If you follow Regina or me on Pinterest, you’ve probably seen the photograph of the lobby and dining room at The Tides Beach Club in Maine. Unbeknownst to each other, Regina and I found and fell in love with that space on almost the same day. She pinned it and I marked in my calendar as a “must do” post. The colors and textures are phenomenal! Well, here. See for yourself…

The Tides Beach Club Lobby and Dining Area

Now you know why we love it so much! There are so many great objects in this space that truly give it its personality. I thought it would be fun to create the look of this room with items that are readily available online. Then anyone can bring it on home!

I’ll start with the living room area. I was able to find all the key pieces for you (with the exception of that amazing sideboard, but I’ll cover that in a second)…

SOURCES: Garden Stool – Phil Michael,
Buchanan Apartment Sofa – Pottery Barn,
Kreiss Shangri-La Directors Chair – Furniture Quotes Direct,
Chunky Stripe Pillow Cover – Pottery Barn,
Coral Lamp  & Teal Honeycomb Lamp – Pier 1,
Driftwood Side Table – Crate and Barrel,
Color-Bound Sisal Rug – Pottery Barn

Then there’s the dining area…

Copper Opulence Faux Finish – Artist: Ronit Meyers of RM Faux Inc.,
Chloe Dining Table & Chair – Bungalow 5,
Reflection Wall Mirror – ZGallerie,
Clear Glass Bell Jar Pendant Chandelier – Savio Lighting,
Color-Bound Sisal Rug – Pottery Barn

Now about that sideboard… I found either the finish or the shape, but nothing with both. Since we are all about decorative paint effects, I decided to go with shape. If you are a DIYer, you can recreate the distressed turquoise finish with the right stain and paint colors. The original piece looks as if the wood was stained with a deep golden color, distressed and then the turquoise was added in balance and distressed, too — all to give the illusion what was once a fully painted piece in turquoise has lost quite a bit of its paint down to the wood.  I’ve included a couple of examples from Sherwin-Willams. There are also many great artisans out there that could recreate this for you. Here’s what I found…

Unpainted Sideboard – Painting Furniture

You’ll notice that not everything I’ve chosen is a literal match. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same. You are looking at scale, proportion, overall “weight”, color, texture, and style. For example, I couldn’t find the stacked shell lamp base, but the coral base checked off all the same boxes.

If you find a picture of your dream room, examine it closely to see how you can duplicate it to fit your budget or space. Your dream room may be closer than you think!

Cheers to all,
Peggy

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Hello Everyone!

If you open your mind wide enough, you can find inspiration in just about anything. For me artwork is one of my favorite sources for creative spark. Last week I used a photograph of a Hamilton Ontario side street taken by M. Christine Duncan as the inspiration for a room’s design. Today, to create a formal living area, I am going to draw on a great masterpiece that is said to be the most famous painting in the world – the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci .

For my first step, I always decide on my color pallette. As I looked at the painting I new right away that I wanted to go with warm earthy tones and chose a pallette that would work well with that. The four colors I selected are from Sherwin-Williams. Each would be beautiful as they are or used as the base for a decorative finish. My color pallette…

Next I chose my upholstered pieces…

Source: Golden Settee, Darra Brown Floral Chair, Olive Velvet Club Chair  – Horchow

Then came hard furnishings, lighting, drapery, rugs and accessories…

Source: Schonbek Bagatelle Collection Crystal Pendant Chandelier – Lamps Plus
Flocked Velvet Damask Brown Pillow & Dupioni Silk Cream Envelope Pillow – Pillow Decor
Paramount Curtains – Horchow, McDermott Jar with Lid – Home Decorators
Fable Chest, Felicie Oval Mirror, Margaux Accent Table  – Horchow
Constantine Rug – Home Decorators, Carved Two-Tone Brown Table Lamp – Lamps Plus
Elaine Table Runner – Home Decorators

The beautiful finishes on the wood furniture and upholstered pieces can be recreated by many talented decorative artists. There are also artists that specialize in antique mirror finishes. Personally, I think the mirror that I selected would work even better if it had one of those lovely finishes!

Even though I saw this room with warm dark wood and earthy tones, I still saw it as very feminine. A place that was grand but inviting; a place where you could spend an entire afternoon just enjoying the view. Have you ever used one of the great masterpieces or a more recent work of art as your muse? Where do you draw inspiration?

Cheers to all,
Peggy

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I visited St. Petersburg, Florida during the Thanksgiving holiday last year and caught sight of the Vinoy Renaissance (historically, the Vinoy Park Hotel) while taking a stroll.  I don’t know about you, but I loooooooove to check out hotels that I think could hold some goodies inside of the decorative painting kind.  Seeing the kind of architecture featured below, I knew I’d find a few special areas.

