June 2022 Living Well

I hope this newsletter finds you well. We just celebrated the 21st anniversary of my line of Full Spectrum Paints and I realized it’s been an entire year since my last newsletter (& Post!) which is supposed to be seasonal. Needless to say, thanks to you, I’ve been busier than ever. In addition to helping clients select paint colors, I’ve been working on several decorating projects – including my own home. But that’s not the least of it. There have been many changes with both the paint and furnishings industry. If you’ve been involved in any building, renovation or decorating projects you know what I mean. There’s been a national paint materials shortage so it’s not always easy to get paint the same day you place your order and sometimes it can take over a week. Because of this, I have expanded my product line to include three interior and three exterior paint products. The only drawback is that I have to create a new formula for each product as formulas do not cross over from product line to product line, so that can delay your order up to a day or two. Visit our online store to view the different products. If you don’t see a color listed, check the custom color box and put the color names in the notes section.

One of the new products I’m offering is PPG’s UltraLast Interior Paint & Primer in One. I first used it on a new retail shop in Natchez, Liza Sharp’s Natchez Olive Market”. The walls are a combination of brick and old plaster so we used the UltraLast Matte finish for the plaster walls because although it’s a matte finish which hides imperfections, it’s so durable you can wash lipstick off of it. PPG uses the same technology from their automotive and industrial coatings divisions so it’s now the most durable paint on the market. The semigloss we used on the store’s checkout cabinetry is tough as nails! We created “Natchez Peach” from the old plaster and “Natchez Olive” for the cabinetry. Both are now available in the UltraLast. 

If you’re in the area, you should definitely visit NOM (short for Natchez Olive Market). It’s the most comprehensive gourmet food store within 100 miles or more. Liza not only has an incredible selection of high quality infused olive oils and balsamic, she has cheeses, homemade breads, charcuterie boards and an amazing variety of gourmet food products–my favorite being the Uncured Bacon Marmalade.

I took broken off plaster to copy the color calling it “Natchez Peach”. We created “Natchez Olive” for the existing cabinets.

NOM – Natchez Olive Market is located at 636 Franklin Street in downtown Natchez

In my last newsletter, it was at the beginning of Covid and I included a video tour of my home. Since then, like many folks, I’ve been making some home improvements. TCS Designs, the company I use for upholstered furniture, used to have a lead time of 5-6 weeks. I ordered two sofas for myself and it took eight months. I have to say, it was well worth the wait. Thankfully, they’re starting to get back to normal so their lead time has dropped considerably. Here’s a little show & tell:

I got tired of fluffing back pillows so I opted for a tight back and now that I have both a dog and a cat, I used this Crypton performance fabric that looks and feels like velvet. I’ve already spilled barbecue sauce on it and it wiped right off! The cat has scratched it several times yet there are no marks whatsoever. The rug is an indoor/outdoor from Wayfair I bought for a client and when I saw it, I liked it so much I ordered one for myself. The Tommy Bahama coffee table, also from Wayfair, is higher than usual (tea table height) and there are drawers on each side and a shelf underneath so it doubles as an extra desk. The console table behind the sofa (also from Wayfair) opens into a dining table that seats six. Wayfair has become my favorite furnishings source because everything usually arrives in under a week! ­­­

My newly transformed Guest Bedroom. We kept the same “Magnolia” trim color, painted the ceiling a color matched to the wallpaper background.

“Lightening up” has been the trend for quite some time and I’m finding myself doing the same by replacing dark walls and fabrics with lighter ones. There’s a new paper hanger in town, Jackie Jarrell, who transformed my guest bedroom by replacing the Magnolia walls (photo below) with wallpaper from Wayfair. Curtains are the Custom Belgian Flax Linen from Pottery Barn. Once again I opted for what I could get quickly. That’s Zeta, my newly adopted cat, lounging on the bed.

Guest Bedroom “Before” with “Magnolia” walls, ceiling and trim.

Wallpaper has become popular again and I have to say, it’s a great way to turn small areas into little jewel boxes and bring the feeling of nature indoors. I wallpapered the hallway leading to my bedroom and absolutely love the way it feels when I wall through it! ­­

My hallway walls weren’t in great shape so the wallpaper not only covered the imperfections, it created a little jewel box.

Speaking of bringing nature indoors, I’m excited to share that the weekend of October 14 & 15 I’ll be one of the speakers for this year’s Southern Garden Symposium here in St. Francisville on this topic and of course, color therapy. It’s a two day event featuring workshops, lectures, and tours of historic gardens and structures. The roster of six speakers includes Laura Dowling who’s served as chief floral designer at the White House and other nationally renowned gardening experts, including Brandon Branch of Bravo’s Southern Charm Savannah fame. Here’s the link to register: https://thesoutherngardensymposium.org. I apologize for not keeping up with my newsletter but I’m getting much better at keeping up with posts and slideshows on Instagram so I hope you’ll keep in touch by following me there @ellenkennon.  Here’s to better days ahead and a Summer filled with joyful, memorable times for you and your family! 

All the best,

Ellen