Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! To set the tone, today we are revisiting a charming cottage with interiors styled in an entirely green palette. Originally published in 2019, this delightful home proves classic design never goes out of style… and that you can never have too much green!

For Palm Beach-based designer Jack Fhillips, Black Squirrel Farm, his 123-year-old country home in upstate New York, is an oasis for relaxation.  The soothing green and white palette was inspired by the greens of the surrounding pines and evergreens. “My attitude is, when you’re surrounded by nature that way, you need to make it flow inside,” he told The Cottage Journal. After collecting dozens of green paint samples, the resulting choices include every hue of green you can imagine including emerald, forrest, pistachio, lime, sage, and chartreuse.  The various shades keep the monochromatic scheme in each room interesting, and the warmth of the wood adds depth and contrast.

Originally a boarding house, the simple shingled structure “was a sad old house, in a way” when Jack purchased it with updates reflecting “the sins of the ‘70s and the bad vibes from the ‘80s,” he said. While renovation was underway, Jack began collecting furniture and accessories. He selected 18th- and 19th-century English furniture to complement the style and period of the house. While some pieces had a pedigree, others were rescued from the curb or discovered at thrift shops and given a second life with paint and upholstery.  “When I see a chipped plate or a dented, dinged piece of furniture, I say, ‘If only you could talk,’ he said. “It means more if it’s not perfect.” The mixing of fine antiques and salvaged finds evokes the “British bits-and-pieces” approach to decorating and gives a house comfortable, welcoming character perfect for a retreat in the country.

This tour was originally featured in The Cottage Journal, and additional photography was graciously provided by Carmel Brantley of Brantley Photography.

Thanks to a plethora of large double-hung windows, the interiors receive lots of light, allowing Jack to use an intense dark green in the living room and dining room.  In the living room, the dark green walls provide a dramatic contrast to the white draperies, rug, upholstery, and accessories, creating a formal English-country look.

The bedrooms, painted in cooler pistachio and blue-greens and accented with white, are soothing and serene.  “I believe in flow,” Jack says. To keep the monochromatic scheme in each room interesting, he includes a range of shades and uses the warmth of wood to add depth and contrast.

Jack freshened a three-quarter-size iron bed, found at a flea market with spray paint. Assorted mirrors in gilt frames decorate the walls. Over the bed, hung off center to give it more importance, is a Victorian shadow box filled with fabric bouquets of climbing flowers.

In the chartreuse guest bedroom, a brown and white Mount Vernon toile inspired Jack to begin collecting George and Martha Washington items, including an antique print of the first President.

Jack Fhillips has offices in Palm Beach and Manhattan. You can learn more by visiting Jack Fhillips Design and follow @jackfhillipsdesign on Instagram for ongoing inspiration. I also recommend following @brantleyphoto for beautiful photography inspiration. To see more of Jack’s work, as featured by The Glam Pad, please click on the links below…

• AN ENGLISH-INSPIRED EAST HAMPTON HOME BY JACK FHILLIPS (another green monochromatic home)
• BLUE AND WHITE PALM BEACH PERFECTION (an all blue and white retreat miraculously designed by Jack in just six weeks!)