I do have quite the love for Maya Romanoff. The firm produces beautiful wallcoverings — in fact, they call them Extraordinary Surfacing Materials. I like Mr. Romanoff’s philosophy when it comes to his craft: “It has to be beautiful, that’s the only thing that really counts.” It feels like something to remember each time you approach a client’s samples or finishes — that no matter what the budget or the situation, we must all strive to leave the very best of our creative self in that space.
Mr. Romanoff started off experimenting with tie-dyes and with the latest collection (designed by Amy Lau) the company comes full circle for their 40th anniversary. Here is a pic, by photographer Kris Tamburello, of a recent installation in Bergdorf Goodman (New York).
To see a video focusing on the uber-creative icon, click here and there’s also a recent Chicago Tribune profile to read. If you look around the company site, I bet you will find textures that will make your design genes do the happy dance. Here’s a peek at the current catalog, featuring the tie-dye creations. Anytime I feel a twinge of “can’t-think-of-anything-new”, one of the things I love to do is just have a cup of coffee and look through online sites of fabrics and papers. In such a relaxed environment, the creative juices start flowing and inevitably something will serve as an inspirational springboard into something new. Hope you’ve enjoyed this Maya Romanoff moment — and let me know what you do to get out of a creative slump!
I spied this pic on KWID – Kelly Wearstler’s design site. I stopped and stared. I mean, the colors, the boldness, the strokes…it’s playful and yet grounded by serious design sense. I believe that what I like most is that it shows uber-creative thinking — it didn’t need a grand gesture of talent to make a startling impact…and yet, you know this artist has talent to spare. Oh, yes. Not for everyone but totally out of the box and beyond left field. I wonder who came up with this concept — Ms. Wearstler or was it an imagining by her decorative artisan? [I think it was painted since if you look at the upper right hand side, the coral design flows outside the wall line a bit. Wallpaper seams would make that overstep unseemly.] You can find another pic of the area and more beautiful imagery in her book, Hue. Let me know your opinion, I’m very curious…
One of the hospitality projects we recently worked on was the Japanese restaurant, Wa, in Orlando, FL. Their construction and design was put together by WDG Interior Architecture and the Daniel Corporation. It was a pleasure to work with their teams and quite frankly, they requested some of the most delicious color combination samples we’ve ever worked on. The winning finish was a Venetian plaster with a texture twist — it had a chocolate base finished with a rich gold metallic overlay.
The Orlando Sentinel recently wrote a review which gave their cuisine a glowing recommendation and said this of the atmosphere:
“Entering the front door feels like stepping into the restaurant of a boutique hotel in a much larger city. The interior is splashed with hues of chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg with flints of gold. The decor is modern chic, with roomy booths and classy, austere tables.”
Although we worked on just a bit of space, I thought I’d share photographs of not only our work but the other design elements as well.
[BELOW] Walking in (left) you are greeted by a flowers, serene lighting and a beautiful black stone wall with black grout. To see the closeup of the magnificent granite in the reception area, click here. There is also seating area (right) with an unusual glossy wood wallcovering.
[BELOW] Here is a nice shot of our Venetian Plaster finish. There is a closeup shot available. OK, maybe even a closer one.
[BELOW] The ladies room (which featured beautiful touches such as the striking granite and embedded patterned tiles) and a bar with beautiful wood touches and comfortable seating. I wish the metallic sheen of the barstool fabric translated — it’s truly nice to see and feel.
[BELOW] Before and After
Being that I am a huge fan of Japanese cuisine, you can imagine my happiness at working with Wa. My husband, Chris, and I were joined by friends on our first outing to the restaurant and since then we have returned numerous times (including for a beautiful Valentine’s Day dinner). They have an authentic Japanese menu, fresh and unique sushi (always a plus), a versatile sake list and an extraordinary manner of presentation. I hope you have a chance to experience the beauty of Wa.
In the previous post, I wrote about the gilding along walls and ceilings of a restaurant in Lyon’s Hotel Sofitel Bellecour. Well, that project has another area that I thought was wonderful and may provide a bit of inspiration for the right client. The walls are covered in custom woven silk and I love how the large graphic prints go right over the jib door seamlessly…
…and how both the design and color changes with a nice flow from one to the next…
…and finally, how the different elements give an illusion of an allover pattern, but it is not that structured…
Lyon, France has a wonderful silk-weaving past, producing beautiful brocades and jacquards. The designer, Patrick Norguet, found a local manufacturer (one of the few left) who was established in 1680. Although modernized, they still create work on wooden looms. He immersed himself in their archives and came up with his own mix of historic patterns for the hotel walls. What creativity! The photos are by Renaud Callebaut and you can read the entire feature, along with viewing some additional images of the hotel, in the January 2010 issue of Interior Design. Have a wonderful weekend!
Gilding is a beautiful art form — and one of the most ancient. It is a decorative technique that involves applying very slim sheets of metallic leaf (or, powders) onto a surface, hence why most gilded finishes are recognizable by a traditional square pattern. (Although I once saw a rectangular “brick” placement in a restaurant ceiling. Very, very nice.) You can also hear the term “gold leafing” used to describe the technique as well. The organization, Society of Gilders, has one of the best sites to obtain information, access visuals, understand the different disciplines within the art form and familiarize yourself with the extraordinary artisans who work with these precious materials. I encourage you to review their website with a nice cup of coffee and a bit of leisure time.
We’ve had quite a few leafing commissions (you’ve seen our latest, the silver leafed dome) but one of our favorites was done for the home of a designer we work with. Here is her formal living room ceiling, close-up and full view. The full view showcases the tri-color neutral Venetian plaster on the walls and the glossy black coat we put on all the trim.
