h en M u ffin T u llo s w a s lo o k in g for
a cce n t co lo rs to b rig h ten h er fa m ily 's B eau fo rt,
S ou th C a ro lin a , h om e, h er eyes n a tu ra lly w e n t
to h er m o th er's a b stra ct p a in tin g o v e r th e
m an tel. “ It's su ch a fo cal p o in t fo r o u r hou se.
Y ou w a lk th ro u g h th e fro n t d o o r and b o o m ,
th a t's w h a t y o u see."
T h e p a in tin g 's tro p ica l b lu es and g re en s
tu rn up th ro u g h o u t th e h o m e — on a v in ta g e
co ffe e tab le, glass b o ttle s and fish in g flo ats,
even a b e d ro o m ceilin g . Bold stro k es o f su n n y
o ran g e rem in d M u ffin , an in te rio r d esign er, o f
h er F lo rid a ch ild h o o d p lu ck in g rip e citru s fro m
b a ck y a rd tre e s. “ C o lo r h as alw ays b een p art
o f m y life ," she says. “ M y m o th er is an a rtist.
H er co lo rfu l p a in tin g s w e re all o ve r th e h o u se
as w e w e re g ro w in g up. W h e n w e b u ilt th is
h om e, I w a n ted th e co lo rs to reso n ate w ith th e
o u td o o rs— b u t w ith a p u n ch ."
T h a t pu n ch d elivers th e m o m en t y o u k n o ck
on th e ta n g e rin e d o o r and are g re e te d b y th e
fa m ily 's G o ld e n d o o d les, D ixie and M aisy. A
w id e ce n te r h a llw a y fu n c tio n s as b o th e n try
and m ain tra ffic a rte ry. “ I ca ll it th e lan d in g
strip ,” jo k e s M u ffin , w h o , w ith h u sban d G eo rg e,
m an ages th e co m in g s and g o in g s o f th e ir fo u r
ch ild ren . A bu ilt-in b en ch and b o o k sh elves o ffer
a sp o t to relax and ca tch up on th e d ay's even ts.
P le n ty o f w h ite w o o d w o rk and w a lls p ain ted a
so ft g re en ca lm th e b ack g ro u n d w h ile b rig h t
p illo w s pack p erso n ality.
T h e liv in g ro o m h as a sim ila r fresh -an d -
e a sy feel, w ith w ash ab le slip co vers and seagrass
ca rp e ts in n eu trals; th e so ft te x tu re s in v ite th e
w h o le fa m ily to p ile in fo r a m o vie o r spread
o u t w ith a jig sa w p u zzle . “ 1 d o n 't have a b on u s
ro om and c e rta in ly n o t a b a sem e n t,” says M u ffin .
“ W h a te v e r w e h ave has to b e usable. I d o n 't w a n t
to be freak ed ou t e v e ry tim e so m e th in g sp ills.”
T h e sam e g o e s fo r th e co ffe e table. W ith its
w o rn tu rq u o ise p ain t, th e v in ta g e fa rm tab le fits
righ t in w ith th is h o m e's relaxed a ttitu d e . T h e
co lo r also h ap p en s to p e rfe c tly m atch th e b elo ved
fa m ily p ain tin g. “ I d o n 't b elieve th a t y o u r art
sh ou ld m atch y o u r so fa, b u t y o u alw ays n eed a
ju m p in g o ff p o in t," ex p la in s M u ffin . “ For m e,
it w as th a t p ain tin g. P ick w h a t y o u love and
w o rk w ith th a t."
