A color that is evident throughout Fallingwater is a buttery gold that appears in the kitchen—on the cabinets and countertops—and on more of the accent pillows on the cantilevered couches in the living room. This warm, golden hue was chosen to accentuate the natural colors and sunlight filtering into the house from the surrounding wilderness.

There is one true blue in the palette, and that is a warm blue shade that is reminiscent of the famous, fast-rushing stream that continually crashes and flows beneath the Fallingwater home.

A deep green tone was chosen to replicate the impressive moss-covered tree trunks found in the majestic setting above Bear Run at Fallingwater. It is a dark, olive-tinged hue that works well as a darker tone within the palette, and is a particularly nice complement for the buttery gold and russet-tinged shades described above.

 

Another green used throughout the home is representative of the live rhododendron leaf that can be seen extensively in the setting around Fallingwater. During the spring and summer, the vast bank of windows in the main living room allows this vivid and rich green color to literally infiltrate the living space.

In the winter, the fallen rhododendron leaves ripen to create a rich, chocolate-brown ground cover that is recalled by a deep earthy brown used as a darker accent.

The remaining six colors Wright chose are all neutrals, primarily a mix of grays and taupes, that continue to relate to nature while balancing all of the deeper, stronger colors found throughout the home. These include:

• A light, medium and slightly darker gray, all aptly representing the multicolored stone that can be found throughout the house and property. Many of the interior walls, floors, and structural elements at Fallingwater are built from rocks quarried near its isolated Western Pennsylvania site.
• A light ocher can be found on the concrete walls inside and outside of Fallingwater. Wright chose this color because it is reminiscent of the 'sere' (or dying) leaves of the rhododendron plants, again found in such great abundance on the property.
• A cool gray trim coats the screens covering the windows at Fallingwater. This bluish-tinged shade lends an airy coolness and brings traces of sky and water into the setting.
• A final color identified by Wright as part of this notable palette is an essential and primary mid-tone neutral that was pulled from the fabric on the cantilevered couches in the living room. Plain, unpatterned furniture coverings were purposely chosen to complement the breathtaking window views of the natural setting surrounding Fallingwater, and this neutral color is a great example of a shade that provides harmony in any setting.