I’ve also found some other images — if you know the artisans, please let me know so I can credit them. On the left, is gilded trimwork and the pic on the right features Common Ground’s Prince George Neo-Renaissance ballroom. For more pics of the ballroom, click here — it must have been incredible to work on the restoration!
Previously featured in Florida Design, are a gorgeous piece of Henredon furniture (left) and artwork (right)…
On the left is an entryway designed by the ubiquitous Barbara Barry and on the right is an entrance hallway designed by Alfred Karram and featured in Florida Design. He noted on the article that the ceiling “creates a striking sense of arrival”. Mmm-hmmm.
…and finally, Les Trois Domes, the penthouse restaurant in the Hotel Sofitel Bellecour in Lyon, France, has molded plaster that has been silver leafed. Striking! The design is by Studio Norguet, the photography by Renaud Callebaut and the feature is from Interior Design magazine.
Both true gold and other metal alloys are used in the creation of these thin sheets — and some are created to be edible. Although metallic paints are beautiful, they do not come close to lustre of leaf so the choosing of which metallic products to use in a particular technique will depend on your desired final effect. Some of the most popular sources for leafing products are Sepp Leaf, Easy Leaf, The Gilded Planet and The Gold Leaf Company. Two teaching studios I hear good things about are the Lynne Rutter Studio (San Francisco, CA) and Cait Whitson’s Carte Blanche in Scotland. The previously-mentioned Society of Gilders site also has an Education page where you can find workshops listed by state.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief foray into gilding. Did I miss anything? I look forward to your comments…
Travel is one of the most satisfying pleasures in life. I haven’t done much of it recently, but hope to make up for it this year. In 2006, my sister, Suzanne, and I went to Italy — it’s one of those perfect memories that I will hold in my heart eternally. Thousands of pictures came out of that trip, but I did want to start with one that proved to be an immediate inspiration for a client’s home. (As always, please click on any pic to get a nice zoom close-up.)
Mantova (also called Mantua) is a city in Northern Italy. Suzy and I strolled the streets and we came upon this gem of a doorway (Left) and upon my return to the States, it inspired this entrance into our client’s wine cellar (Right).
Here are a few pics we took just by strolling around the streets of Mantova…
I remember arriving in Italy and upon check-in at our hotel in Verona, we immediately walked to a ristorante in a piazza to get our bearings. [Because great food and wine usually help, no? (nodding sagely)] I couldn’t get over the feeling that I was in the World Showcase in Orlando’s Epcot Center and it took a bit to start believing that all my surroundings were real and not a tourist destination created by artisans. What I find incredible is that while looking at all those distressed buildings, you realize that they were in full color at their zenith in time — incredible as they still are, THAT must have been quite the sight to see. Until next time!
I recently discovered a nice reference site which has pictures scanned From Old Books. The images run the gamut from alphabets to figures to borders — some of the book covers themselves have been uploaded. The site boasts over 2,500 high-resolution free images culled from over 160 different, old or rare books. It takes a bit to navigate the site but once you spend some time with their search engine, you will find a nice amount of reference shots to gain inspiration from. (Although I do have to say, some of those older books have a decidedly sinister slant…) I hope you enjoy the site. Here are a few images that I found — please be sure to click on them to get a closer zoom.
P.S. By the way, if you like that marbled book cover, you must check out Theresa Cheek’s The Art of Ebru post on her Art’s the Answer! blog. Sublime!
Today is Superbowl Sunday — they day where it’s all about super bowls in interior design. I found some beautiful “bowl” images for us to look at and of course, they feature decor that might inspire the artisan in each of us. Enjoy!
Let’s start with beautiful mosaics.
A bit of distressing, both elegant and whimsical…
Beautiful blues…
Cozy jewel tones…
All along the walls…
…and finally, some gorgeous neutrals.
Images culled from Harrison Mann, The Complete Book of Paint, Painted House’s Kitchens & Baths, Tile Style Pattern Guide, Phoenix Home & Garden, Modern Glamour and Paris Interiors.
Now, what’s this I hear about some big game?
I’ve talked about the Faux Retreat before. It’s a whole new take on a European idea — the artisans live together in one house and share the costs of both the instructors and the living expenses. To get more of an idea on this beautiful week of workshops held in the Spring and Fall, please visit their comprehensive site. The next course, the Spring Faux Retreat, will be held the week of May 1 – 5, 2010 in Spooner, Wisconsin. The class instructors will be Dean Sickler and Laine Discepoli, with special mini-classes on Aurastone and business upselling techniques.
(Here’s the artisans from the Fall 2009 Faux Retreat. I heard the bear just kinda showed up but fit right in — even made some great boards!)
The reason for my post? The Faux Retreat founders are searching for a class monitor for the Spring workshop– a “not for monetary position awarded to an artist who has been chosen by a group of instructors and others in the decorative finishing community.” Although not compensated, the artisan will receive the following; lodging, food, class notes and techniques, fellowship with other students and bonus mini classes. I’m on the Retreat Monitor Selection Committee and I think it’s an amazing opportunity for the right person. Think it’s something for you? Click here to read more about the program, duties and fill out the application. The deadline for submission is February 28th. Much luck! :)
It’s that time of year again — finding out what the major color associations are predicting will be the biggest colors of the year in home merchandising and design! This year, I reported on the 2010 Color Trends for the Home Workshop blog. This past December, I did quickly post about Pantone’s choice but make sure you click on over to Home Workshop for the full report, which includes additional color predictions by the Paint Quality Institute and the Color Marketing Group. BTW, how did last year’s Color Trends prove for you? Mimosa, the beautiful bright yellow, was supposed to be a big color…
