at home in an interiors scheme as they do on your shoulder.

So rather than retreating indoors to muted beiges, browns and greys, perhaps this autumn we should embrace the shades that make us feel a little more alive, while providing the deep comfort and gentle warmth we crave at this time of year. Here's how to bring the new Stevie shades home.

Like the Stevie itself, ‘Ebony’ feels timeless but a little more mysterious. Ebony has the richness of black without quite the same severity, conjuring thoughts of polished wood and the glossy surfaces of a drawing room after dark.

Ebony can provide a beautiful grounding shade in a home, especially as the longer autumn nights creep in. The colour is ideal on cabinetry and tables to create depth, not contrast.

My favourite shade in the Stevie collection is ‘Royal Amethyst’ a wonderfully decadent and deep purple. Purple may seem a controversial colour in interiors, but there is something particularly appealing about its more saturated iterations in an autumnal context. In the same way that cobalt and electric blues have the ability to instantly energise a space, this shade can work when used somewhere unexpected.

The trick is not necessarily to paint an entire room in the electric shade – instead, a lacquered side table or velvet chair could provide enough of the colour to change the atmosphere. Set it against chocolate brown, tobacco, cream or even a little faded red and the shade begins to feel sophisticated rather than primary-school bright. Used sparingly, it could be the most unexpectedly delicious shade in an otherwise plain room.

The ‘Amethyst’ purple from the collection exudes grown-up sophistication. Rather than the sugary end of the spectrum, it has a dimension to it that would work beautifully in a room with plenty of old furniture and tactile fabrics. Ideal for creating depth though painted walls, velvet armchair in a similarly dusky tone and ideally illuminated with touches of antique brass.

It is a colour that could make a bedroom feel cocooning or bring a little drama to a dining room, without becoming theatrical. If you've ever felt that purple can be difficult to live with, this is the shade that might change your mind.

The inky Stevie ‘Black’ is perhaps the most obvious of the five shades, but no less compelling or glamorous for it. In interiors, black is often used cautiously. However, when incorporated with confidence, through touches like black-painted woodwork or a lacquered side table, it can provide a perfectly balanced sense of opulence.

When contrasted against warm woods or faded fabrics, Black can be surprisingly soft rather than severe. It is the colour equivalent of a well-fitted tux. Classic, yes. Boring, never.

‘Foggy Grey’ is the most gentle shade of the Stevie palette and perhaps the one that feels most naturally suited to use at home. It's an atmospheric, misty grey that is softer than silver yet cooler than beige, and could provide a tranquil foundation for a room adorned with cloudy linen curtains. A calm and understated colour to infuse a room with serenity.

Mulberry is known for refreshing and expanding its classics with surprising details that challenge the boundaries between heritage and modernity. Perhaps that is what makes the Stevie’s palette so appealing, as well as the fact that none of these colours feel as though they belong exclusively to a handbag. They are the shades it is easy to imagine living in, especially in this transitional time of year, from the haze of Foggy Grey to the drama of Royal Amethyst. Taken together, they make a rather convincing interiors palette – providing proof that the best decorating inspiration can come from somewhere you least expect it.