Vinoy Renaissance

The Vinoy is a Mediterranean Revival-style hotel that is on the register of historical places.  Opened in 1926, it enjoyed much success until closing in 1974.  It was a dilapidated property when a $93-million renovation was undertaken in the mid-1990′s.  The Vinoy was brought back to its original glory while honoring the present.

During the restoration, the stenciled cypress beams above were removed, numbered, stored and ultimately replaced in their original location after new ceilings were installed. You can see how amazing they look with the contemporary design (below).

BTW, how gorgeous is this antique mirror? I must make one for my own home.

The spattering makes it so lovely. Love that rug it's reflecting, too!

Painted corbels abounded as well…

During the years it was closed, the property was occupied by the homeless and ravaged by insects, vermin and floods. The expertise of an army of craftsmen, fine painters and old-world plaster experts were required for the restoration.

A decorative painter working on the historic dining room ceiling. (Photo courtesy of the Vinoy Renaissance)

The dining room restoration above and below.

I must extend a huge Thank You! to the staff of the Vinoy Renaissance for taking the time to give me a tour and going over the restoration with me.  What a wonderful experience!  I do have some more finds that I’ve encountered during my recent travels and I’ll be sharing them soon.  Isn’t it great when you can discover something like this beauty unexpectedly? I bet we all love that!  Talk soon, gorgeous ones! – Regina

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In a recent residential commission, our client happened to love strong colors, combinations and patterns.  She had very definite ideas as to what was the design of her home and it was quite a surprising change from the words “neutral” and “modern”.  Here’s the Dining Room in its Before state…

Before

Here is the After – the walls and ceilings were finished as well as a three panel mirror installed in the niche.

After

A close-up of the ceiling.  The center design was pre-existing and she wanted to use the colors in the mural as the inspiration for the room.  The copper area is aged copper schaibin and the smoother area is Venetian plaster with two metallic gels troweled over at the same time.  (Of course, the vents have to match, no?)

Here are the mirrors we installed and the variegated leaf we added using a Modello column design on both sides.  There is a close-up here.  The aged copper schaibin was also repeated around the mirror. We added more column height later as well as a framed mirror with a still life mural painted on it for the center panel — unfortunately, I have not gone back to take those final images.

Modellos were used in niches throughout the house but also in the entrance to the Master Bedroom.  The background on the walls is a strong red finish with an aged gold schaibin pattern.  The client spent quite a bit of time picking the colors and patterns all the while placing them exactly the way she wanted them.  She had so much fun doing so — her eyes lit up the moment she saw the large Modello catalog.

It was an enjoyable, quirky and colorful commission.  Another unique project we are starting soon is a rather large one at the Orlando International Airport.  If you are planning to fly in between the hours of 10 pm – 6 am, by all means come over to say Hi!  (And…if there a couple of wonky posts here and there, blame it on the hours, ok?) I hope to profile that soon for you.  Have a great day!

So, you can imagine my usual drill: Strolling through design magazines and appreciating all the design but also looking for gorgeous decorative painting.  Sometimes, a unique moment happens and I come across something truly extraordinary — which is what happened with today’s post.  Imagine seeing this pic…

Palácio do Freixo

This is the Mirror Room of the Palácio do Freixo, a hotel in Porto, Portugal.  The hotel is actually referred to as a pousada, a historic inn run in collaboration with the Portuguese government.  Originally built by Italian architect and painter Nicolau Nasoni in 1742 in the Baroque style, it was intended as a palatial residence.  A century later it was sold to a wealthy merchant and then to a flour manufacturer who used it as a mill base.  It was declared a national monument in 1910 but it was really in bad shape by then.  How bad?  Below is the same Mirror Room prior to the renovation.

Before Restoration

After Restoration

The work was entrusted to Grupo Pestana and separate architects oversaw the restoration and the modernization.  Here is the restaurant. (!!!)

A view of the exterior.  What a beautiful light to see it in, no?  All the photography (except for the “before restoration” pic) is by Kees Hageman for Architectural Digest.

The following are more images of the decorative painting that I found via Arteh.

I tried to find a great YouTube video for you but couldn’t find one that really gave a detailed look at the decorative artworks.  (mock indignance)  Imagine that!  If you run a search, there are so many other beautiful photographs of the property.  I believe I’ll need to visit it in person, though.   Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post and that it’s inspired a beautiful day!

