Jason Jennings Bonnycastle apartment Louisville, Kentucky

Lennie Omalza
| Especially for the Koerierblad

When Jason Jennings first saw his Bonnycastle apartment two years ago, he fell in love with the many windows that allowed natural light to flood the space.

One feature he wasn’t thrilled about was the walls, all painted white. The interior and floral designer soon decided to do something about his achromatic environment.

“I lived with only white people for a year,” he remembers. “Then I thought: I have to have color.”

Jennings went to Home Depot and chose paint that matched some of his favorite shades. Today, every room of his house is a different color, each space filled with complementary furniture and decor.

Nice and neutral

The living room walls are painted with wheat straw, a golden beige shade reminiscent of a toasted cookie.

“I wanted this room to be kind of neutral because it’s the living room and I’m here all the time,” Jennings said. “So I knew I wanted it to be a nice, neutral, soothing color.”

Although the walls are a bit subdued, nothing about the space is boring. The room is a reflection of Jennings’ eclectic style, which combines English, French and American influences.

“I (also) love animals,” he said, “so there are a lot of birds and other animals in the house.”

Figurines of birds, deer and Staffordshire dogs adorn the built-in shelf, which features a back panel that Jennings painted blue.

In the opposite corner of the room is a sugar chest that has been in the family for generations; next to it a couch and another table that Jennings got from friends.

“I got a lot of stuff when I first moved in,” Jennings said, “so it’s being collected.”

From friends and family

The walls of the other rooms have a variety of different shades. There is royal blue in the front room; chocolate brown in the bathroom; a green shade called Jerusalem artichoke in the kitchen; and a deep plum color in the bedroom.

“I’m attracted to purple, but I didn’t want it to be screaming purple,” Jennings said, adding that the hue changes a bit throughout the day depending on how much sunshine comes through the windows.

The light accentuates the room’s décor, which includes sconces from Jennings’ grandparents’ home in Shelbyville, a chest of drawers from his aunt and uncle — with real turkey feathers hanging above — and unique bedding from India.

“I have a good friend who is Indian, and one of her twin sons is my godson,” Jennings said, “so I have a lot of Indian stuff around the house.”

This includes a piece of furniture in the bathroom, sconces in the kitchen, and unique handles on a cabinet.

Personalized pieces

The front room – a multi-purpose room used for everything from relaxing and crafting to hosting dinner parties for up to eight guests – is home to more unique items that Jennings has collected over the years.

One of his favorite pieces is an old two-seat church pew. “I found it in an alley and it was broken,” Jennings explained. “I had a friend of mine glue the wood back together.”

Across the room is a wooden schoolmaster’s desk, another beloved piece. It was created by Jennings’ grandfather and now contains books, maps, framed photos and other small items.

While much of the apartment is filled with pieces of Jennings’ friends and family, there are also a handful of items with deep personal meaning. For example, on top of the mantel in the front room hangs a large painting of his late dog, Moose.

“A friend of mine painted a picture from Facebook,” Jennings explains. “When I first moved in, I knew that was where it was going.”

To the left of the desk, a collage of framed images adorns the wall. One photo is a framed piece of a paper shopping bag from Wakefield-Scearce Gallery, an English important gallery in Shelbyville.

“My great uncle was Mark Scearce, (and) I worked there in high school,” Jennings explained, “so I got English influences from that.”

On the porch wall hangs another piece of documentation about Jennings’ past and the people who helped shape the person he is today: a framed newspaper article from 1986 about his grandmother.

“She taught me how to clean, (and) she taught me how to do yard sales and things like that,” Jennings said, “so I got a lot of influence from her.”

Besides the space, Jennings loves the neighborhood and all its charm. He often stares out from his second-floor home and takes in the peaceful view overlooking Eastern Parkway.

“I love this whole apartment,” he said. “It just has its quirks and the floors creak – it’s my home.”

Do you know a house that would make a great House of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].

nuts bolts

Resident: Jason Jennings, an interior and floral designer.

At home: This is a one bed, one bath, 1000 square foot apartment in Bonnycastle. It was built in 1862.

Distinguishing elements: Colorful walls; vintage collectibles; antique.

Applause! Applause! Painter Miguel Iglesias.

More: Take a look inside the Harbison House, an 1870s Victorian Italianate home on 200 acres of land