Cues & A's

This past weekend, Irwin and I made a briefer than expected jaunt to our much beloved country house.  When we last visited, it was clearly still summer even with the scattered leaves blanketing the driveway.  Our return, although only three weeks later, revealed autumn’s almost complete conquest. 

We arrived late on Friday afternoon and were immediately struck by the transformation both visual and textural.  Armed with my camera and laptop, I eagerly anticipated capturing the grandeur of the changing foliage through images and words.

Sitting by our first fire of the season, in our newly completed DIY Great Room, we enjoyed the surprisingly early change of season, even for Upstate New York.  Looking at our fireplace surround and the contrasting wall color I began to think about how the seasons affect our design aesthetic. Now I know this is not a new concept, but it does bear repeating.

The next morning, I looked at the changing foliage outside the sunroom window and remembered how different it appeared in late May with all the greenery in new bloom and the fresh lilacs on the coffee table.  Now, the bright green had been replaced with the rich golds, amber and russets of fall and on the table, the vestiges of a summer orchid past its prime.  I was just about to run over to the farm store to pick up some beautiful mums to “Fall-ify” the house, and photograph the seasonal change when I received a call from our son back in the city telling us he had a fever. It was a low-grade fever, but a fever nevertheless.

Well, I did what any mother would do.  Fearing a rocketing temperature, I grabbed my bag and we headed home.  No mums, no crunching through the crispy leaves, no photos of pumpkins, or foliage.

As disappointed as I was, it was no reason to forsake this post, or for that matter, the rest of the plans we had for the country.  So, I decided to try to take my cues from nature right here in NYC and headed out, camera in hand to capture the changing season, NYC style.

With chilly morning temperatures and blustery winds, autumn has arrived in NYC despite the fact that the leaves on the trees have not really begun to change.  Just strolling through my neighborhood, I was able to capture the sights and textures of this amazing season, which I am delighted to be able to share with you.

So, relax with a warm mug of apple cider and drink in the seasonal colors and textures that surround you.  Bring them into your home via plants or pillows, pumpkins or Pashmina, and take your design cues from nature.