meeting with Vivienne. She checked herself in a compact mirror, touching up her lip gloss. Despite the humidity doing in her attempt to straighten her hair, she smiled at the woman looking back at her and rang the bell.
Vivienne had her studio in an old house on an oak-shaded street in Uptown. Once home to families, most of the buildings on the street now housed businesses, many of them attorneys and financial services companies.
Vivienne’s L-shaped building stood out for its bright combination of cream wood shingles and blanched stone, contrasted starkly against the brick structures on either side of it. The boldness of the exterior hinted at the decor inside. Once in the foyer, Shannon gasped.
Vivienne wore an elegant jersey jumpsuit in black and welcomed her in. Marbled cream enveloped Shannon from the floors to the custom painted walls and two-story high ceiling. A black and white checked carpet draped down the steps of a tall, curved staircase that dropped into the center. Paintings in bright primary colors dotted the wall, descending with the stairs.
Shannon looked up at a massive bronze pendulum chandelier with cut glass that fractured the light glowing from it. “This house is stunning.”
“Good. I’d hope so. Follow me. I’ll give you a quick tour. The place actually isn’t that big.”
Vivienne turned and pointed in each direction as she spoke. “The kitchen and casual living area are to the left. The formal living and dining are here to the right. Upstairs, I have my office and sample rooms in what were the other two bedrooms. I keep the downstairs staged a bit with furniture and larger art pieces on loan from the local artists who work with me. Let’s start this way.”
Vivienne led Shannon through a pair of heavy wooden doors into the most dazzling living room Shannon had ever seen. Rather than continuing the blanched almond colors of the foyer, Vivienne had done the room in dark chocolate panels, carved with foot-high molding, cornices, and columns topped with scrolls swirled like sea shells. Against the deep brown backdrop, the lightness of the furnishings and art popped brightly. On one end of the room, a sofa the color of strawberry ice cream sat opposite one in so pale a pink, Shannon thought it was white until she walked by it on her tour around the room. Between the two pink sofas sat two plush side chairs in wild cheetah print.
All of the seating framed two clear coffee tables. In the center of each sat a low vase with clusters of creamy roses tinged with fuchsia.
“Are those glass?” Shannon asked about the coffee table.
“No. Polycarbonate.”
“The tables are so modern compared to the paneling and the heavy drapes. And the colors. Pink, cheetah, and what’s that made of?” Shannon pointed to the long sofa table behind the darker pink couch.
“Just chrome. I kept the walls dark and traditional, so I can show off the lightness and cleanness of the furniture. Like the dining table.” Vivienne directed Shannon to the other side of the room where she had a massive glass dining table flanked by oval-backed chairs in an antique cream wood and pewter velvet.
“Do you sell these pieces?” Shannon couldn’t imagine keeping such expensive pieces for show.
“Of course. I change out the pieces in here every four or five months. It’s a showroom, but everything is for sale.”
“You’re amazingly creative. I’m a little worried about what I’ll be able to do for you,” Shannon admitted.
Vivienne waved off Shannon’s doubt.
“Oh, you can help me pull samples and go through vendor catalogs and flag items of interest for clients. There are all sorts of ways I could use an extra pair of hands. I’d been about to hire an assistant when my brother called me about you. This will be simpler than having someone full-time. Trust me. You’re doing me a favor.”
Shannon didn’t believe her, but the thrill of being surrounded by the color and richness of a real interior design
Vivienne had her studio in an old house on an oak-shaded street in Uptown. Once home to families, most of the buildings on the street now housed businesses, many of them attorneys and financial services companies.
Vivienne’s L-shaped building stood out for its bright combination of cream wood shingles and blanched stone, contrasted starkly against the brick structures on either side of it. The boldness of the exterior hinted at the decor inside. Once in the foyer, Shannon gasped.
Vivienne wore an elegant jersey jumpsuit in black and welcomed her in. Marbled cream enveloped Shannon from the floors to the custom painted walls and two-story high ceiling. A black and white checked carpet draped down the steps of a tall, curved staircase that dropped into the center. Paintings in bright primary colors dotted the wall, descending with the stairs.
Shannon looked up at a massive bronze pendulum chandelier with cut glass that fractured the light glowing from it. “This house is stunning.”
“Good. I’d hope so. Follow me. I’ll give you a quick tour. The place actually isn’t that big.”
Vivienne turned and pointed in each direction as she spoke. “The kitchen and casual living area are to the left. The formal living and dining are here to the right. Upstairs, I have my office and sample rooms in what were the other two bedrooms. I keep the downstairs staged a bit with furniture and larger art pieces on loan from the local artists who work with me. Let’s start this way.”
Vivienne led Shannon through a pair of heavy wooden doors into the most dazzling living room Shannon had ever seen. Rather than continuing the blanched almond colors of the foyer, Vivienne had done the room in dark chocolate panels, carved with foot-high molding, cornices, and columns topped with scrolls swirled like sea shells. Against the deep brown backdrop, the lightness of the furnishings and art popped brightly. On one end of the room, a sofa the color of strawberry ice cream sat opposite one in so pale a pink, Shannon thought it was white until she walked by it on her tour around the room. Between the two pink sofas sat two plush side chairs in wild cheetah print.
All of the seating framed two clear coffee tables. In the center of each sat a low vase with clusters of creamy roses tinged with fuchsia.
“Are those glass?” Shannon asked about the coffee table.
“No. Polycarbonate.”
“The tables are so modern compared to the paneling and the heavy drapes. And the colors. Pink, cheetah, and what’s that made of?” Shannon pointed to the long sofa table behind the darker pink couch.
“Just chrome. I kept the walls dark and traditional, so I can show off the lightness and cleanness of the furniture. Like the dining table.” Vivienne directed Shannon to the other side of the room where she had a massive glass dining table flanked by oval-backed chairs in an antique cream wood and pewter velvet.
“Do you sell these pieces?” Shannon couldn’t imagine keeping such expensive pieces for show.
“Of course. I change out the pieces in here every four or five months. It’s a showroom, but everything is for sale.”
“You’re amazingly creative. I’m a little worried about what I’ll be able to do for you,” Shannon admitted.
Vivienne waved off Shannon’s doubt.
“Oh, you can help me pull samples and go through vendor catalogs and flag items of interest for clients. There are all sorts of ways I could use an extra pair of hands. I’d been about to hire an assistant when my brother called me about you. This will be simpler than having someone full-time. Trust me. You’re doing me a favor.”
Shannon didn’t believe her, but the thrill of being surrounded by the color and richness of a real interior design
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