Going All In With Paint: Jess Bennet's Living Room Reveal

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Going All In With Paint: Jess Bennet's Living Room Reveal"

Episode Details:

• Podcast: Dear Alice | Interior Design
• Hosts: Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall
• Episode Title: Going All In With Paint: Jess Bennet's Living Room Reveal
• Release Date: July 10, 2025

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Introduction to the Living Room Transformation

In this vibrant episode of "Dear Alice," hosts Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall delve into Jessica's ambitious project of repainting her living room. The discussion revolves around the intricate process of selecting the perfect wall color, the challenges faced during the transformation, and the exhilarating final reveal. This episode serves as both an inspirational journey for interior design enthusiasts and a practical guide for homeowners looking to revitalize their spaces.

Motivation Behind the Redesign

Jessica Bennett opens up about her growing dissatisfaction with her living space. Despite the room's elegant appearance, prominently featured on Homeworthy earlier in the year, Jessica felt it lacked the excitement and personal connection she desired. She shares:

"I'm so bored of this entry." ([04:22])

Having lived in her home for a decade, Jessica realized that her initial design choices no longer resonated with her evolving tastes. This introspection sparked the decision to embark on a comprehensive redesign.

The Color Selection Journey

The cornerstone of the redesign was selecting a new wall color that would breathe life into the space. Jessica recounts her inspiration drawn from trends discussed at Design Week in Milan:

"We've seen jewel tones. We are just seeing really, really rich, fully drenched spaces... glossy." ([05:09])

Determined to experiment, she opted for high gloss paint on her existing grass cloth walls, aiming to create a luxurious and immersive atmosphere. Her initial choice, "Tropical Oasis" by Benjamin Moore, seemed perfect but soon proved too light:

"I was like, it's too light." ([12:00])

Faced with this unexpected outcome, Jessica made the bold decision to switch to a deeper shade, ultimately selecting "Fair Isle Blue" for a more profound and enveloping feel.

Overcoming Painting Challenges

The painting process was fraught with challenges, including color misjudgments and the physical demands of achieving a flawless finish. Jessica describes an emergency scenario where she needed immediate assistance to adjust the paint application:

"I had an emergency phone call... we're completely covered in plastic." ([12:33])

Ensuring a pristine high gloss finish required meticulous preparation and multiple coats, leading to significant disruption:

"The fine dust throughout my whole home... it's pretty disruptive to live through." ([20:31])

Despite these hurdles, the dedication paid off, resulting in a stunning transformation that exceeded initial expectations.

Design Elements and Aesthetic Choices

Jessica didn't stop at wall color; she meticulously curated every element to ensure a harmonious and cohesive look:

• Glossy Surfaces: The high gloss paint added a luxurious "wetness" effect, providing a striking contrast against the textured grass cloth.

• Terracotta Ceiling: Opting for a terracotta hue on the ceiling introduced warmth and depth, enhancing the room's overall vibrancy:

  "The terracotta ceiling is just such a fun payoff." ([16:00])

• Furniture Arrangement: By reorienting existing furniture and introducing new pieces like a yellow French chair, Jessica created dynamic focal points that complemented the new color scheme:

  "The yellow chair brought it to life." ([24:31])

• Textiles and Accessories: Updating window treatments and reconfiguring accessories ensured that every detail contributed to the room's refreshed aesthetic.

Final Reveal and Reactions

The culmination of Jessica's efforts is a living room that exudes elegance and personality. Friends and family were notably impressed, with some expressing surprise at the daring terracotta ceiling. Jessica reflects on the process:

"If you need any help, DM me because I just barely went through this." ([29:05])

The reveal showcased a space that was not only visually stunning but also a true reflection of Jessica's personal style and design philosophy.

Design Tips and Takeaways

Concluding the episode, Jessica and Suzanne offer invaluable advice for listeners undertaking similar projects:

1. Embrace Bold Choices:

   "Don't be afraid of dark walls or gloss. You gotta do it. You gotta try it on." ([27:52])

2. Generously Sample Paint:

   "I ordered so many samples. I was like, having an identity crisis." ([27:52])

3. Consider Ceiling Colors:

   "Consider your ceiling, too." ([27:52])

4. Let Emotion Guide the Process:

   "Let emotion guide it." ([28:58])

5. Seek Support and Collaboration:

   "Have your own Suzanne Hall on speed dial." ([29:05])

These tips emphasize the importance of thoughtful planning, emotional connection to design choices, and the value of collaboration and support throughout the transformation journey.

