Since 1982, designer Ellen Kennon has been creating environments often described as magical and healing.

After working in New York for "designers' designer" architect Peter Marino and on numerous residential and commercial design projects there; Ellen returned to her native Louisiana where she created the Shadetree Inn Bed & Breakfast (shadetreeinn.com).

Ellen's holistic approach to creating interiors is featured in House Beautiful Magazine's The Home Book and is embodied in Shadetree Inn. Country Roads Magazine described Shadetree's romantic retreats this way:

"There is a touch of the enchanted about this place, as though magic lingers just out of reach, bringing the energies depleted by day to day life flooding back into the body and soul. . . Ellen's creations are simple, luxurious and beautiful to behold. Never is one allowed to forget the role of Mother Nature. The design is employed to maximize, rather than minimize the role of nature in the living spaces as a tonic to the strains of day-to-day existence."

In addition to the renovation and interior decoration of numerous residences and offices in New York and the Gulf South, Ellen created the architectural design for Harmony House, St. Francisville's first interior decorator showcase house, and several other country retreats. After over two decades of working with color and light, Ellen created her own line of Full Spectrum Paints which have been featured in Architectural Digest Magazine, House Beautiful Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, Southern Accents Magazine, Renovation Style Magazine, Home Living Connecticut, Palm Beach Cottage & Gardens, Beautiful Southern Homes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Palo Alto Weekly, The Times Picayune and The Advocate, as well as in numerous home decorating forums on The Garden Web and HGTV websites and online articles for AOL Home, Sensational Color & House Painting Tutorials.

Ellen often creates custom colors and created a custom color palette for the Ogden Museum's exhibit of world renowned artist Hunt Slonem's exhibit entitled "Hunt Slonem: Artist & Collector" which was featured on CBS Sunday Morning. Ellen is also featured in Slonem's book, Pleasure Palaces. Ellen's philosophy on color therapy is quoted alongside Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the critically acclaimed book, Chasing Matisse, by James Morgan.

In addition to paint, Ellen offers a collection of custom furniture, fabrics and accessories for home and garden. She won an Alpha Award in New Orleans for furniture design and designed a collection of iron and limestone furniture which was featured in Architectural Digest Magazine.

Ellen is also a personal development speaker with Inside Speakers of New Orleans (insidespeakers.com). Topics include Interior Moments, Creating Personal Power, Nature, Color, Lighting, Sound and Design.

Ellen is available for speaking engagements, color and decorating consultations. For appointments, email or telephone toll free: (877) 877-7628.

Testimonials:

"One of St. Francisville's most renowned B&Bs. Adirondack-style rusticity, a lovely setting in the town's historic district, exquisite interior design, and most luxuries imaginable. Very private. Repeatedly described as magical."

-Fodor's Gulf South Travel Guide on Shadetree Inn

"Ellen is a magician with color, texture and space. Walking into one of Ellen's creations becomes a spiritual experience. She captured the spiritual essence of Hemingbough."

-Arlin Deese, Hemingbough Conference & Convention Center, St. Francisville, Louisiana

"Ellen is very intuitive at assessing exactly what it takes to create an environment that helps put the client in touch with his inner self. She's like a 'ghostbuster'. She can clear a room with hundreds of years of negativity, lighting the dark corners so that angels can come in and play."

-Iris Williams, Spiritual Counselor & Intuitive

"She has a tremendous amount of innate design talent. Also, her confidence is remarkable: She doesn't know what she can't do therefore she can do anything."

-Architect Steven Bingler as quoted in The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, Louisiana