I’m just horrible with crafts or artistry on small objects. Big walls, sure, but small surfaces? Can’t do it — and I’ve tried, trust. Which is why when I saw The Art of Ebru post over at one of my fave blogs, Art’s the Answer, I was overtaken by the sheer mastery the blog’s writer, Theresa Cheek, has of the art form.
Ebru is the process of floating ink on water to create marbleized patterns. A fellow decorative painter in Texas, Theresa shows examples of Ebru on different surfaces, talks about her collection, demonstrates the process and showcases some of her work. That’s just so impressive. My Mother, who is a creative genius with small objects, thinks it may come around for me eventually. I’m not so sure — but I do hope you enjoy Theresa’s artistry. Have a great day, dear Reader!
As you read this, we’re in the midst of an unusual (and yet, so so cool) finish with oversized flowers for a hotel project. Pics soon, promise. It brought to mind to give you two of my fave images using flower motifs. You like?
I’ve used this image as inspiration before — in fact, it helped fuel a 5 a.m. “a-ha” moment. Source Unknown.
Pretty, no? Not only a larger than life design but also with a linear flourish. Source Unknown.
Inspiration can also be found in other surfaces, such as textiles and papers:
Antique prints can prove a great visual resource. Image from Architectural Digest.
I especially like how flowers can adapt to any design style — here, within the Arts & Crafts movement of the early 20th century. Textiles featured in House & Garden years ago.
By the way, I’ve written about Flower Power before in case you’d like to see more images. Have you worked with a flower motif in an unusual way? Would love to hear about it!
When someone says “Victorian design” or “Baroque style” or even “Georgian architecture”, do you wish to instinctively and visually know what each entails? (raising hand) I do! This is why I so appreciate books and workshops to educate me on each style since I do love to learn about design history. Our book selection this month, Classic Design Styles by author Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, outlines the chronology of each period in design and takes us on a tour of houses decorated within each style. She also shows how the reader can achieve the looks by explaining the methods and theories behind each design. Andrew Wood, Ianthe Ruthven and Mick Hales beautifully photographed most of the interiors.
Some of the additional design styles covered are the Renaissance style, the Baroque style and the Federal and Empire styles. In the back of the book, there is a section on details such as walls, ceilings, textiles and paint — and a very nice glossary. Hope you get a chance to check it out!
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…
I was strolling along the beautiful shops in Savannah, when I spied this gorgeous book in the Mercer House gift shop. Alas, it was their only copy and not for sale. Blasphemy! I wanted to review the book before I plunked down good monies, so I came home to Orlando and had an interlibrary loan set up via my local library. (The loan arrived all the way from the University of Alabama!)
Regency Redux focuses on one of the most sophisticated moments in design history: the Regency period in England. Written by design historian Emily Evans Eerdmans and published by Rizzoli, the book also delves into modern interpretations of the Regency style, including influences brought upon by French and American designers. It starts with an introduction to the original Regency period, moves into the Neoclassical timeline and then delves into the stylized interiors of the 1930′s and also into how Hollywood made use of the style in lavish movie sets. There are sumptuous photographs in both color and black & white. Additionally, there is a foreword by designer Kelly Wearstler, herself a lover of glamour, excitement and dramatic luxury. What’s not to love?
Please be sure to click on the pictures to get a larger zoom version.
(Below) On the left, the Music Room at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. It features 26,000 hand-gilded cockleshells applied to the domed ceiling. (Whoa…) On the right, The Platinum Room in Spain’s La Casita del Labrador.
(Below) On the left, a modern living space featuring what looks like an unusual plaster finish on the walls. (LOVE!) On the right, Eltham Palace with its strong Art Deco influence. BTW, if you’d like to read more about greek key origins, click here.
Who wouldn’t love to just be an extra alongside Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers in Roberta? Just the dresses alone…I think I’ll start posing like that daily…
(Below) On the left, Marble Hall at Kedleston Hall. Roman baths were the inspiration for the space. On the right, the inimitable work of Rex Whistler.
A peek into scenic wall drawings…
Needless to say, I’ve already ordered my own copy. (I also seriously think that the Rizzoli publishing house can just back up their trucks right to my front lawn. I just want all their books. Every single one. I’ll find space.) I hope I’ve inspired you to look into Regency Redux and plan a little glamour of your own for 2010. Also, be sure to check out the lovely design blog of the author, Emily Evans Eerdmans. Until next time!
Recently, I became aware of a trip to Lebanon that was undertaken by artisan Rima Bechara, of Massachusett’s Walls & More. Of course, I was completely intrigued and was elated when she agreed to share some of her story and pictures. Yay for us!