Conclusion

"Going All In With Paint: Jess Bennet's Living Room Reveal" is a testament to the transformative power of thoughtful design and bold choices. Jessica Bennett's journey from feeling uninspired to creating a vibrant, personalized living space offers both inspiration and practical guidance for anyone looking to infuse their home with new life. The episode underscores the significance of aligning design with personal emotions and preferences, ultimately fostering spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful.

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Note: This summary omits the advertisement segment for Cozy Earth sheets to maintain focus on the core content, as per the requested guidelines.

Transcript

[Jessica Bennett]

Foreign.

[Sue]

Welcome to Dear Alice, a lifestyle approach to interior design.

[Jessica Bennett]

Hi, guys. Welcome to Dear Alice. Today we have a fun one.

[Sue]

Yeah, like, drumroll stuff. Like, it's gonna be good.

[E]

I've been excited to just record this episode just because I have, like, my own opinions on it and I feel I got a little sneak peek to it.

[Matthew]

So. Yeah.

[E]

Been so excited.

[Jessica Bennett]

Do you guys recall a few months ago when I said I was gonna cut my hair off and get a perm or I needed to paint my living room? It's done. Today is the living room podcast.

[E]

I think you made the right call, too. I'm gonna say.

[Jessica Bennett]

Yeah, you.

[Sue]

I'm sure you. If anyone could pull off a permit.

[Jessica Bennett]

Jessica Bennett, but that's real nice. Thank you, Sue. Yeah, I'm picturing what's his name that used to teach aerobics in the 80s. Oh, yeah.

[E]

Richard Simmons.

[Jessica Bennett]

That's what I'm picturing. Richard Sim. Richard Simmons. Hair on my head right now. I don't think I could pull it off. But we did pull off the living room, and that is what we're here to talk about today, guys. This was a really involved process, and I know how y' all love interior design, so I want to take you on a journey. On the journey that I took and in interior design. And if I'm. If I can pay anything forward to you, I'm going to tell you all of it. So I'm going to take you. I've got pictures, so if you can tune in on YouTube or Spotify, you're going to want to see the reveal on this. We'll also be sharing it on our socials, and I'm excited. I want to say this too. The room is not complete. It is 90% there. I still feel like I need to fuss and Finnick with it, and I need a big original piece of art over the mantle. And things are going to change, as they all do with artist homes and designers homes. So I just put my old furniture back. Back in the room. I did a few little tiny tweaks and a little different furniture arranging, but mostly we're focusing on choosing the wall color, which I wanted to take you on that journey and how I came to the color and. Yeah, that's today's podcast.

[Sue]

Okay.

[E]

Awesome.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

One kind of fun thing is I haven't seen the final reveal, so you and I are both seeing this for the same at the very same time. So I'm like, itching out of my skin right now.

[Jessica Bennett]

Like, I just barely. Just with my own cell On Monday morning, I just hurry and just took some cell phone videos and pictures just to be able to show it in this podcast. So it also hasn't been professionally shot, but you're just a bunch of close friends. And so I'm just taking you on the journey with me, which I feel like will be more authentic than waiting six months until everything's dialed in and perfect and shot. And then I will have forgot half of the emotion that I went down. And let me tell you, I'm glad that I had to experience this because this is what our clients go through. And I did switch colors midstream, folks. Yes, I did.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[E]

Like, I mean, the other color was on the wall or.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[E]

So I mean, sprayed after midstream.

[Corey]

Yes.

[Matthew]

Yeah, yeah.

[E]

That's like crazy.

[Sue]

50 baked.

[Matthew]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

It was half baked. And I was like, I think there's a second coat coming. Matthew the painter. So for the second coat, what would you feel about stopping by the paint store in the morning and getting the next shade darker? So anyway, I want to take you guys on that journey with me, and while it was still fresh, we said, let's hurry and record this. And then maybe down the road when it's really primped and polished and we have beautiful photography, then we'll share that in some sort of teaser episode or something. But anyway, so excited. Today is all about the journey.

[Sue]

Like you said, we're gonna get into your living room. And I know we say. I feel like just in general, we're always just like the fat. Like, the least expensive way to, like, change up the whole vibe. Vibe of your room is to paint the walls and you, like, went an extra step because you went glossy and you painted your grass cloth and you floated your barrel. So, like, I really want to get into all the details of what that was like, because I'm like, it's not as simple as just like, you have a plain, like, drywall box that you're just gonna like, go to Home Depot and throw some paint on the walls. Like, this was a very, very in depth process. So I want to start from the beginning.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

And be like, what was the itch? Why? Why did you start? How did you start? And yeah, get us started on that.

