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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
By Lucy Pritchett
Photos by Joon Kim
Sally Newkirk
How does one lead a beautiful life in chaos? When one has to decide which lovely,
cherished items to keep and which ones to get rid of because you are moving into a
smaller home? Or, when your most relaxing ritual is ripped away from you because of
construction and remodeling in your new abode?
It can be done. Just ask Sally Newkirk. She and her husband Mike recently moved from
an historic Federal-style home built in 1848 in New Albany to a traditional white-brick
Colonial on Lexington Road in Louisville. As she settled in on the new red leather
sectional couch and set her coffee mug on the pull-out ledge of the round ottoman, Sally
talked about chaos and beauty.
“I would have to say that my faith in the Lord is my foundation,” Sally says. “Often in the
middle of a stressful day, a scripture verse will come to mind and remind me I am not in
control.” This gives her a larger perspective on life. A life that right now includes a torn-
up kitchen and master bath.
From this fountain of faith flows all the other elements of her beautiful life: family (one
daughter, two sons, and eight grandchildren); work (she is the Director of the Carnegie
Museum for Art & History in New Albany); artists she meets; friends and coworkers; and
a home full of treasures — some family memorabilia, some scavenged and restored by
Mike, who is a retired English teacher. Oh, and books and busts of favorite authors,
statesmen, and musicians.
Sally’s faith and family were the catalysts for moving across the river. All three children
live in Louisville and the couple attends Southeast Christian Church where they both
sing in the choir. “I don’t read music,” Sally, a second alto, says. “It is Greek to me. But I
listen to the singer beside me and do what they do.”
As for the new home, her design philosophy is ‘keep it simple.’ “Our approach to buying
anything is that we are drawn to what we like. For example, we went shopping for a
microwave, found a cute one and bought it. Someone asked how many watts it had and
what features it had and we really had no idea. We just liked the design.”
Sally loves the symmetry of the new house along with the simple polished wood floors,
the tall windows that look out onto greenery. The ripped up bathroom, though, is the
culprit in the demolition of Sally’s daily ritual.
“I take a bath every night. I slip into the hot water (she is a purist — no bubbles) with a
book. It is how I relax. It usually lasts an hour and I just keep adding more hot water.” But
until the new tile and tub are installed, she has had to make do with a shower every
day.” The book is a key part of the bath ritual. “Reading is my only hobby. I love John
Grisham and British mysteries.” “It is the puzzle that pulls me in. That and the settings,
descriptions of the countryside, and what the characters are eating.”
And she has been pulled in by the puzzle that has been her job since 1988. “I have no
background in art (she majored in English) and I just love working with artists and seeing
how they view the world.”
When getting ready for an exhibition, she says, “so much can go wrong. There are a
million details. There is always the danger of damaged or misplaced artwork. It is very
exciting and tense at the same time.”
So the fountain of Sally’s beautiful life continues to overflow with her work, her faith,
family, and furnishings. I am very thankful for this life,” she says. “We don’t know what
is going to happen tomorrow. I am blessed at home and at work.” Amen, sister.
Heirlooms. For Sally Newkirk, living a beautiful life includes surrounding herself with
family photos and heirlooms. Her great grandfather managed the Kintner House in
Corydon in the late1800s. This pump organ is from there. Family legend has it that John
Hunt Morgan stopped at the inn and took time out from his raid through Indiana to play a
tune.
Craftsmanship. Drawn to hand-made objects, Sally Newkirk proudly displays this
ceramic bowl and aluminum banana leaf on her living room coffee table. They were
crafted by local artists Sarah Frederick and Bruce Fox. Both artists were featured in
shows at the Carnegie Museum. “I kept looking at the bowl in the show and was sorry to
see one day that it had a sold tag on it. So I was very surprised and pleased to receive
it as a Christmas gift that year from the museum Board.”
Music. For someone who loves music, an upright piano with the busts of Beethoven and
Mozart is the perfect focus for the family room. During the chaos of remodeling the
kitchen, through the doorway, the piano sometimes does double duty as a pantry —
hence the hamburger buns and oranges.
Décor. Sally Newkirk has learned a thing or two about interior décor from her work at
the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany. Here, for instance, family photos,
photography books, and a vintage bellows camera make for an interesting, connected
display. The pears are for fun and add a pop of color.
Lucy Pritchett can be reached at lucypritchett@iamtodayswoman.com.