Melanie Royals has been showcasing her considerable passion for pattern and design since 1983.  She is a self-taught artist who, in 1994, established Royal Design Studio, her signature stencil line, and followed that with 2003′s Modello Designs, a decorative masking pattern company.  She is also an accomplished author, releasing books on subjects such as decorative finishes, stenciled murals and travel-inspired finishes, among others.  An international instructor, she plans and leads painting trips abroad to locations in France, Italy, Spain and Morocco as well as teaching in her California studio, online webinars and studios nationwide.

The above is the shortened bio of one of the most prolific artists in our industry.  Chances are high that you know the name Melanie Royals, or at the very least, her incredible businesses.  A few years ago, I met her when I took a class in her lovely studio.  We’ve kept in touch since then, from e-mailing to showcasing at trade shows to attending a blog conference together.  She has been blessed with an almost otherworldly creative sense as well as keen business and marketing insights — a rare combination.  In person?  Witty, insightful and a girl’s girl — plus, one of the most fun people you could possibly spend time with.  Seriously — I’ve had tears streaming down my eyes in laughter from her stories!  We had an e-chat recently for Fauxology and I hope you enjoy both her story and insights over the next two days. We start today with her beginnings and inspirations and conclude tomorrow with all that’s coming up for her (and for us!).  Let’s dig in…

It’s been said that all incredible journeys start with one step.  How did yours begin?

I actually started on this journey with a trip to New England in 1983. We went to some historic places, like Sturbridge Village where I saw examples of historic New England stenciling. It wasn’t until we hit the Boston Museum of Art, though, where I picked up the book The Art of Decorative Stenciling by Adele Bishop and Cile Lord that the whole thing clicked for me. That book was filled with stenciled images that made me HAVE to learn how to stencil!

There were some more simplistic designs for sure, but it was the photos of intricately detailed and shaded furniture and floor screens that I kept going back to. They just looked so magical to me! I discovered that they were achieved with “theorem-style” stencils, where different parts of the design are cut on different layers. When all of the layers are completed, you end up with an image that looks as if it could have been hand painted, because there are no bridges or broken areas in the design.

I poured over the book, and spent many hours at my dining room table drawing and redrawing designs and then cutting them by hand with a Stanley knife! Unfortunately, these amazing artistic and pioneering women worked long before the digital age, and all that I can now find about them online is a photo of a very “now” stenciled graphic floor by Cile Lord in a House Beautiful magazine spread from 1970 and Adele’s obituary from 1996. It’s sad to think that two women who truly had a great affect on the resurgence of stenciling in this country and a lot of what we do today are not being properly honored, remembered or respected as they deserve to be.

In the late 80’s I was contacted by a very eccentric retired interior designer who had just move from Connecticut, named Evelyn Tasch. Evelyn had actually worked quite a bit with Adele Bishop and Cile Lord (Bishop & Lord) on residential and commercial projects in and around New York City. She even had some of their original pieces in her home, which amazed and intimidated me to no end! She had a vision and style like no other, and working with her over two of her houses fortunately pushed me to think outside the box along with her. I think that the challenges she presented me with (and she WAS challenging) had a huge effect on shaping my approach to pattern to this day.

What are some misconceptions about stencils and stenciling that you encounter?

Ha! I could write a whole book on that subject alone. Sadly, it seems that classic, oft-repeated misconception about stencils (that it’s all about crafty ducks and bunnies) has existed for almost 30 years now. Seriously! Those types of designs were popular for about 1 year back in the 80’s and people either overlook, or don’t have the knowledge, that stencils have been used elegantly and artistically for 1,000’s of years by both primitive and advanced cultures all over the world! I wrote a blog post on Design Amour just recently about a wonderful new book, Walls: The Best of Decorative Treatments, by Florence de Dampierre. Amazingly, it has a WHOLE chapter devoted to the extensive history of decorative painting. I was thrilled to see the poor, lowly stencil get its just due, finally! I highly recommend it as required reading. Of course, the stenciling photos are divine as well.

Another misconception I’ve heard over the years is that using stencils is “cheating” somehow. As if it’s an art “test”?! Of course, there are all kinds of mechanical means for transferring pattern, such as pounce patterns (used by the Renaissance artists), tracing, and projecting. Stencils are just a different, friendly tool for pattern transferring-with benefits, as you can create the transfer with paint in one fell swoop, or swirl, of the brush.