[Jessica Bennett]

I'm glad you asked what the itch was because it was very much that. It was physical for me.

[Corey]

I.

[Jessica Bennett]

So my house was published on Homeworthy at the very beginning of the year in January, and when I watched the release of that, I remember being like, I'm so bored of this Entry.

[E]

Your home is amazing. So it's not like it was boring, but you've just lived with it.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

And also, I've been in my house for a decade, so I made these decisions a decade ago while we were in the planning phases of the home. And then you build the house and it takes, you know, a year and a half or so to build. And then the finishes finally go on. So the grass cloth on my walls in my living room is this beautiful bronze grass cloth, which I knew I would love my whole life. I'd never tire of this. It's perfectly neutral.

[Corey]

Right.

[Jessica Bennett]

We've got white casings and it's a 10 foot ceiling room. We've got real wood windows in here that are casement. They crank out. I have a wood mantel that's been painted semi gloss. All the trims were semi gloss. Ceiling was white and it had a textured ceiling in the room. And as, you know, as design progressive progresses and things change, in our own projects, we've really incorporated painting the ceiling in the process of it. So after living in the house for five years or so, I remember walking in those rooms and feeling like they don't feel finished. And it was because the lid was white. And so I was like, oh, at some point I need to just paint that ceiling. And I'm glad I didn't do it then because, you know, as things change too, your taste evolves and things evolve. And I was just actually listening to an expert that was at Design Design Week in Milan talk about the trends that they're seeing come out. And usually the way that the world works is Europe does it first and then it slowly catches on over in America. And so it's fun to cue into what they're doing because then you kind of get this slingshot of, okay, this is going to be coming in the next couple years or so. So anyway, what they're saying is there's these verdant greens, lots of colors with green undertones, full chroma colors. We've seen jewel tones. We are just seeing really, really rich, fully drenched spaces, of course, but they're no longer dry, they're glossy. And it's the mix and play of different finishes together. They're even Talking about the 70s shag rugs, you know, for contrast against smooth surf surfaces. High gloss things. Wenge woods, again, just, you know, when you think about wenge, you always picture that high gloss. But then on a shag rug, which is really dry and high pile, so it's this mix of materials. It's this high with low. And a lot of the walls that they're seeing is this high gloss paint. So I was like, I need to take the physical challenge. Like, it's my job to be on the front end of this and to know what it feels like and to know how to design with it and what fabrics I'm putting with it. And so I'm looking at this dry, neutral room and I'm like, we've been in this dry phase forever where it's all neutrals, it's linens, it's, you know, casual. Casual. This California look, the boho things, the baskets, all of, you know, all of this. And I think what we're about to step into is really intentional high design. And I thought, I gotta try it on. I gotta see if it fits.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

And I was in the mood for a change, and I was so bored when I watched my own room. And I'm here I am presenting my home to homeworthy. And you know, there's been over a hundred thousand downloads and lots of really kind comments, but it's not that interesting. It's beautiful, it's elegant, but for a designer, it wasn't that interesting.

[E]

So, I mean, I, I do think so. And especially the way you style it and I mean, there's a ton of interest in it. What you did is, I mean, next level though. So.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[E]

Jess. Now that it's summer, it's so hard to regulate your temperature while we're sleeping. So we need to let everyone know about the cozy earth bamboo sheet set.

[Jessica Bennett]

Yes, we do. I'm actually telling everybody around me because these are magic in a sheet set, they're temperature regulating. I don't know how they do it. They don't have a thermostat, but it feels like they do. They are guaranteed to give you a comfortable night's sleep. They're made from viscose from bamboo, and they just naturally wick away heat and moisture from your body, helping you sleep several degrees cooler. This is important in my marriage because I sleep with a big man and he's always hot and I am usually cool. And these are just so comfortable for both of us. They're kind of got a silky hand to them too. So I like the dressier look that they have than a cotton sheet. And I love that they keep us both really cool for the summer. They are beautiful. They're comfortable and they just, I don't know, they just feel so good on my feet and legs at night.

