Karen

A True Wendy B. Legend

Karen and her family were some of my very first clients. Her kids were babes and I was a black & white film photographer when we met. She was funny and fun, and she appreciated my artistic perspective. I knew something was ultra-cool about Karen when she flung open the double doors to her bedroom and everything was black and white. I thought, “Well that’s a look you don’t see much in Maple Grove.”

Over the years I noticed that Karen’s house and wardrobe were more and more exclusively black and white. So I thought I’d give her a call and ask her about it.

W: Oh, Karen my friend. Thank you so much for this interview. How long have we known each other?

K: 21 years! You took Carson’s baby pictures and he just turned 21.

W: No! That makes me feel so old! I don’t know if you’re aware but you’re a Wendy B. legend because of this whole black and white thing. OMG, I love it so much. We need to talk details. How did the whole thing start?

K: There was color in my life at one point. There was A LOT of color in my life! Back in the day, in the 90’s, I’d wear those bright-colored Limited suits to work. I was an art major so there was color, color, color, color. Everything was color.

When we moved into our first house, it was an older home and the walls were a weird green and I thought, “Let’s just paint everything white.” And as soon as the white went up, I thought, “Let’s paint the trim black.”

W: You were so ahead of your time! I mean it’s a classic look, but you don’t see it much in the Midwest.

K: I had this vision. When I shared my idea with the painter, she was like, “You want to paint the trim … black?” But once she started painting she said, “Oh, this is a game changer!”

There was still a little bit of color in the house. We had a red sofa. Then we bought a cabin and it was really ugly. So I did the whole thing in black and white. That’s when it started infiltrating the rest of my life …

W: When did you really go for it?

K: When I had Aidan. He had sensory integration disfunction so I went full-on black and white because he couldn’t handle color.

W: Really?! I’ve known you for so long. How did I not know that?

K: Yeah. We couldn’t take him to the grocery store because of the noise and the bright colors. His therapist would have us walk down the cereal aisle to try to desensitize him … because the boxes are so bright. He would lose his mind.

His therapist recommended that his room not have bright colors. So, I did his room in black and white and it was so cute I thought, “I’m going to do the whole house in black and white.” I’d already started going down that road anyway so why not?

W: Ok … at that point … had the black and white theme taken over your clothes too?

K:: Well, I mostly wore black because I worked at a salon. Aidan wore a little color as a baby, but muted blues and greys. Calming.

W: I thought I looked in one of the boy’s closets once when you were deciding what to wear for a shoot and it was all black and white. Did I dream that?

K: Oh, you’re right. Yep. Very little color. By that time Aidan was three and he wore very little color because he couldn’t handle it. Sensory kids are nuts about clothes anyway, but nothing could be bright. He even had an aversion to bright toys.

W: Didn’t you have pops of red in that house?

K: Very little. Everything black, white, grey. We’re talking towels, clothes, pens, linens, silverware …

W: Even silverware? What color is it?

K: Still to this day we use silverware with black handles. And, well you know, we even had black Christmas cards.

W: Yeah, I know. I designed them! (Laughing)

K: Here’s how dedicated it got. The Christmas tree is white with black ornaments (some gold and silver mixed in). And the wrapping paper to this day, Wendy B., TO THIS DAY, is black and white. I’ll send you photos.

W: OMG!!! Karen! So how did you stay so committed to it? I always admired that about you, the consistency. I love design but I have a hard time staying focused.

K: I think it’s the art major in me. To my eye, this design ascetic looked good. It’s easy. It’s beautiful. And it worked for Aidan.

When we moved from one house to another when Aiden was little, it was really upsetting for him. It put him into a sensory funk for four months. He likes order. He doesn’t like transition. There were boxes everywhere. After that I wanted to keep things consistent for him.

W: You are such an amazing mom, Karen!!!

Fast forward a bit to when the boys were teens. Did they rebel against the family color scheme?

K: The joke was if the kids invited friends over, they had to explain to the friends what they were walking into before they arrived. But they ended up loving it.

When their friends went off to college, they’d come back to visit us (and the house). One of Aidan’s friends said, “I gotta see the house. Your mom’s got great flair!” The boys’ friends felt welcome here. I was the cool mom.

W: You still are the cool mom! Did the boys start wearing more color as teens?

K: Not really. Who’s buying the clothes? Me. (Ha!) I mean they were forced to wear sports uniforms, but they mostly wore what I bought.

W: (laughing) Now that the boys are adults, what’s going on with their houses?

K:  Aidan has his own home. They have a white sofa and some rusty orange chairs. It’s a very soothing home. They have color. But their bedroom is white with black trim.

W: Yes! I love that he’s keeping the theme alive.

K: He does wear color but not bright. He’s got a great sense of fashion.

W: Oh, I can see that with both of the boys.

K: With Carson there’s a lot of color. Blues, greens, pink … 

W: What is his house like?

K: Well, he lives in a frat house (laughing). It’s a typical college student room with bright posters and flags. But his bedspread is black and white.

W: Nice! Also, keeping the theme alive. Back to you. What about your cars?

K: We have one white car, one black and one grey. We also have a white dog. Our cabin has a lot of brown wood that we’re not going to paint, but the rest of the house is black and white, so we got another dog that matches our cabin. He’s black, white and tan. Sorry. Just how I am.

I did mix gold and silver for the first time a few years ago. I used to want strictly silver fixtures. My style is still evolving.

W: I love you so much! The boys are branching out a little bit, but you’re going strong down this black and white path … forever?

K: Yes. I will die loving black and white. I’ve tried to mix in color but it hasn’t worked. For example, I bought a couple of beautiful Coach bags. One a light teal, the other a gorgeous, darker brown. Had them for 20 years. I never once carried them. Just couldn’t do it. Tags still on them. Sold them to my girlfriends for $40 each.

W: What about photos. I’m trying to remember … did I ever get you to buy any color prints through the years?
K: I think you made me try color about 15 years ago. I got a few color prints. And I bought a few of Carson’s senior photos in color. But I prefer the black and white.

W: Well, thank you for talking to me! This was so fun! I’ve finally unlocked the mystery behind my beloved Karen!

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Though we talked mostly her commitment to blocking out color, Karen is one of the most colorful women I know. Always up for a chat. Willing to run down a snowy street and whip her head back for a great shot. Whenever I see her, she’s sporting something edgy and flowy (and black, of course). She’s positive. Refreshing. Lovely.

We did this interview on Facetime … Karen wearing a black beanie, I wearing a black hoodie in her honor. And as we were waving goodbye, she flashed me her cool-as-hell black-tipped nails.