Country Living 2019-11-01

Local Color: Lauren Northup’s Low-Country Palette

COUNTRYLIVING.COM / NOVEMBER 2019 ƃƀ

Arsenic

Farrow & Ball

Piazza Blue

Sherwin-

Williams

Oval Room

Blue

Farrow & Ball

Wythe Blue

Benjamin

Moore

Charleston

Green

Sherwin-

Williams

L

auren Northup has understood the

power of place for as long as she

can remember. As a child growing up

in Asheville, North Carolina, she’d

sneak into the famed Biltmore Estate

and stare, open-mouthed, at the ceiling of George

Vanderbilt’s library. That architectural awe

led to a course of study and, now, a dream job as

Director of Museums for Historic Charleston

Foundation. While Lauren has understandably

high standards when it comes to period-specific

architecture, fine furniture, and well-preserved

collections, she and husband Scott Riddell had to

embrace a layman’s approach when they decided

to take on a renovation of (naturally) an 1800s

home in nearby Summerville, South Carolina.

The young, budget-conscious couple (and

kids John Robert, age 8, and Louisa, age 4) had

to get strategic about taking on a slew of “right

now” updates while allowing room for more

costly projects down the road. The now-and-later

decorator is always on the hunt for deals on

antique furniture—in fact, there are only three

brand-new pieces in the entire house (a king-

size bed and two kitchen stools)—and patiently

fills her house with one-of-a-kind finds. Because

if there’s anyone who understands that some

things take time, it’s a preservationist.

How a Museum Curator

Outfits an Old House

(on a Budget!)

“Blues and greens

mean rest, home,

and happiness to

me. This color on

my kitchen floor is a

good balance with

the bright white

walls and cheerful

checked curtains.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s a
crime not to have a
blue ceiling on your
porch in the Low
Country, so I painted
mine this shade from
the Colors of
Historic Charleston
collection.”

“This breezy blue

in the entry is inspired

by the George

Wythe House, one of

the most beautifully

restored homes in

Colonial Williamsburg.”

“I decorated my

kids’ fireplace in this

blue—a near match

to American Girl

doll Kirsten Larson’s

bed. It’s an odd

source of inspiration,

but it makes me so

happy!”

“My great-

grandparents’ house

in downtown

Charleston was white

with ‘Charleston

Green’ shutters. It’s a

classic combination,

so I used it here, too.”

written by LAURA KOSTELNY photographs by BRIE WILLIAMS styling by PAGE MULLINS