Interiors
Styling with Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus, native to our beautiful Australia, has to be my favourite indoor greenery. The subtle silvery green/grey tones are so stylish and the crisp, fresh menthol smell is cleansing. I have some inspiration to show you how you can introduce this into your home.
Just one sprig of Eucalyptus in a jar, or a collection grouped together is very effective. I find that if you change the water regularly then the cuttings will last a week or two. As tempting as it would be to plant your own Eucalpytus tree in a pot, I don't recommend this as they grow very quickly and soon become root-bound.
Their leaves are also toxic to pets so bear this in mind too – probably OK out of reach in a vase but not in a pot at the front door!
The classic Christmas wreath is beautiful with Eucalyptus and this certainly suits the Australian climate and looks more at home here than the traditional cooler climate holly. Too late for this year but maybe for Christmas in July?
The silvery tones of the Eucalyptus plant are very effective when styled against a dark background.
Related: How to work with a dark colour palette
A large display of Eucalyptus makes a stunning centre piece for the dining room table.
Particularly suited to weddings, Eucalyptus looks lovely in a bouquet of greenery or blended with white flowers. Eucalyptus also makes stunning table decorations.
Eucalyptus is excellent for a country wedding or large celebration. A long lunch table under the trees with an even longer lunch sounds pretty nice at the moment.
More gorgeous imagery against a dark background – I love Annie Spratt's work.
The fresh aromatic perfume of the Eucalyptus plant is especially suited to a bathroom. Just a few sprigs here create a beautiful understated look.
Or you can introduce more for a dramatic effect!
Eucalyptus by the bed is very appealing. That gorgeous fresh menthol smell as soon as you wake up would be lovely.
Or if you love the look and want it all year round then consider some Botanical prints. Botanical artwork has always been a favourite of mine and it is great to see with the trend for indoor greenery how fashionable these have become.
Related: How to display a statement artwork
Look carefully at a Eucalyptus branch and you will see a beautiful range of related colours from a dark green through to a duck egg blue all underlined with sophisticated grey and white. I believe this is where its inherent beauty comes from and why it has such broad appeal.
I have put together the colour palette above from a gorgeous table decoration of Eucalyptus. The appeal for me is in the related colour scheme of greens and blues – gorgeous Duck Egg Blue being the stand out. Even if used as an accent of cushions in a neutral colour palette of creams or greys, these colours bring the scheme alive.
Related: Let me show you how to use Duck Egg Blue
Related: How to incorporate the greenery trend
Hi Samantha,
I’ve just discovered your blog and started to realise that there’s a while lot more to choosing colours than I realised.
The roof and gutters on my 1920s weatherboard Californian bungalow have just been replaced – from the (broken!) original dark grey cement tiles to Pale Eucalypt Colorbond with Surfmist downpipes. And now the existing exterior wall and trim colours look rather, um, custardly. The walls are a Dulux Solar quarter and the trim is a Dulux Claybake (and there is quite a lot of trim – original wide window frames, decorative bits on the brick verandah columns, gable decoration, etc). I somehow thought because I liked eucalyptus trees that colour would just fit everything…
I’m now thinking of something like Dulux Tranquil (half or quarter), or maybe Gentle Calm (full), on the walls with Surfmist or Vivid White as the trim. But is that too much green?? Reading through your blog I’ve liked the grey tones with white trims best, but I just can’t imagine it on my house – especially now that the roof is green!
My house is in Melbourne – do you ever do consultations based only on photos? As you can see, I’m a bit lost…
Thanks for any guidance you might be able to give me.
Cheers,
Kate
Hi Kate I love the sound of the Pale Eucalypt roof – it will work with lots of other colours just not those custard tones (which BTW probably don’t really look great with anything!) I think you might get away with the soft greens you are looking at if you have lots of white trim which it sounds as though you do have. This will give you a nice cottage style look and I think will work better with your roof than some of the very neutral greys that are around at the moment. I do online consultations from photos though if you would like a second opinion – you can send me a message via email on Samantha@samanthabacon.com.au if you think you need extra help. Samantha
So pretty, I forget sometimes how beautiful & delicate nature inspired colours can be. The Australian bush at first glance is so rough & tough, but there is a feminine side too.
Can you please list the paint colors in the eucalyptus paint palette? Thank you.
Hi Bri these colours are not related to a paint company – they are just an indication of the range of different tones and colours in a Eucalyptus tree. When looking at a paint company’s range you should look for the soft grey greens that border on being a little blue. Thanks Samantha