[E]

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[Jessica Bennett]

So I have grass cloth on the walls. So I remember walking in the showroom by a piece that we have in our showroom by Highland House and there's this console and it's grass cloth covered and it's high gloss, painted white. And we also have the side tables of it. And I remember being like, you can paint grass cloth. We've painted grass cloth before. But sometimes when you're in the middle of making a decision, you're trying as you're seeing different physical things and things in your life, you're like, ooh, that could. I'm reacting to it and I thought, I want to feel my way through this process. I want to feel something. Sue's often says I feel nothing in a neutral room.

[Corey]

Right.

[Jessica Bennett]

And I was like, I want to feel something. So I'm going to let my, my gut guide this whole experience and I want to see how I'm reacting to different things and let that tell me. So when I saw these grass cloth painted tables, I was like, that's what I'm doing. I'm not taking the grass cloth down. I'm going to paint the grass cloth. I'm keeping that texture because we know texture is a big player. But I'm going to high gloss it if my painter says it's okay to do it. So the idea all along was I'm just going to paint the grass cloth a color and I'm going to make sure and include the ceiling in the process of it. And what is, what is my color? And we, we sell this color astrology book at Alice Lane. And funny enough, when you turn to August 14th, my birthday, dark teal is the, is my science.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Oh my gosh, full circle.

[Jessica Bennett]

I know this rug that I've had in my living room for probably 15 years. It's by Thomas O'. Brien. It's called gilded teal. So it's this beautiful off white ground, and it's kind of like a klempt painting, and it has little bits of teal and off white and brown that make this really beautiful offset sort of kind of inline checkered pattern that sort of waves through it like a klemped painting, like the dress of the woman. And it has that little bit of teal in it. And I was like, okay, I don't. I know this sounds like 1987, but I totally want to paint my walls teal. But not just any teal. I want it to feel peacock, and I want it to be rich, and I want to just feel completely swallowed by it. Enveloped.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[E]

It's more vibrant, I would say, than the 1987 teal. That, like, is stuck in my mind.

[Jessica Bennett]

Yeah, like you wore to aerobics and biker shorts and windbreakers.

[E]

Yeah, was. I was one, so I didn't. But, yeah, I know, exactly.

[Matthew]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Jessica Bennett]

Like hot pink and teal and leg warmers and, you know, Corvettes and all of that. No, this one's definitely like a richer oasis. In fact, when I. When we had the podcast, it was in the spring, and I was like, I'm gonna cut my hair and get a perm or I've got to paint this room. And my color at that point was Tropical Oasis by Ben Moore. And that is the color I put on the walls. And when we sprayed it round one.

[Corey]

When we.

[Jessica Bennett]

When we sprayed it on and went in, of course it's nighttime and the. All the windows are covered in paper, so I don't have any natural light in this room. And I was like, it's too light. And the painter was like, I'm sure you're going to think it's too dark. And I just remember being like, this isn't the feeling I wanted. So then we clicked it down a shade. Actually, I had an emergency phone call. I texted Sue, 91 1, I need you to come over. Luckily, we both live in the same city. She came over with her little boy, and we went in room that was completely covered in plastic. We unzipped the zip walls. We went in there. We turned on this fluorescent light that the painter had in there. And because it's high gloss. Oh, by the way, I went high gloss. I went high gloss on the grass. I went high gloss on the trim. And then the wild card round. I don't remember if it was your idea, sue, or trim.

[Sue]

Oh, no, the windows.

[Jessica Bennett]

The windows.

[Sue]

Yeah. I think we went back and forth on the polos. And I'm like, it's gonna be. You're like, should I do the windows? I'm like, yeah, it'll be weird if, like, you just have these white boxes because you're already gonna feel. Because we always talk about, like, those tension bits when you look into a space and where does your eye stops? It stops at contrast.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

And so if you leave your mantle white, your eyes just gonna fill that shape.

[Corey]

Yep.

[Sue]

You know, in this, like, really deep box, it's going to fill all the windows.

