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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2000, 7:30 p.m. Grand Opening of Remodeled Porch at Flamingo Grove Set for
Spring Festival
The most visible improvements will be on the Porch at Flamingo Grove, which includes the repair of structural termite damage completed by Tony's Father during a recent visit. In addition, Barnes Place is sporting a fresh coat of paint on the wood trim and a new state-of-the-art gutter system. Barnes Place received a lot of input on colors. Confederate friends instructed that it is only appropriate to have white trim with a red brick house. "We were challeneged by the variety of colors in our brick, mortor and roof tile. We had everything from red to brown to orange and even some black," said Director of Ambiance and Entertainment Timothy State. White trim, which was existing, made the house look dirty. Given the outcome of the war, the Yankee directors of Barnes Place were not bound by any particular color palette. "Originally, we started with Richmond Bisque and Springfield Tan as accent," said State. "But when spot tests were conducted, we determined there was too much yellow. We didn't want to have a situation where people would look at the house and go, 'Oh, yellow. Yellow is, well, it's a nice yellow.' Instead, we wanted them to look at the house and go, 'Wow.'" Tracy Gantt of Southern Pride Painting was glad to obsess over the colors with Barnes Place Staff. State made it clear before signing the contract that he would settle for nothing less than "Wow." Gantt shared both State and Dornacher's vision: "And you know, you guys have vision. That's what's important. You have vision." After conducting a focus group, it was determined custom-mixed colors were the only way to go. The original palette was darkened. The main color was created from a darker base, but kept in the same shade. The density of the hue for the trim color was increased. Barnes Place is now painted in Barnes Place Bisque and Sheleata Can-a-tan, in honor of the Barnes Place cat Sheleata Kanatuna. Sheleata ran away during the painting process but was returned by force 24 hours after leaving. "I think we accomplished our goal," said Director of Catering and Guest Relations Anthony Dornacher. "After living in a home with peeling paint, our neighbors are finally beginning to talk to us." Both Dornacher and State are looking forward to the forecast thunder storms for the coming week. "It will be our first opportunity to test out the gutter system," said Dornacher. The patented Englert LeafGuard (TM) gutter system is guaranteed to never clog. A curved hood will deflect leaves, twigs, and other debris while allowing water to flow freely into the gutter. This new system has revolutionized the gutter industry, and is the most advanced on the market today. Also included in the upgrades to Barnes Place guests will notice is a closed-circuit coaxial cable system, delivering a video signal to every room throughout Barnes Place. Whatever is being viewed through the Cineplex's A/V system can now be viewed in any room at the same time. "We believe this is the natural next step," said Ambiance Director State. "With our current system, you could hear Jack Wagner defusing the bomb in the TBS World Premiere 'Nowhere To Land', but you couldn't see it if you were, say, in the Sashay Ballroom. You will now be able to move through the house, seeing and hearing how the plot turns and shapes itself, or the plot simply fails to develop." Each room will also have the ability to override the Cineplex signal, creating more viewing options in a wider variety of environments. "We're hoping this will solve the age-old dispute: Sci-Fi Channel, or Lifetime Television for Women," said an enthusiastic Dornacher. The capabilities are now virtually endless: ESPN Cheerleading Championships in the bedroom; the smooth vinyl orchestra sounds of Billy Vaughn spinning on Grandma's GE Console Stereo in the office, being delivered to the Living Room and Porch at Flamingo Grove; "Steel Magnolias" in the Cineplex in Dolby Surround Sound. "This really rounds out our ambiance system," said State. "It also provides a backbone which we can easily expand on. We're very excited to be showcasing this at the next Festival." Barnes Place will be in the middle of its Window Treatment Plan during "Resurgens: Flamingo Rising". Phase 1, removal of the cheap, plastic mini blinds and installation of the curtain rods was completed this weekend. In select rooms, sheer tab curtains were installed to protect the furniture from the sun's ultra-violet rays. A behind the scenes improvement includes the installation of a dehumidifier in the basement. "Moisture is good when you're eating, like, corn bread, or something, but it was causing odor problems in the basement. We hope this is an improvement no one will notice," said Dornacher. For more information on Resurgens: Flamingo Rising, visit www.barnesplace.com. ATTACHMENT: tim.jpg --END-- |
BARNES PLACE, ATLANTA,
GA-Barnes Place Spring Festival, "