Boysen’s Color Wanderer is a series of shorts depicting special scenes we shot in the Philippines that gave us beautiful color palettes. Inspiring, yes! Stunning, that too. Doable? Definitely. This series shows that when we are mindful about our surroundings, they can gift us with color inspirations that we could use in our homes, a sort of keepsake of an unforgettable moment. Here’s one showing the beauty of Coron.
Our country is beautiful. From north to south, east to west, lowlands to mountains, and coasts to inland areas, we Filipinos are so blessed. We just celebrated our 128th anniversary of Independence Day so let’s remind ourselves of what this country has to offer.
Feast your eyes on the following beautiful images of the Philippines. We added palettes at the bottom of the photos so that you can steal the colors for your home.
Butanding Blues
Butandings (whale sharks) are known as the gentle giants of the sea that can dive deep at nearly 2000 meters. However, they like to cruise at slow speeds near the surface because that’s where their food sources are abundant. They prefer warm, tropical waters, and are usually found in Sorsogon, Cebu, and Bohol. They’re massive but docile, and prefer plankton and small marine life, not people. They have beautiful skin markings that are as unique as our fingerprints.
Diving with butandings is an unforgettable experience. It’s like an immersion in a medley of blues, where the waters embrace both of you as you do a slow dance. There’s a stillness and a sacredness to being able to inhabit a space with such a creature. Be as gentle as the giant—keep your distance, don’t touch or ride it, enter and leave the water gently, and go sunscreen-free.
If you want to take home that sacred experience with you, use the paint palette provided. In your sanctuary, you can live the butanding blues again.
Cruising in Coron
An aerial view of the sea and bancas in Coron shows a more energetic vibe than the mysterious butanding blues. The sea is just as blue but you have a section that changes to turquoise where the seabed becomes shallower. The mix of sunlight, white sand or coral adds a greenish hue to the blue. The yellow bancas give a cheery note to the mix, making everything feel lighthearted and carefree, although Coron doesn’t need much help in influencing its visitors to succumb to the delights of this paradise from its limestone cliffs, freshwater lakes, to its crystal-clear lagoons. The evenings in Coron bring their own magic. But I will leave that for you to discover.
Bring home the adventurous vibe of Coron with this palette.
Sugba in Siargao
Crystal clear, emerald waters surround this lagoon. When the sun is shining and the waters are at their clearest, you can enjoy the calm mirror-like surfaces that glow a luxurious, vivid shade of green with subtle, bluish undertones. The lagoon is hidden by limestone cliffs and a large mangrove forest. If you go in the early morning, you can avoid the crowd although it doesn’t get that busy like General Luna.
Siargao is becoming such a popular destination that, just like Boracay, the number of tourists visiting it can be overwhelming for people who like to be far from the madding crowd. No worries though, there are still many places that have this laid-back, relaxed, and quiet vibe.
Beautiful Boracay
Seafoam green gives a calming aesthetic, and this is what Puka Beach in Boracay offers. The whole vibe there is peaceful and serene in contrast to the dense and oft-visited White Beach. So, if you’re after getting sun-kissed in a blissful place, choose for quiet days in this light, soft, blue-green haven where you get to experience deeply transformative moments with sun, sea, and sand.
This may move you away from mysterious blue depths, but it will bring you closer to a fresh, sunlit space where secrets can be breathed to the salt air.
Majestic Mount Mayon
After the sea and the coast, we move inland to look at a mountain that has captured Filipino people’s imagination since we were kids. What comes to mind is the popular description that it has a perfect cone shape. We also learned about the tragic legend that created this majestic mountain—two lovers who died because of a chieftain’s jealousy.
Mount Mayon has been in the news since January because of its eruptions and slow lava effusions. It still dominates the skyline today with its near-perfect symmetrical cone shape. It has a large base with steep upper slopes and deep ravines that run down the flanks of the mountain. Gray-white smoke tease the summit while white wisps of clouds veil the top now and then. Depending on the light and the distance, the colors of Mayon contain browns, greens, yellows, grays, and blues.
Mount Mayon could be your muse to create a home painted with a relaxing, nature-inspired palette.
The Wonder of Chocolate Hills
If Mount Mayon is a near-perfect cone, we have the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, over a thousand perfectly symmetrical, cone-shaped mounds. Scientists attribute this rare topography of conical karsts to prehistoric warm, shallow seas, sculpted by rainwater erosion and weathering to form these surreal coral limestone formations. But personally, the two legends are much more captivating. The first one tells the tale of two fierce giants who threw stones and sand at each other. Another legend talks about a heartbroken giant whose endless tears for the death of his mortal love formed those hills. (I’d take love over violence any day.)
These hills are lush green during the rainy season, that transitions to yellow green for a very short while when the season turns, then takes the color of cocoa during the dry season.
Warm Neutrals from Shells
There are beaches in the Philippines that are covered with broken shells or corals. They may be broken but they give a perfect palette of warm beige, peige, brown, and yellow. This monochromatic palette is so gorgeous and perfectly in trend, although they will always be a trend as far as I’m concerned.
I love how shells are so much a part of our lives, as food and as decor. But if you are tempted to bring them as souvenirs, please don’t. They are part of an ecosystem. Remember the saying in sustainable travel of “leave only footprints, take only photographs”. Although now that seems to be changing as people don’t want to take photos anymore, and instead be present in the moment and engage all their senses, which is hard to do if you are looking for a correct angle most of the time and the right lighting. So let’s rephrase that statement and say, “Leave only footprints, take only memories.” Good luck to the forgetful ones.
Breathtaking Sunset in Culion
Wherever you are in the Philippines, in an urban or rural setting, the sunsets in this country are stunning, fiery, glowing, and dramatic. This is what you can see in Culion when the sun says goodbye and slips into the horizon. The sky glows with the colors of mauve, pink, purple, and gold. Traces of blue can be seen until it is overwhelmed by the colors that welcome the night.
Known as “The Island of No Return,” Culion was the world’s largest leper colony from 1906 to the 1980s. The World Health Organization declared the island to be leprosy-free in 2006. Today, visitors go to learn about its history and its heritage. The island is a profoundly peaceful place especially at night when the sounds that can be heard are the rhythmic waves and the calls of nocturnal wildlife.
If you want a place to renew yourself, visit this island.
Color Inspirations
We have many beautiful places in the Philippines. You will find color inspirations if you just open your eyes and look around with great curiosity and awareness.
If you want to be reminded of a place you visited that you find so special, a good way to honor the memories is to paint your home with its colors. All the colors here are available as Boysen Permacoat Latex for your exteriors and interiors.
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