Katie Olmstead

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,
Here I am, on the far side of middle age, and for the first time, I own my own home. No husband, no kids, just me and two little black cats, but they don’t get a say in how I have decorated my house. My inspiration was “The Big Orange Splot,” remembered from reading it over and over some 25 years ago to my daughters. I knew I wanted color, a lot of color. I took out library books on color and flipped through them over and over until I found the pages that made my heart sing. Jewel tones of burnished orange, teal, purple, deep rose, and one room was inspired by the black cat who wears a red collar. Black futon against a fire engine red wall. “My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams.” Mr. Plumbean and his neighbors would understand.