Decorating & Design

August 10, 2011

Colours In Nature

Earlier this summer, my brother Omar tied the knot with the love of his life, Euriphile, in the Catskills, New York. The venue was an amazing property with open fields, a pond, waterfall and a fantastic barn for the reception, dinner and dancing. Magazine fodder for sure.

It was held at the Roxbury Barn in Roxbury, New York. It’s available to rent for events, and the owners, Caspar and Roger, have poured heart and soul into the place over the years to create a truly magical spot.

For the wedding weekend, we shared a house close by with Omar, his wife, and some of her family members. I fell in love with the house and you can see why from these photos. The wrap-around porch, potted ferns and white painted clapboards and cupola contributed to the romance of the event.

I was especially inspired by the interiors and use of colour — always a tricky thing to get right! — and wondered if the owners had turned to nature for colour guidance. The various shades of green, from cool celadon on the walls to accent cushions in sage and moss green, reiterated the palette outside — the perfect complement to hot summer weather.

Palettes inspired by nature: variegated greens and whites…

Velvety grey-green…

Twisting vines in rich, dark brown…

Fallen birch bark — the colour and texture of weathered and whitewashed porch furniture.

The perfect complement to cool green? Vibrant orange. The wall colour in the grand entrance resembled the blooms of an urn planting in the garden.

Upholstery details and vintage billiard balls also added pop to the cool and serene palette.

For more fresh summer hues, see our Summer Paint Colours photo gallery.

Photo credits:
1-12. Hilary Smyth