I've always heard that opposites attract, and that has never been more true than my friendship with Valorie Hart. Perhaps that is why I am so intrigued by her. For those of you who have yet to discover the blog Visual Vamp, Valorie is the writer and wonderfully artistic woman who now lives in New Orleans with the love of her life/tango partner Alberto.
Julie, Julie Neil, Valorie, and (the very sweaty) Me at Porch in New Orleans last April.
Why do I think we are opposites? Valorie tells it like it is. I am a people pleaser at heart. Valorie is all colors. I am all neutrals. Valorie has learned to live her life unabashedly. I'm still learning this! I am so thankful to have Valorie in my life, so when I saw that she entered a room in the Apartment Therapy Room for Color Contest I couldn't wait to see it. Her room was so Valorie! It was daring, beautiful, and unexpected. I immediately voted for her room.
I wasn't surprised to find out that Valorie's room made it to the next round!
Not only do I love this room because it exemplifies Valorie's style, but it also perfectly reflects the beautiful spicy colors of New Orleans, the city that Valorie loves.
I don't know anyone other than Valorie that would hang these vintage educational skeleton posters in their breakfast room! I love that the one on the left is sporting a cool Mardi Gras mask.
This is Valorie's office. I haven't had the pleasure of actually being in this space, but I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to be fully surrounded in the Place Late Tomato color on the walls and ceiling. So dramatic, just like Valorie.
If you are as impressed with Valorie's talent to create such a beautiful, fully realized and daring room a I am then vote for Valorie!
The voting process is a bit confusing, but Valorie has made it a bit easier. Here is the advice that Valorie gave to me to pass on to you:
It's a bit of pain the way Apartment Therapy has set up their Room For Color contest.
You have to register to vote.
And now you have to vote again for those who have made it to the next round!
My room has made it to the next round.
I have lived in New Orleans for ten years now, and I bring my New York roots to my love for my adopted city of New Orleans.
The room you are looking at is my office.
You peek through an original archway into my office, which is flanked by the pair of vintage skeleton charts. One of them sports a Mardi Gras mask.
The color palette is Late Creole Tomato (a coral based red), Vibrant Turquoise, and Sophisticated Chartreuse.
Generous built in shelves house my collection of design books. A white cowhide rug makes the space cozy. A pair of pale aqua lamps with couture lampshades from Paris grace my desk, an antique table from France. Nestled into a corner is a Gris-Gris altar, filled with mementos found and given to her over the years. During Katrina, the home was spared, and many credit the power of this altar for saving it!
So please vote! A vote for this room is a vote for New Orleans, as well as for The Visual Vamp!
But please vote right away! You only get 24 hours to cast your vote in this round. If you pull me through to the next round, you'll be ready to make me a winner!
Go HERE to vote NOW! Look for the skeletons in the thumbnail photo.
It's a little confusing, so try to vote HERE too - but remember you can only vote in this round on Wednesday October 21.
xo
Brooke