[Jessica Bennett]

And I'd already been filling that with the grass cloth. I had the white windows. And so I was like, if I really want to feel something, experience something different and really be the designer and take the challenge and the risk, then I've. I have to experience this for myself. And I have wood windows, so I was like, I can paint them. And I remember looking at my concept photos, and there's this beautiful French manner, and the walls were turquoise, the windows were turquoise, and one of the windows was cracked open, and you really felt that dimension of it. I was like, okay, I'll paint the windows. Oh, my gosh, I can't believe I'm painting my white windows turquoise or whatever color. And. And then I'm painting the base molds, and then the only thing left white in the room was my mantle. I was like, I can't paint the mantle white. That feels sacrilege. Like, what? But then it was like, it's the only thing left. And I remember talking to my neighbor Barbara, who loves design. Shout out, Barbara. Anyway, she was like, it would be like. It would be like leaving your roots gray, you know, like, absolutely. You gotta go take it all the way. The full, complete thing. And when I had that visual of, like, oh, yeah, no, when I want to go get my roots done as a blonde and cover up all those dark roots, like, you want that fully all in thing. So then I was like, okay, everything. Everything's going to be that color. But then sue and I, we were like, we. Of course, you're seeing all these concepts, and you're looking at tons of work. And some of my favorite concepts have a different color ceiling. And I was thinking I was going to do the designer trick, which is do 10 of the color of the walls as the ceiling, so it's just a brighter shade of turquoise. And I had concepts like that, which I loved. But then in the end, I was like, I think I need to pop it with maybe, like, a mustard or something like that. And I love that. Combination of this sort of blue with mustard. It's just so handsome. And I just knew I'd never be tired of it. So I was like, okay, that's what I'm gonna do. But then when I brought sue over, I had a couple of really large paint chips. I had this note of sort of terracotta peach in the mix. And we lit up like schoolgirls, like, giggly over it. And I was like, that feeling. That's the feeling.

[Sue]

I want to feel visceral, guys.

[Jessica Bennett]

It is.

[Sue]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

And I just want to say to you, if you're going to make a change, this. You need to feel it. Don't. Don't do it. So that you're gonna be like, my future self will thank me in a decade if I do this. Smart choice of leaving my white windows white. Like, go all in with it. Because you love design and you really do want to feel the completed feeling of it. So we did. We decided on the terracotta colored ceiling.

[E]

Which was the biggest surprise to me because I was like, that's.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[E]

That's so rad. And I didn't. I wasn't expecting that.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[Sue]

But as you walk in Jess's house, like, you go through warmed cognac, that orange, like, Hermes door at the very entry. And so I'm like, feeling these relationships of just like, other decisions that she's made made sense, that we're just like kind of taking a tonal step from that onto the ceiling. So again, you feel like you're in the same house. So even though it was such a juxtaposition from what you'd experience, it didn't not. It felt like you. It completely felt like you. And like, what you're drawn to, like, 100. It's not like you're. I don't know. When you were talking about just like, the neutral plane is safe. Like, we're not. We're not designing to resell.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

If it's. If it's supposed to resell. Well. Because it's done in good taste.

[Matthew]

Y.

[Sue]

You know, but it feels like you. And you're. You're the one occupying the space. And so why would you short sheet yourself?

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

And, like, do it for somebody else? That's. That's so lame.

[Jessica Bennett]

So lame.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Anyway.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Terracotta.

[Jessica Bennett]

Terracotta.

[Sue]

It is.

[Jessica Bennett]

So knowing that I wanted you guys.

[Sue]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jessica Bennett]

I'm playing this.

[Sue]

I haven't seen this without plastic and dark windows. Shut your mouth, Jessica Bennett.

[Jessica Bennett]

I know. It's so fun.

[E]

So rad.

[Sue]

I was about to swear. That's so good.

[E]

So good looking in. That's. Oh, man.

[Sue]

The warm tones from your wood to your ceiling.

[Jessica Bennett]

That is like Cory said, the note from the front door being orange, which made that decision in a vacuum last year. Right. And then the grass turned out so great. The painter was like, I think we'll have to go matte on the grass. But then he wanted to experience it, and so he did go high gloss on it. I'm so glad we did. I'm so glad. The walls actually feel like silk now.

[Sue]

No, I'm just like. That probably, like, gave him 10 more years.

[Matthew]

You're like, yeah, yeah.

[E]

Did he think that some would soak in more than others and so you'd have, like, high spots of gloss and then low spots or.

[Jessica Bennett]

He said he had to use a really fast drying primer on it because it would soak. It, would soak it. So he did some form of primer on it to. To get it ready for this. And it was white, which was scary to look at the grass covered in that. But it dried really fast and then it absorbed it well. And he had to do multiple, multiple coats of this. And depending on which light you look at, you know the room in, sometimes the turquoise looks a lot brighter. But the orange door leading in and then feeling that terracotta ceiling is just such, such a fun payoff, guys. If you feel like you want to move, just paint. Just paint a room or two in your house cheaper. Yeah, definitely. So fun. So what I wanted to say, though, is because I wanted that ceiling to be high gloss, I needed to float my ceiling smooth, which I think was the.

