“Autumn-inspired colours signify a
passage From one season to another
and set a warm mood inside the home.”
Cecilie Starin
Reap th e
b ou n ty
Autumnal oranges and
golds were everywhere
when San Francisco, US,
designer Cecilie Starin
recently travelled to
Europe. Here’s how she
uses the colours at home.
Whites and creams
are key to moving
warm colours out of
the 1970s. “I’m not
so much of the idea
that you use autumn
colours on every
surface in a room.
It looks fresher
to use them in a
limited way, with a
lot of white.”
Use a deep colour
such as chestnut
or rusty red to
dramatic effect in
a powder room or
small den. “When
you have a really
small room where
there’s no way
you’re going to make
it look big, make it
more of what it is—
small and dark—but
make it dramatic.”
3
To prevent warm
colours from
overheating a room,
add sleek silvery
accents instead
of brass. Pairing a
hot hue with cold
grey or cornflower
blue has the similar
cooling effect. ■
3 2
B E T T E R H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S | D E C E M B E R
2011
PHOTOGRAPH: (ROOM) WERNER STRAUBE
