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Color Makes the Difference
The home of one native New Orleanian is alive with rich, seasoned hues. Penny Francis shares her secrets on combining color.

This article has been updated on October 31, 2005. At this time, we are unable to reach this business (or homeowner) after Hurricane Katrina. Please contact us if you have any information regarding its status.

This homeowner is a hands-on kind of person. You can always find her mixing and matching something to enhance her uptown New Orleans home. Maybe it's an innate artistic spirit or simply curiosity that leads to getting her hands dirty. Whatever the task, Penny Francis digs in.

A creator of decorative accessories, entrepreneur, Web site designer, and mother of two, Penny uses her home as her canvas; pattern and texture are her brushes. The result is a masterpiece of color.

True to Character
Whether old or new, all dwellings need continuous attention. With a little thought, time, and elbow grease, they take on personalities all their own. This is definitely the case with the Francises' home. Built in 1928, its historic Georgian architecture is accented with Spanish and Mediterranean influences. Prominent Corinthian columns frame an enclosed front porch, and a neoclassical design flavor pervades throughout.

"My husband, Todd, and I love the character and charm of older buildings," says Penny. "We liked the flow of our home, especially the fact that every room is separate and situated off a long hallway. We kept the integrity of the design and set out to give it personality."

When the family--which includes daughters Casi and Camryn--moved in, they began making both structural and aesthetic improvements. Project after project quickly ensued: updating pipes, revamping plumbing, renovating the kitchen, and repaving the driveway. Like a balancing act, Penny could be found coordinating multiple projects all at once.

Creative With Color
Most impressive, though, is Penny's work in the realm of decorating. She possesses an uncanny sense of color. Whether on walls, fabrics, artwork, or accessories, the most electrifying elements in each room are the mood-altering, utterly transforming, and stimulating hues.

"Color gives flavor," says Penny. "It makes everything in a room come alive. Furniture and accessories all have more life when paired with various shades. Color is the smallest investment you can make in a room with the greatest amount of return."

From strong, solid colors in the bedrooms and living areas to a faux finish in the hallway, Penny admits that even the simplest applications have made the biggest difference. "I started out changing wall colors in the children's rooms. That gave me the confidence to follow my instincts in the master bedroom and then in every other room of the house."

(For unique decorating ideas, see "All-Star Bedroom" (page 156) and "Table Undercover" (page 153) in the September 2002 issue of Southern Living.)

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