Nakarat Orange

I love the smell of Nakarat Orange in the morning!

I work at Podley Properties which, until Chris Dickson departed for the doubtful benefits of Pittsburgh a year ago, was called Dickson Podley.

In January, Bill Podley, who has a reputation for truth, honesty and being the kindest man in California, decided to rebrand the company. First came the announcement of the new name. We heartily approved. Then came the announcement of the new colors. Enter Nakarat Orange to, yes, a sort of muted applause.  Weren’t we the company of gray and silvery green?  The very professional, slightly conservative company of mostly middle-aged women?  The new signs were smaller than normal, with gray and browns and tiny writing so you’d have to get up really close to read the name of the agent not to mention her phone number.  Yes.  We understand understated.  Nakarat Orange?  OMG, what is happening to us?

You might want to know what color Nakarat Orange is.  Well I think it’s kind of a blood-red deep orange.  But no one can quite get that.  That’s what happens when you make up a color.  The signs are different from the flyers.  The print ads have a pumpkin look. The logo is pure mandarin. Our awnings are bright, bright, flourescent orange.  I chose the least orange of the three business card colors presented to us.  Gotta ease into this.

So fast forward six months.  They’re finally redoing our office in the new Podley colors.  Dark gray on the cubicle walls.  Tan and cream on the walls.  And then that final wall in each of the three sections of the office.  Nakarat Orange.

The whole office reeks of paint and wallpaper glue and is covered in plastic.  You can’t get to your desk.  Agents edge by each other and complain about the smell.  All the office doors are wide open to the street.  I try to work in the conference room because my desk is uninhabitable.  My section is being redone last.  Each day I come in to see what’s new.  It’s kind of exhilarating.  The wallpapered gray cubicle first.  Then the cream.  The tan.  On Friday the first coat of Nakarat Orange.  It vibrated in the back of the room.  It reflected the light off the front windows.  Tomorrow it will all be finished.  I can rehang my bulletin board and replace the computer, the printer, the scanner, the files.  I can start new files.  I can open new escrows.  Nakarat Orange:  bring it on!

Good morning Podley Properties!