[E]

Maybe the boldest choice that you made, because I feel like the easiest thing is to just paint the room, but really for having the contrasting ceiling that you did.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[E]

And putting it in a high gloss, you want that to be smooth. Having the texture on it is not. You're not gonna get the payoff that you want.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[E]

So. Which is a ton of work. I did it last weekend texturing my garage because we're turning into a salon for my wife.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[E]

The most time time consuming thing. So I can imagine.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[E]

The additional cost from it.

[Jessica Bennett]

If you're gonna do this, you're gonna ask for a level 5 smooth finish so that you can go high gloss. Now, the difference between high gloss and lacquer is going to be the rounds of paint and sanding that you're going to do. And I honestly, I. I wasn't in it for that. I already knew My walls were grass, and I knew high gloss would accomplish what I wanted to. The rounds of going over the baseboards and the mantle and the moldings and the ceiling over and over and over again. Honestly, this ceiling thing and the amount of fine dust throughout my whole home, the Sheetrock dust, because they go on. And to get it to level five finish, you got to wait for it to dry, and then you have to.

[E]

Come back and sand it, put another coat on.

[Jessica Bennett]

And again, yeah, it's. It's pretty disruptive to live through. If you guys are building a home right now, get your ceilings done smooth.

[E]

Do it then before all of your furniture is in your house.

[Jessica Bennett]

This is also incredibly expensive. Yeah, I only did two ceilings. I also did my office across the way, which we'll cover in a whole nother podcast. We're just going to do the living room today, but. And then I ended up just doing an entry ceiling because I think I want to do a mural in that. So I went ahead and floated all the ceiling smooth while I had zip walls off, you know, and everything taped off. And this was a week's worth of work for Oscar and his crew. But we did it. We floated him smooth. It allowed us to do the high gloss ceilings. And I'm so glad that we did it. Really, it really gives you that wetness, and then against the texture of the grass, that contrast is just so, so amazing. I'm just showing them video, and you guys will have this on your screen too. This is the painter finally removing all of the. The covering from the wood windows to reveal, you know, light and. And nature outside. And it just finally looks like a window again, but covered in this beautiful teal paint. So my second coat of paint. My first. My first coat was Tropical Oasis. We ended up using a color one shade down called Fair Isle Blue, and it's a CSP color from Ben Moore. 715 is the shade, so that's what you'll see. And then my ceiling, I use Benjamin Moore Farm Fresh, and it's numbers AF 360.

[Sue]

So pretty.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

So, so pretty. Oh, it turned out really great.

[E]

I think doing.

[Sue]

Look at how wet that ceiling is.

[Matthew]

Yeah, I.

[E]

And. And that. Like that.

[Jessica Bennett]

And when the chandelier is on, it, it is just absolutely like a mirror. Like, it's.

[Sue]

It's.

[Jessica Bennett]

The way it reflects is just so pretty.

[E]

You get more bang for your buck from your fixture in your room.

[Corey]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

It's like it's doing magic tricks for me in there, which is so fun.

[E]

I think you Made the right call with the high gloss paint on this, like, rather than doing a lacquer, because I don't think you could have gotten the trim in the wall to be as close as they are now with a lacquer because you have to sand that a ton. And sanding the grass cloth, that's obviously problematic. So, yeah, I definitely think you made the right call.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[E]

Looks so good.

[Corey]

Yeah, it's.

[Jessica Bennett]

It's handsome, but it's interesting.

[Sue]

That's so beautiful.

[Jessica Bennett]

It feels like an individual. And I know at one point, sue, you. And I grabbed my sofa cush to bring it in because I have a blue sofa. And so this needed to look really great with the wall color. And they look. They look fantastic together.

[Sue]

And I'm glad that it wasn't an exact match. Do you know what I mean? I'm like, that's why it became designer is like, there's again, a little bit of attention. It's not an exact match, but it adapted. I imagine it adapted. I haven't seen it live, I know, since, like, the second coat fair blue was put on.

[Jessica Bennett]

But, I mean, don't those walls look like Silk house?

[Sue]

No. It's incredible. Oh, my gosh.

[Jessica Bennett]

Yeah. I wanted to show this is the so on that Fair Isle blue color. And then this is how the room turned out.

