Dear Friends,

I hope your Summer season is as splendid as ours is down here in Louisiana. Although our Summer started off with extreme heat and no rain for weeks, lately we've cooled off with afternoon showers almost daily so everything is lush and green--just like the "good ole days"!

Summer Retreat Several years ago, I did a color consultation at Retreat Plantation, a very charming property on the Tunica Trace here in West Feliciana Parish. Clients Mary Cleland and C.B. Owen had just moved back to St. Francisville from Chicago to restore Mary's family home and semi-retire. Retreat, built in 1823, has been in the [Mary's] Percy family since 1859; so they are the 5th generation to live in the home. At one time, the Percy family owned Afton Villa, Greenwood and Ellersly Plantations, in addition to Retreat.

The Dining Room (photos above and below) is just off of the entry hall which is technically at the rear of the house. Like my house, you drive up to the rear of the house because the front porch faces the beautiful vistas of the property. Patrick had curtains made to cover the glass entry door and windows for both privacy and to block out the intense sunlight and rain. Both fabric and lining are Sunbrella sail cloth fabrics that hang from iron rings on a simple iron rod.

Although the Dining Room is typically the most formal room in a home, as Patrick says "Retreat is an elegant house where less is more". The simple Dining Room valences (above) are Brunschwig & Fils "Kininvie" cotton fabric and the embroidered linen sheers (shown left) are "Cecile Ivory" by Colefax and Fowler. The oil painting over the buffet is a painting of Greenwood Plantation mentioned previously. All fireplace mantels are original to the house. Walls and ceilings are "Buttercream" with "Antique Jade" millwork.

Patrick used the same sheers in the Parlor (above photo) with "Lawn Stripe" on the valences, another Colefax & Fowler fabric. The chair, upholstered in its original Aubusson tapestry, was rescued from the fire at nearby Greenwood Plantation.

Left: For C.B.'s Study, just off the Dining Room and Entry Foyer, Patrick designed classic Roman shades in Michael Smith's "Jasper" fabric, color "Indian Flower Blue". Walls and ceilings are "Classic Cream". Millwork (which includes built-in bookshelves) is painted "Mangrove Shade", a custom color created especially for the project.

Family photos like the one shown above left, line the wall up the stairs leading to the bedrooms and baths. Staircase walls are "Classic Cream" with "Antique Jade" millwork. Actually, I probably shouldn't say "millwork" since walls that aren't plaster are made of wood.

The bed in the Guest Bedroom (above) is original to the house. Walls and ceilings are "Classic Cream" with "Retreat Green" trim. It was a color original to the house found on some old baseboards. Fabric is Brunschwig & Fils black and white "Bengali" which Patrick also used in the Guest Bath beyond (and shown below left). Both Master Bathroom (shown below right) and Guest Bathroom walls and ceilings are "Gustavian Grey" with "Classic Cream" trim.

As I mentioned previously, the front of the house has a veranda overlooking the beautiful view shown below.

We also created custom colors for the exterior. The body is "Enhanced Classic Cream", a slightly warmer version of our original Classic Cream which was used indoors. The shutters and porch handrail are "Retreat Shutter Green". Trim is "Alabaster". The "Haint Blue" veranda ceiling is typical of most historic homes in the area.

I'll be sure to follow up when the kitchen addition is finished. Plans are already underway by local architect Coco Treppendahl. In the meantime, Patrick Tandy can be reached via his email: pttandy@cox.net.

Wishing you all the best for a great Summer season!

P.S. On a more somber note, I was just informed of yet another paint price increase by Akzo Nobel which I'm afraid in turn will slightly increase my pricing, so please be sure to check out our Products and Pricing page.