Photos by Joon Kim
Sally Newkirk
How does one lead a beautiful life in chaos? When one has to decide which lovely,
cherished items to keep and which ones to get rid of because you are moving into a
smaller home? Or, when your most relaxing ritual is ripped away from you because of
construction and remodeling in your new abode?
It can be done. Just ask Sally Newkirk. She and her husband Mike recently moved from
an historic Federal-style home built in 1848 in New Albany to a traditional white-brick
Colonial on Lexington Road in Louisville. As she settled in on the new red leather
sectional couch and set her coffee mug on the pull-out ledge of the round ottoman, Sally
talked about chaos and beauty.
“I would have to say that my faith in the Lord is my foundation,” Sally says. “Often in the
middle of a stressful day, a scripture verse will come to mind and remind me I am not in
control.” This gives her a larger perspective on life. A life that right now includes a torn-
up kitchen and master bath.
From this fountain of faith flows all the other elements of her beautiful life: family (one
daughter, two sons, and eight grandchildren); work (she is the Director of the Carnegie
Museum for Art & History in New Albany); artists she meets; friends and coworkers; and
a home full of treasures — some family memorabilia, some scavenged and restored by
Mike, who is a retired English teacher. Oh, and books and busts of favorite authors,
statesmen, and musicians.
Sally’s faith and family were the catalysts for moving across the river. All three children
live in Louisville and the couple attends Southeast Christian Church where they both
sing in the choir. “I don’t read music,” Sally, a second alto, says. “It is Greek to me. But I
listen to the singer beside me and do what they do.”
As for the new home, her design philosophy is ‘keep it simple.’ “Our approach to buying
anything is that we are drawn to what we like. For example, we went shopping for a
microwave, found a cute one and bought it. Someone asked how many watts it had and
what features it had and we really had no idea. We just liked the design.”
Sally loves the symmetry of the new house along with the simple polished wood floors,
the tall windows that look out onto greenery. The ripped up bathroom, though, is the
culprit in the demolition of Sally’s daily ritual.
“I take a bath every night. I slip into the hot water (she is a purist — no bubbles) with a
book. It is how I relax. It usually lasts an hour and I just keep adding more hot water.” But
until the new tile and tub are installed, she has had to make do with a shower every
day.” The book is a key part of the bath ritual. “Reading is my only hobby. I love John
Grisham and British mysteries.” “It is the puzzle that pulls me in. That and the settings,
descriptions of the countryside, and what the characters are eating.”
And she has been pulled in by the puzzle that has been her job since 1988. “I have no
background in art (she majored in English) and I just love working with artists and seeing
how they view the world.”
When getting ready for an exhibition, she says, “so much can go wrong. There are a
million details. There is always the danger of damaged or misplaced artwork. It is very
exciting and tense at the same time.”
So the fountain of Sally’s beautiful life continues to overflow with her work, her faith,
family, and furnishings. I am very thankful for this life,” she says. “We don’t know what
is going to happen tomorrow. I am blessed at home and at work.” Amen, sister.
Heirlooms. For Sally Newkirk, living a beautiful life includes surrounding herself with
family photos and heirlooms. Her great grandfather managed the Kintner House in
Corydon in the late1800s. This pump organ is from there. Family legend has it that John
Hunt Morgan stopped at the inn and took time out from his raid through Indiana to play a
tune.
Craftsmanship. Drawn to hand-made objects, Sally Newkirk proudly displays this
ceramic bowl and aluminum banana leaf on her living room coffee table. They were
crafted by local artists Sarah Frederick and Bruce Fox. Both artists were featured in
shows at the Carnegie Museum. “I kept looking at the bowl in the show and was sorry to
see one day that it had a sold tag on it. So I was very surprised and pleased to receive
it as a Christmas gift that year from the museum Board.”
Music. For someone who loves music, an upright piano with the busts of Beethoven and
Mozart is the perfect focus for the family room. During the chaos of remodeling the
kitchen, through the doorway, the piano sometimes does double duty as a pantry —
hence the hamburger buns and oranges.
Décor. Sally Newkirk has learned a thing or two about interior décor from her work at
the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany. Here, for instance, family photos,
photography books, and a vintage bellows camera make for an interesting, connected
display. The pears are for fun and add a pop of color.
Lucy Pritchett can be reached at lucypritchett@iamtodayswoman.com.
