Bridget Beari Design Chat: Hue Are You? with Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke of Madcap Cottage

Welcome to HUE ARE YOU?

A weekly blog series exploring different creatives' views on color and its use in interiors, art and design. We will dive deep into their obsessions with color. How and why they use color. You will get to know their stories and you may even gather some tips for using color in your own home. What is better than learning from the experts!

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Hue Are You?

Designer Spotlight: Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke of Madcap Cottage

When it comes to color and pattern mix, there can be no other dynamic duo that does it better than Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke of Madcap Cottage. Inspired by a European mix of styles, their interiors evoke a sense of past but are filled with bold yet unique color choices perfect for today's clients. Interiors from New York to London, products from Robert Allen to HSN, a published book, "Prints Charming" and a new Madcap store and Headquarters in High Point North Carolina, this duo is all about style and design. I am thrilled to present you with a small glimpse into their world of color.

Susan Jamieson: What one color represents your design style?

Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke: John and I are crazy for English-inspired shades of green, we love bringing the great outdoors within. If it works in your garden, it will work in your home. Green is the perfect neutral upon which to layer and build.

SJ: Do you use color as a dominant role in your designs or as an accent?

JN/JL: Color, prints, and patterns are Madcap Cottage signatures. As Mae West once said, "It's better to be looked over than overlooked." If you want a beige living room with taupe accents, we aren't your people.

SJ: How do you feel about matching colors in a room?

JN/JL: Never match, mix. It's more fun to run various shades of, say, green or blue across a room.

CLASSIC COLONIAL 2005

"JASON AND I ARE STORYTELLERS"

- JOHN LOECKE

SJ: What color represents your personality?

JN/JL: Fowler Pink makes anyone look good, and what's not to love about that.

SJ: What color comes to mind when you talk about:

Your favorite City ....... London. Cooking Apple Green.

The House You Grew Up In ......... Jason: Pale yellow. I grew up in a 1920's Mediterranean that had wonderful yellow stucco walls. John: I grew up in a Cape Cod-style home in Iowa, and I remember the inviting yellow exterior.

Last Fabulous Dinner You Had ........ Blue and white. It was a fabulous dinner upon the porch at a friend's farm in rural Virginia, all blue-and-white china and flickering candles.

ROBERT ALLEN FABRICS

Your favorite Flower ....... Deep Pink. Peonies.

Your favorite season ...... Green. Spring.

Your Favorite Art ...... Pink. Painting by Anglo-American editor /artist Fleur Cowles with her signature rose motifs.

Your Favorite Room in Your Home ..... Deep green. Our kitchen at the House of Bedlam in High Point , North Carolina.

Your Favorite Beauty product .... Green. Garden-scented fragrances from Jo Malone.

Your Favorite Article of Clothing ...... Pink. Our ubiquitous polo shirts from Bonobo's.

SJ: Name a color you never use?

JN/JL: Maroon. Yucky.

SJ: Name a color you use frequently?

JN/JL: Green.

SJ: If you could pick a name for a color what would it be?

JN/JL: Cherries Jubilee Flambe.

"GOOD DESIGN SHOULD BE BESPOKE AND YET RELAXED AND EASY"

- JASON NIXON

SJ: Do you have a pet? What color reminds you of him/her? Do you have a nickname for this pet?

JN/JL: We have four pound rescues, Jasper, Weenie, Amy Petunia, and Cecil. A Boston Terrier/Boxer mix and three pugs. They love scampering about the garden, so I think of green and pink.