Month: August 2014

Paint samples: comments please?

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When you live alone, you can get away with almost anything. This may not be a bonus. I have just blotched my living room wall with these paint colors. There are so many of them that I had to do a little sketch with a legend. My justification is that the apartment needs a new coat of paint but really, this stuff is for Nalliers. I have to give some thought to what I can live with. Right now I like all the colors but I have my doubts about which I will still like after a year of daily exposure. That nice blue off to the right, Borrowed Light (all these are Farrow & Ball), that could be most of the ceilings. But then would I need to paint the walls a nice, clear color? Most of the "stone" colors go with the Oval Room Blue, the darker blue, but I don't know that I want that blue on anything. My office in California was a Benjamin Moore variation on the green, Lichen, so I know I can live with that. There will be a place for that but what goes with it? Maybe that little square off to its right, Purbeck Stone, or should I keep looking for a ceiling color? That one to the left of it, Elephant's Breath, that's all-round pleasant, a super-light grayed lavendar. Maybe I should bag all this testing and just paint everything that color. I'll be looking at these for weeks and probably adding a few blotches. I don't know. Any opinions out there?
When you live alone, you can get away with almost anything. This may not be a bonus.
I have just blotched my living room wall with these paint colors. There are so many of them that I had to do a little sketch with a legend. My justification is that the apartment needs a new coat of paint but really, this stuff is for the house. I have to give some thought to what I can live with. Right now I like all the colors but I have my doubts about which I will still like after a year of daily exposure.
That nice blue off to the right, Borrowed Light (all these are Farrow & Ball), that could be most of the ceilings. But then would I need to paint the walls a nice, clear color? Most of the “stone” colors go with the Oval Room Blue, the darker blue, but I don’t know that I want that blue on anything.
My office in California was a Benjamin Moore variation on the green, Lichen, so I know I can live with that. There will be a place for that but what goes with it? Maybe that little square off to its right, Purbeck Stone, or should I keep looking for a ceiling color? That one to the left of it, Elephant’s Breath, that’s all-round pleasant, a super-light grayed lavender. Maybe I should bag all this testing and just paint everything that color.
I’ll be looking at these for weeks and probably adding a few blotches. I don’t know. Any opinions out there?

A stroll through the neighborhood

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I got this new phone, a Samsung Galaxy. It has an app that tracks your health habits. It says mine are good, which is a relief, though a little hard to believe. Nobody is perfect, though, so even as Samsung was patting me on the back it was saying, so, how about walking 10,000 steps each day. I'm out with jumpy little Jacques a couple of times each day anyway. Sure, how about it? 10,000 steps gives you a lot of time to think. Me? I was thinking about the number of times I have heard, just in the last couple of weeks, "When are you coming back to the States?" How nice, my friends want to see me. At first my answer was "never" but that upset people. I have modified my response to "I don't know. Right now my stay is indefinite." That seems to be the diplomatic way to go. So, nattering over, I looked up and saw this, less than 5,000 steps from my front door. If I had looked the other way I'd have seen the gilded horses of the Pont Alexandre and the glazed roof of the Grand Palais. If I had wanted to drown my progress in a little apero, L'Esplanade, a fashionable little cafe, was just across the street and ready to welcome me. Honestly, guys, the answer to the question is, I don't know. I may well return to the States -- never say never -- but this life is good.
I got this new phone, a Samsung Galaxy. It has an app that tracks your health habits. It says mine are good, which is a relief, though a little hard to believe. Nobody is perfect, though, so even as Samsung was patting me on the back it was saying, so, how about walking 10,000 steps each day. I’m out with jumpy little Jacques a couple of times each day anyway. Sure, how about it? 10,000 steps gives you a lot of time to think. Me? I was thinking about the number of times I have heard, just in the last couple of weeks, “When are you coming back to the States?” How nice, my friends want to see me. At first my answer was “never” but that upset people. I have modified my response to “I don’t know. Right now my stay is indefinite.” That seems to be the diplomatic way to go. So, nattering over, I looked up and saw this, less than 5,000 steps from my front door. If I had looked the other way I’d have seen the gilded horses of the Pont Alexandre and the glazed roof of the Grand Palais. If I had wanted to drown my progress in a little apero, L’Esplanade, a fashionable little cafe, was just across the street and ready to welcome me. Honestly, guys, the answer to the question is, I don’t know. I may well return to the States — never say never — but this life is good.

Lynn Sullivan’s Day Off

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Goujonnerie
Well, so, the hiccup. Sorry about the technical difficulties. We had our first unforeseen condition, a thing with the subfloor being different than we expected. As you can tell by the photo, I have moved on.
This is the standard by which I will judge my own decorating schemes. Zach is visiting, right when too many technical difficulties are hitting. It’s been all work and little play for him, not much of a vacation at all. We need a break. Fortunately for both of us, I found this crazy hotel, the Chateau Goujeonnerie, something like that (lestroisgarcons.com/chateau/). In 2006 someone bought the place and renovated it, turning it into a hotel. They are not the first to have this idea but few do it so well. There is no sign, no restaurant, no nothing, really, that would tell you it is other than a very nice house. My room is not numbered. My shower is in a turret.
As you can see, the furniture is haute brocante, celebrating what they have and adding a touch of theater and a dab of irreverence. Think Addison Mizner meets Napoleon III and you’ll get the idea — and if you get those references, come on over! We’ll have lots to talk about.