[Corey]

Yellow.

[Sue]

Oh, the yellow with the terracotta, with the cognac.

[Jessica Bennett]

So that's what's been so fun, is that. Is that I have to. I had to, like, figure out what to put back in the room and everybody. Did you get all new furniture? And I was like, well, no, I'm just painting my room. And I was like, so one of the things was I have these sheer draperies, and I've had them in the house for a decade. And, you know, custom drapes are a lot of money and rods and everything else. And when I put the white sheer draperies up on these teal walls, guys, it was not good. I was like, oh, no, I've got to remake my draperies. I might even need to get new window treatments. I mean, new window coverings made because I have these black linen roller shades. Anyway, I'll just take you guys through this. Hopefully you're watching. So what I decided to do was put all the drapes on the right side.

[Corey]

Right.

[Jessica Bennett]

Justify them, because I have this big white Thomas o' Brien secret.

[Sue]

Very artistic of you.

[Jessica Bennett]

And the stack next to the Thomas o' Brien secretary works. So for the moment, I'm gonna hang out there and. And just keep rearranging the furniture. I had this beautiful yellow French chair in my entryway. I ended up putting it here in my living room. You can see the window is cranked open on the left side of the fireplace there. And the yellow chair brought it to life. It brought the terracotta ceiling in focus. It played off the orange door. And it's like a magic trick in there. So color.

[Sue]

Color blocking. It's color blocking.

[Jessica Bennett]

It is. It's color blocking.

[Sue]

So good.

[Jessica Bennett]

Yeah, so, so good.

[Sue]

This is really funny fun because I'm like, look at your. The black marble again. Just back to that mantle. Like, what a win that is.

[Jessica Bennett]

Same marble.

[Corey]

Yeah, that didn't change.

[Jessica Bennett]

It's fun because your old house looks new again and fresh again when you pair it with different things. All of this furniture is exactly the same, Right. I've. I've taken things out of the entry or out of other rooms and just remixed it, but you get this entirely different outcome because of the. Because of color and because of pairing. Right. Even I have these vases on the mantel, these oli resin vases, and they're navy blue. But in this room, they become peacock. My sofa. It pulls the teal from it and adapt to each other, guys. Yeah, they really do. It's so fun.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[Sue]

Hot yam. Look. And look at again. Add a tree. Add some greenery.

[Jessica Bennett]

Yeah, that was. That's my next takeaway is I've got to go to, like, tropical cactus and tropicals and just get a really interesting tree. I just ran outside and foraged some branches and just put them in in our crystal shell jar, fill it up with water, and was like, I've got to feel something in this corner. And.

[Sue]

Oh, my Clara. Annie.

[Jessica Bennett]

I know. Isn't she cute? She's so cute. And our Gwende bed and I just have a new lease on life now. I just go in there and sit. And you know what I asked myself? What do I want this room to smell like? And right now I've got antika pharmacista, Lush palm. And this really does just feel like resort hotel y. Yeah.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

It's giving. I cannot tell you how invigorating this has been. Like, just. Just doing the. The absolute opposite of what I had. Different texture, right? High gloss instead of dry. Not white casing. No, not the white casings. Like, everything feels new and different. It's. It's wild. I feel like a new person. I've been, like, reborn, I'm sure.

[Sue]

Like you when you get dressed in the morning. Like, I don't know, does. Everything changes. It shifts in your mind because you're just like, anything's possible.

[Jessica Bennett]

Possible.

[Sue]

I'm.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

Teal.

[Sue]

I'm a. I'm a lacquered teal room.

[Corey]

Totally.

[Jessica Bennett]

I feel like a different bird. I ran in there Monday morning, and I just started playing around with it in the morning light. This room's really pretty. I think that's another thing to consider is when are you going to use this room? Which is generally in the evening. Because we work all day. Right. Other than on the weekends. But I love how this room looks in the morning. It's. It's really light.

[Sue]

Bounces.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Sue]

So much more. More interestingly with the dark.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

Saturated. Yeah, I think so too. So I think a few tips and giveaways would be, don't be afraid of dark walls or gloss. You gotta do it. You gotta try it on. It's coming anyway. So you can be ahead of it, or you can wait until everybody else is doing it. I would also say sample generously on large patches. I ordered so many samples.

[Sue]

A lot of samples.

[Jessica Bennett]

So many samples. I was like, having an identity crisis. And consider your ceiling, too. Consider that we have so many great, great projects going. And the ceilings are such a player.

