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WRITTEN BY CINDY POTTERS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY BIANCIELLA
ometimes the events that lead us to make major changes to our enviornment are not easy to identify, but Jess
Thomases can pinpoint with certainty the time in her life when she realized she had to change things up in her
Millburn home. It was soon after the sudden loss of her brother in 2010. The dark walls in her living room that
she had once found inviting began to feel sad and depressing. She didn’t know it at the time, but changing just one
room would extend to her entire house over the next few years, and point her in the direction of a new career.
STARTING WITH PAINT
In 2008, Jess and her husband Greg moved to this house in the South Mountain section
of Millburn. Like many young families, they had done their time in New York, but as their
family grew so did their desire for space and a yard. Greg spent his childhood in this neighborhood and was thrilled to come back. Jess, who grew up in Maplewood, was happy as
well, especially if they could be near the train and walking distance to town. Looking around
the house today, there is little trace of their early decorating style. Changing to white walls,
Jess says was like a fresh start. “Everything looks great against white. It’s clean, modern and
the perfect backdrop for anything you put with it.” To create some drama in the adjoining
sunroom, now homework room, she chose Benjamin Moore’s Iron Mountain, which is almost black. “Dark walls are bold, but cozy and
warm.” The coffee table in the living room is a family heirloom. Leather and metal chairs are from British Home Emporium in Madison.
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MILLBURN • SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE MAY 2016