Dear Friends,

Well, summer is winding down here in Louisiana with an unexpected cool front, and I am incredibly thankful that unlike last year, I’m not writing it just prior to fleeing an oncoming hurricane! 

Not a day goes by that I don’t try to focus on three things:  Being appreciative, grateful & joyful; and today, as I sit out on my deck looking out at my favorite vista, I marvel at how although life may have its ups and downs, staying positive is critical to living well.

St. Francisville is a magical place in that it feels as if it’s in its own little bubble of bliss, despite what you hear on the news—which by the way, I try to avoid as much as I can.  It’s St. Francisville’s spirit of community and the people that create it, that makes St. Francisville so special.

Owen Kemp, who exudes the positive energy St. Francisville is known for more than most, lives in the cottage across the street from our studio at Shadetree Inn. (I say “studio” because I moved the “office” part of my business home.)  Owen’s main living spaces are painted “Mushroom” and her attic turned bedroom-boudoir has “Violet” walls and ceilings, which are perfect for her “Zen side” (Owen is a yoga instructor).  We just finished painted her dining room walls “Barry’s Babylon”, which fits the exuberant side of her personality to a T!  This deep orange (the color of laughter and celebration) is the color we created for interior designer Barry Johnson from California’s bay area. 

"Barry's Babylon" in Owen Kemp's Dining Room, above & creater of "Barry's Babylon", Barry Johnson's office in his new Brick Monkey showroom located in downtown Redwood City, shown below.

“I put Barry’s Babylon in my office at the back of my new store Brick Monkey. Wow there is something magical about this coral red—everyone who is it in feels it. I can’t wait to move in and be stimulated by this feel good, fab color.  Perfect color for a window less back room and paired with pure white and black it’s chic and punchy.”

-Interior Designer Barry Johnson

Barry, along with furniture designer Stephanie Kolkka and Kirsten McKay, a designer who calls herself a “design junkie obsessed with finding curious, quirky interior objects” recently opened the Brick Monkey as the area’s newest favorite home interiors destination. Their website, www.brickmonkeyonline.com is available for those of us who don’t live near enough to visit often!

The Brick Monkey is more than your typical furnishings store, offering everything from gift items like funny napkins, to jewelry, to sofas.

"Taupe is sophisticated with both grey and brown, yet warm"

-Barry Johnson

Barry has used our paints ever since we first met when I gave a talk on color at his area ASID meeting several years ago at the Jacobsen and Balla Studio. I’ve been intrigued by the color palettes he’s put together over the years; so I asked him how he uses color in the well thought out spaces he creates for his clients:

“Usually I select a neutral color for the main living spaces in homes. From the entry hall to living room and kitchen and halls to bedrooms, I like a consistent color to give unity to the home. I will do a color that is neutral yet warm—I love of course your 'Taupe'. It is sophisticated with both grey and brown, yet warm. For a warmer look, 'Amy’s Sarasota Sand' is great, as is 'Wheat'.  I love 'Wheat' because it feels 'today', yet light and not the heavy gold’s that seem so 'yesterday'.

Dining rooms are usually great in a grass cloth wallpaper in a deeper tone. Or I like a handmade paper in full spectrum color by Jacobsen and Balla.  I feel it creates a new experience in a dining room that is used for several hours at a time. A rusty red like your 'Carnelian' is great or 'Chartreuse'. My main mantra is put a bright or a deep dark color in a room with no or little natural light.  Dark rooms with light walls feel dark and depressing.  It is a happier feeling to be in a light deprived room that has a bright color on the walls, or make the room sexy and moody with a deep toned color. 

Recently, I used your 'Milk Chocolate' in eggshell for a dark office in a house with mainly 'Taupe' walls.  The sheen of the eggshell in 'Milk Chocolate' with wood work in white was terrific and the best choice for this “back” room—it’s a great rich surprise in a light neutral house.  For home offices, I like to change it up and give the room a different feel.  I used 'Carnelian' recently with white wood work for a full time from home worker-she loves its stimulating fresh feel.  I think it sets this room apart and says “get to work” this is not my living room.

For master bedrooms I have been using greenish, grayish colors or just a nice neutral Venetian plaster the color of light ivory, the sheen of a Venetian plaster is beautiful and makes it wide open to use accent colors in linens or just go white on white.

Boy’s rooms are harder than girls to select colors for.  I usually like a paper bag color like your 'Chestnut'.  I did use 'Chartreuse' in a ten year old boy’s room and the room came off very today and not at all “girly”-go figure.”

You can see the chameleon-like qualities of "Taupe" which was used throughout the main areas of the store.

"Juliet's Potion" in the bathroom at Brick Monkey