[Sue]

I know. And even you guys. Because sometimes. Sometimes we have projects that we started in 2020. Okay. And they have a great wallpaper. And I'm, like, looking at the choice that I made in 2020, it's good. It's safe. I'm. I'm consistently saying we should. We should go Boulder on the ceiling. Like, let's feel something. And usually. And the clients are usually like, yeah, let's do it. I think if you want to do.

[Jessica Bennett]

It, like you hired a designer.

[Sue]

Exactly.

[Corey]

Right.

[Sue]

Yep. And you want to do. You can do something. Bold it to match. Exactly. Actually, it shouldn't, because otherwise. Because even the 10% trick, it's fine. But your shadow, like, plane is totally different. When you, like, turn it on, you know, on its head, it's gonna. It's gonna look different anyway.

[Jessica Bennett]

So deep and dark that. That reveal of that lighter ceiling just gave it a freshness.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

You know, in fact, it's called Farm fresh, which is. Which is really funny and kind of sweet.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

And I. I have to say, another takeaway is just, like, let emotion guide it. Because this is really personal. This process is. And even though it was personal for me, I have to say, everybody in my family loves it. Our friend Brett came over, who helped with a few of the subs here, and he did not Understand the ceiling at all.

[E]

He was like, oh, like, after or, okay.

[Jessica Bennett]

He didn't like it, which I also think is great.

[Matthew]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

Like, to have it be polarizing. Like, you made an original enough choice that it's polarizing, I think is fine. It's a conversation. It's interesting. Everything's more interesting in this room now.

[Corey]

Now. Yeah.

[Sue]

Oh, I'm so excited about this.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Jessica Bennett]

Anyway, that's it.

[E]

Yeah, it's. It's amazing. I'm, like, super, super stoked for you guys. That's. I mean, seeing Adam, like, really excited about it too. I'm like, that's amazing. Like, so, yeah, he's been all in.

[Jessica Bennett]

On it, which is so great. I know. Yeah, it's been really fun. Anyway, yeah, I'm excited for you guys. If you take on the challenge, if you need any help, DM me because I just barely went through this. It is. It is an emotional roller coaster. And you. You really have amygdala hijacks. So I hope you have your own Suzanne hall on speed dial, a friend to come over and remind you who you are during the process and not to chicken out because the payoff is so, so worth it. So, anyway, thank you so much for tuning in and listening. We'll keep you posted as the room continues to graduate into its, like, final resting space. But it was far enough to take you on the process. Few things before we go. The Alice Lane summer collection, Midsummer collection is available now. So check that [e-mail] have two design services for you. We have a free service, totally complimentary. It's called home furnishing Design. This is our team of designers. There's 10 of them. They are so great. All design degrees. And they will help you with the Rolodex. Of all of the Alice Lane offerings, we have 200 vendors. They're going to get to know you. They're going to get to know your style, and then they are going to be your Disneyland fast pass for all things Alice Lane. And they're going to design your room. They're going to render it for you, take your measurements, and really help you get it right. That sectional math is really hard. Getting the right size things, the right size rug, they're going to lay it all out in your room dimensions so that you know exactly what to buy. You will die when you see the rooms coming out of this department. And it's completely complimentary using all of our vendors and also the products that Corey and I are developing. And then we have another service which is Alice Lane, interior design. Sue, tell them about Alid.

[Sue]

Yes, Alid. So we do full homes. So if you were, like, getting in, thinking about a new build or you want to embark on a big remodel model, we can help you. We work with the architect, we do plan development, and we design everything, you know, from your cabinetry to your tile to your paint. You know, whether that be high lacquered or whatever the mood is. We really, we design for the human. And so we'll get to know you really, really well to make sure that this edifice that you're putting on the earth feels like you and your family and accomplishes what you want to accomplish. So it's really, really fun. And for either of these services, you can go to alsanehome.com and you'll go to the design service tab. And then there's an Alsane interior Design. If you're interested in that. You can fill out that application and we'll get back to you. And also you can go to the home furnishings design tab and we'll reach out to you for that as well. So we're anxious to help you. We're taking clients on both ends, and we're just so excited. We love interior design, and I think you do too. So let's have fun.

[Corey]

Yay.

[Jessica Bennett]

Okay, guys, thanks so much for tuning in. We'll catch you next time. Hey, thanks for listening. If you like our show, please leave a five star rating.