The phrase “sky blue” has been used to describe color for centuries: James Murray’s A New English Dictionary dates the first use of the phrase to 1728, but there are documented uses of “sky blue” in the English language going … Continue reading →

Come high summer, Maine is awash in leafy greens. The tree canopy has filled out, foliage plants have stretched their fronds, and ferns carpet the forest floor. In fact, if you live surrounded by trees, you may have even noticed … Continue reading →

Like the fruit from which it takes its name, the color raspberry has a pleasant and distinctive flavor. “Raspberry” is used to describe a fairly wide range of reddish pinks, which accurately reflects how the shades appear in nature: the … Continue reading →

Periwinkle is among the more poetic color names. First used to describe the color in the 1920s, periwinkle refers to Vinca minor, the creeping perennial vine with small, five-petaled flowers that are a distinctive soft shade of violet. (Periwinkle is … Continue reading →

Legendary decorator Elsie de Wolfe once said, “I believe in plenty of optimism and white paint,” which aptly sums up the age-old approach to Maine summerhouse decorating. However, harnessing the full power of the color white is more complex than … Continue reading →

A color so delicious you could eat it, butter yellow is a sweet antidote to dreary days. “Since Maine skies are gray for a good part of the year, soft yellow provides some needed relief,” says Jeanne Handy, the principal … Continue reading →

When it comes to decor, gray is a complex color. Get it right, and it can create an enchanting environment. Get it wrong, and you’ve got a color that looks downright institutional. But designers say it’s worth the trouble to … Continue reading →

Deep greens have been having a moment in interior design for the past several years. The Pantone Institute identified emerald green as the color of the year for 2013, and in 1stDibs’s 2021 trends survey, which polled more than 700 … Continue reading →

Many of us love a room bursting with color, but sometimes we also crave the depth and contrast that black brings to a space. Used sparingly, black can be the finishing touch to a room. Employed in abundance, black has … Continue reading →

Think of burnt orange as a deep shade of orange with its brightness stripped back—a bit brown, a little dark, and decidedly distinguished. It is a color that lends instant warmth to any interior where it is used. “Burnt orange … Continue reading →