May Newsletter 2010

The reflection of sunlight off golden walls does something magical in this contemporary home on Mount Tamalpais. The dramatic arched frosted skylight creates height and lets the sun in. Linda is a great believer in using skylights, and recommends painting the skylight well and the walls below in warm colors to enhance the heavenly glow.

Is it the little gold house on the prairie? Or is it one of the charming bungalows at The Cottages of Napa Valley? This old cottage, built after World War II, got a golden face lift with warm yellow-gold paint, a tin roof, and framed antique wrought iron architectural elements. Persimmon Adirondack loveseats provide colorful contrast as the setting wine country sun sparkles in the west.

A deep golden arch leads to a light-filled room whose warm color captures and reflects the magical New Mexico sun. In this eclectic old Santa Fe adobe, a black and white checkered blanket covers a beloved wingback chair, while a red floral loveseat and ottoman complement the vivid palette.

"the sun

poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses"

- from Chelsea Morning by

Joni Mitchell

Who could forget the images these words evoked the first time we heard Joni Mitchell sing Chelsea Morning?

We felt the warmth of that sunlight as it shone through the window of her cozy apartment, and we wanted to be magically transported to that room. Joni didn’t discover the effect sun has on our emotions, but her words described the way we knew we wanted to feel, and the way we wanted our homes to feel: warm, inviting, sensual. Linda has always believed in the power of the golden light and butterscotch colors of the sun to bring those feelings into our homes.

May is the month of sun, the time of year most of us are feeling the sun’s warmth for the first time since the winter. So we’ve thrown open the windows and doors, let the sunshine in, and are offering six examples of how Linda uses the light and color of gold to enrich her projects with the luxury and warmth that is the essence of gold.

"Oh, won’t you stay, we’ll put on the day,

there’s a sun show every second"

- Chelsea Morning

The French doors and skylights in the loggia of this Italian Country-style home amplify the sun’s light and create a delicious, butterscotch-colored entry. The walls are finished with hand-applied stucco tinted with an integral gold pigment. For the floor, Linda and her clients chose antique gold, apricot and gray French tiles. The rich green color on the Blomberg doors and a gray French buffet cool the warm palette.

Golden antique French pavers add a timeless essence to this newly-built bathroom that features hand stained vertical grain oak cabinets and plastered gold walls. A softly arched mirror, handmade by a local artist, reflects the sunlight in this serene and inviting tone-on-tone bathroom.

Great balls of fire dangle above and below the gold and red stripes that glisten in the light and beckon you to sit in this unusual chair. The black and white checkered gimp trim offers contrast and grounding to this outrageously updated Victorian chair that dares to defy its age.