RIPE RUSSET

Look to autumn woodlands for inspiration on how to pair the russets of turning leaves with cooler shades. Stylist and interiors expert Sara Bird reveals how to use this hue in your country home

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The arboretum colours of autumnal woodlands herald a shift in the seasons with a blazing spectacle of shades. As nature says farewell to summer, our native tree canopies take a dramatic curtain call as their leaves turn and radiate with russet hues.

The term arboretum, first coined by Scottish botanist John Claudius Loudon in 1833, describes a botanical garden devoted to trees. In the warmer months, such a place is vibrant with chlorophyll-pigmented greenery. But as the temperatures drop and daylight diminishes, a chemical shift means yellow flavanols, orange carotenoids and red to purple anthocyanins are more prominent, treating us to a fiery foliage display.

These toasty arboretum tones can be seen in Ancient Egyptian artworks, which glow with the mineral pigment realgar. In India, garlands of orange marigolds traditionally adorn Hindu ceremonies. In the western world, russet tones from golden honey to burnt orange have been associated with dynamic art movements, with Van Gogh, Manet and the Pre-Raphaelites using them in daring depictions of figures, landscapes and still lifes. After burning up interiors in the Jazz Age and the 1970s, we're now seeing a renewed taste for these heat-seeking shades.

Frequently found in country-style looks, the short-lived shades of an autumnal arboretum have staying power in décor, due to these cosy colour combinations creating a homely year-round comfort.

HOW TO USE RUSSET