BORN ON THE BAYOU

Deeply rooted in the culture of Louisiana; Briar and Clover epitomize what it means to have been “Born on the Bayou” We collected art from local artists and dug through the stuffed animals and hand puppets kept in our attic from childhood.  We pulled together a menagerie of creatures found in the swamps both natural and magical. Once we finished collecting these literal treasures, we drove the streets of the Historic Tremé neighborhood and the French Quarter in search of color combinations that put a light in both Briar and Clover’s eyes.

Classically the fabric as we call it of New Orleans is a combination of French, Spanish, and Caribbean architecture. The layers of vibrant colors create an intricate celebration of life! Little things like painting the ceiling atmospheric blue mimics the southern expectation to paint the porch ceilings here in New Orleans. A tidbit about the history behind the kaleidoscope of colorful homes in New Orleans. Coastal towns or fishing towns like New Orleans and its gumbo of migrants paint their homes and their boats in an array of vibrant colors to retract the heat and keep their dwellings cool and comfortable in the hot seasons. There is some truth to the tale of painting the porch ceiling blue; it keeps the bugs at bay so the outdoors is easy to enjoy.

Following closely to the children's heritage and cultural upbringing, the amalgamation of color, creatures, artwork and intentional storybooks surround the kids in joy and motive to explore. 

Now that we found inspiration for the room that the kids loved. Let us talk about how we got to building a house inside the house.

This house was our inspiration. Briar and Clover could not get enough of the colors use. Calling out each one as they discovered it.

CONTROVERSIAL COLOR THEORY

Our color theory might be controversial to say the least!

“Live life boldly!”

When we were designing for our tiny three and four year old clients they asked for pink, blue, green, red and every color they could remember from what they learned that week at school. Briar, the four year old, has a few more years under his belt studying color and would ask for a dark or light blue. He finally decided he wanted all of the colors and throughout the renovation would run into his room upon returning from school to check what colors were used and what was missing. Clover, on the other hand, started to copy her brother but ultimately asked for pink and purple “because I love purple” she said. As designers creating a space for young people to grow with can be unsettling. How can we choose white or neutral over the request of the child client to use a full spectrum of colors? In this kids room renovation we refreshed the walls using the warm and ever popular Grecian White and painted the ceiling the color of the sky with Sherwin Williams Atmospheric! Briar’s eyes lit up when he saw that the sky was in his room! The kids have a fascination with playing builder and love to build houses like they think their mom does. They have visited many construction sites and revisit those memories when they build homes, castles, and airports with legos. This was the determining factor in how to style the division of the room.

BEFORE

We started with two twin beds and upon analysis of the whole family needs, we built in two full beds to accommodate the growth of the kids and friends or family that come to visit. Dividing the room created a sense of individuality for both Briar and Clover. They take full ownership of their “house” and now actively choose to sleep or take a break in their personal spaces. The remainder of the room is a nice open play zone with a few lounge spaces and lots of hidden storage solutions. Back to the “house” Once we finished our replica of a traditional Tremé double it’s only right to paint it in full New Orleans fashion! We found inspiration in the artwork of Terrance Osborne and Becky Fos who bring together all colors in every brushstroke they lay on a canvas. So we bought a Fos print and framed it. Pulling the base color of deep turquoise from the ‘Born on the Bayou’ print and then highlighting it with Stay in the Lime selected from the Sherwin fan deck by Mr. Briar himself, we guided Miss Clover’s selection giving her a few berry tones to choose from. Settling on a highlight trim color of Framboise which brought balance to the Lime and both compliment the turquoise siding with just enough vibrance to say tada!

Now for the personalization of their private spaces.

Briar is infatuated with an old bayou folktale about the Rougarou his dad tells him about nightly. So we chose to design his “house” around its home, the swamp! So we sourced a paper by a local Gentility artist Anne Moran and selected colors from its palette that were mirrored versions of the vibrant exterior. Wild Lime and Broccoflower perfectly support the serene swamp landscape Moran painted. These soothing greens focused his space and drove home the cozy and relaxing cubby house Briar calls his.

HIS SIDE

Clover, oh little Miss Clover is a full fledge firecracker and also the best hugger this side of the Mississippi. She had only just turned three during this renovation but was full of curiosity and knew what she wanted. “Pink and purple! I love purple!” She blurted during any color selection process at the kitchen table. So be it Clover, pink and purple you shall have. To support the choice of the swamp paper next door we searched the Moran collection and found a second paper ‘roseate egret on lilac’ it had just enough sky blue and burgundy touches in it to tie the space together. We color matched the background of the paper to the Sherwin color rhapsody lilac. We contrasted the lilac on the bookcase and ceiling using Baroness because the name perfectly fit our little client’s personality. Then finally bedding and the tchotchkes chosen for the bookcase pulled everything together for an amazing miniature southern belle’s abode. Burgundy and magenta velvets, powder pink picked cottons, and taupe taffeta couldn’t be more of a perfect palace for Clover’s private retreat.

HER SIDE

So back to the beginning thought of our color theory being controversial. We will ask you this. What child should live in a beautifully basic neutral room when they could have their imagination run wild in a kaleidoscope of color? For centuries, the residents of New Orleans, Savanna, and St. Augustine have embraced a full spectrum of color inside and out creating cultural tapestries that enamor the world. Why not raise our children wrapped in wander and color? Don’t be a neutral Nancy! Join team Bold Brittany and Radiant Rachel on our quest to bring color to your homes!

AFTER