estled in a tropical garden, a Delray Beach home on the Intracoastal Waterway combines the charming demeanor of an English country cottage with the sunlit exuberance of the islands. "The young couple who own this home wanted their house to have a West Indies feel, relaxed yet elegant," designer Barbara Murtagh says. "It had to have light and color."

Throughout the home, shades of melon mix with hues of blue, yellow and green, a palette made brighter by the light that pours in through expansive windows. Since the wife is from England and a nature lover, Murtagh selected several Osborne & Little wall coverings and fabrics by British designer Nina Campbell.

"I used a lot of English and European fabrics and wall coverings because of their floral designs and the wife's love of gardens," Murtagh says. From the front gates, a path winds its way through a garden to leaded-glass entry doors. Inside the foyer, red-oak flooring immediately establishes a warm, welcoming ambiance. "The flooring has a rustic look like you would find in a country house," Murtagh says.

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