I don’t think that misconception is as common now as it was back in the day before stencils and decorative finishes became as integrated as they are now. There WAS a time when people drew lines in the sand as to whether they were stencilers, faux finishers or muralists. I am really proud to have been involved in that line blurring. I took one of The Finishing School’s first classes here in San Diego using the “new” finishing line from Faux Effects back in the 90’s. I took my activated glaze samples home and applied my new Damask and Free Form Fruits stencils to them. When I took them back to class the next day everyone went crazy over them. Bob Marx then asked me to develop a class to teach at TFS in New York and Extraordinary Stenciled Effects was born! Some notable students from that first class were Sean Crosby and Randy Ingram. After that I traveled extensively, teaching stenciled finishes at Faux Effects schools until I finally developed The Extraordinary Stenciled Effects home study program of videos, technique manual, and recipe cards.

One special thing that I have seen over the years is that stencils can be a gateway for beginning budding artists to grow and blossom in their skills. Stenciling can help ignite a passion for color, form, pattern and design.  I have seen many decorative painters start with stencils, and then go on to become highly skilled trompe l’oeil or mural artists once they discover their own innate skills and enthusiasm for decorative art.

Where do you see pattern and design headed in the future?

Well, the good news is that pattern is currently BACK in a big way and a whole new generation of young, trend-setting decoristas are discovering stencils as the hottest, “newest” thing! Can decorative finishes be far behind? I see the whole “glaze craze”, crackled finishes, distressing, etc. cycling through again-but with twists!  I think that this is a really important time for our industry to seize the moment and the conversation in this amazing digital Web 2.0 environment.

Unfortunately, many decorative painters, companies and organizations are on their heels with their backs to the wall from the housing bust and the ongoing recession, but I think that there is going to be a lot of opportunity in the future for artisans and companies who are willing and able to hang on and to rethink, re-strategize, and reposition themselves.

Beyond stenciling and decorative painting, I am most pleased with what we have been able to accomplish and offer with the introduction of our Modello decorative masking patterns 8 years ago. Trying to convince people to consider a one-time-use, custom pattern over a reusable, mylar stencil was a super tough sell for several years, but they have now become an industry standard. It’s been really gratifying to see the amazing work, artistic work our customers have done with our patterns. It was such a thrill to be able to honor THEM with our two Modello by Design books.

From flooring to walls to ceilings…Modellos make an impact.  Artists (clockwise from top left): Utah’s Metamorphosis, Nancy Jones, Jason Lucas and Lynn Smith

(cont.)  I think where Modello patterns continue to shine is for taking complex patterns and making them “doable” in a way that is time efficient, yet allows for over the top artistry and execution. I think a great, classic painted ceiling or wood floor can be an “heirloom” that gets passed down through generations of homeowners. Heirloom decorative painting. Now, there’s a nice thought!

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Heirloom decorative painting — I’ll always like the sound of that!  I hope you’ve enjoyed Part 1 of our 2-part interview.  Tomorrow, we talk a bit more about her design leanings, her affinity for “historical reinterpretation” and see what is coming up (Hearst Castle, anyone?).  Please come back to read more — and of course, see more gorgeous images.  Have a wonderful day!

I thought I would follow up the post on inspired antique mirror images with the beautiful art of Verre Eglomisé.  Verre Eglomisé is a French term which means “glass gilded” and refers to the technique of gilding on glass to create veritable works of art with mirror-like surfaces.  My brother, Jason, recently took a class with a Master in the field, Miriam Ellner, during the latest conference of the Society of Gilders.

Verre Eglomisé Ceiling

Speaking of Miriam Ellner, she recently created the above masterpiece at the behest of famed designer, Celerie Kemble.  To read more about the work and see in-depth pictures, please do click on the lovely post by Ann Onusko of the PlumSiena blog. Another of my fave blogs frequently features Verre Eglomisé — it’s written by Christine McInnes of London Gilding.

Here are a few more images in various styles and uses…

Interior Design by Kelly Wearstler

Verre Eglomisé panels in a casual restaurant featured in Interior Design magazine.

A Chinese cabinet with Verre Eglomisé doors as featured in Architectural Digest.  The (too bright?) wallpaper is by Florence Broadhurst, a designer with a fascinating history.

This is the 1935 gold, silver and palladium leaf Verre Eglomisé mural entitled “The Navigation of History”.  At a little over 20′ high, it was created by artist Jean Dupas for the ill-fated ocean liner, Normandie.  It currently resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and they have even better pics and its history.  Incredible.

I also found another wonderful artist, California’s Maria Apelo Cruz.  Please do see her site — such beautiful works.  A short video below gives you even more inspired images of her Verre Eglomisé artistry.

Hope you enjoyed today’s works — isn’t the art sublime?  We will not be here on Monday but we do wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!