Lebanon is in Western Asia and bordered by Syria, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s capital is Beirut and the official languages are both Arabic and French. Rima explains her background, “I was born in Beirut but because of political and religious unrest my father moved my family to England when I was 8 years old. We used to visit most summers since we still had family there. I met my husband at school in Manchester, England, and he, too, was born in Beirut. We go back every few years with our girls, because we want them to remember their culture and the rich heritage that Lebanon has. Unfortunately, the media shows only the extremes of Lebanese fighting or in the alternate, its place as one of the world’s party places. The Lebanese are very hospitable and kind people. If it were not for the political and religious problems, Lebanon would be a paradise.“
She continues, “As far as design, almost every space seems to be made from stone and marble. The buildings and high rises are all steel and concrete. The internal walls are very thick with absolutely no wallpaper. Most homes are still into white walls because the furniture in those rooms is very ornate. There are no wooden floors and the ceilings are plaster. The rooms are huge and there are lots of balconies.”
Here’s the lovely Rima and her family…
Rima was particularly fascinated by the Palace of Beiteddine. She explains, “It took about 30 years to complete and the best craftsmen from Damascus, Aleppo and Italy were invited and given the freedom to create. It’s style is a cross between traditional Arab and Italian baroque. The walls and ceilings are covered in intricately carved and painted wood, embellished with Arab calligraphy. The palace is the summer residence of the President.”
Baalbek, one of Lebanon’s greatest treasures, can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world. It is one of the largest and best preserved Roman temples ever built.
A bit more of the architecture and artworks around Lebanon.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our virtual trip to the beautiful country of Lebanon. Thank you, Rima, for sharing all your wonderful information, insights and photographs! Please do visit her website if you have a moment. Until next time, dear Reader!
I happen to love spiral staircases. Perhaps love is too light of a word. If I were to be in the market for a house and came upon a beautiful spiral staircase, I’d probably (1) hyperventilate, (2) start negotiating and (3) put up a “Sold. Don’t Even Think About It.” sign on the front lawn, just in case anyone else was even contemplating touring the property. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. My Mom knows about it and I admit I watched The Spiral Staircase on TCM just because of the name. So…(nervous laugh)…now that you know my secret design fetish, let’s move on to some gorgeous images…
Here are two with spectacular views, both from my morgue file with unknown sources. Not sure how the young woman sneaked into my house…
On the left, a spiral staircase leading into a guest room. It was featured in Architectural Digest in 2005 and photographed by Robert McLoud. It is the Bangkok home of M.L. Poomchai Chumbala of Agalico fame. By the way, not a single nail was used. On the right, a beautiful focal point built by Atlantic Designworks.
On the left, the personal home of designers Heiberg and Cummings. The focus of their design work is contemporary Scandinavian living. I truly like how fresh and unpretentious the room and staircase are. On the right, is a different take. It’s the foyer of one of the suites in West Virginia’s Greenbrier Resort. (Hmm. Just noticed the window treatments match the wallpaper exactly.)
…and my fave of all? Why it’s the spiral staircase created by French designer Patrick Jouin. Isn’t it breathtakingly gorgeous? He gets his own pic, centered.
I hope you’ll forgive this brief departure from decorative painting. Speaking of decorative painting, do you know the difference between a newel post and a landing newel? Know your baluster from your nosing? Well, in case you ever get called in to re-do a staircase, you can now know all the proper names for all the areas. Home Tips has a handy-dandy Staircase Construction guide (and thankfully, there’s a visual). You’re gonna love that I gave you that link. See you soon!
I’ve started seeing mosaics everywhere. A book that fell on me from my overstuffed library, then on blogs, onwards to Twitter and finally, magazine profiles. It all culminated when my friend Monica brought in a book one day and said “Had this in my car — been meaning to show it to you.” It was The Complete Pebble Mosaic Handbook by Maggy Howarth. At that point, I just threw my hands up and said “OK, Universe, I’ll do something with mosaics!” [I'm SURE the Universe didn't mean for me to give up finishes and start doing mosaics. I love mosaics but they look really intricate and like it takes a million years to master. I'll just stick to appreciating the artistry it requires. :) ]
The book that fell on me was The Mosaic Book by Vance & Goodrick-Clarke. I’ve had it for years and love the visuals. Here are some pics from it and the aforementioned Pebble Mosaic Handbook:
Today is just little bits of info about different blogs around the world wide web. I hope some or all prove to be of interest to you. Here we go!
1) Jennifer Allwood of The Magic Brush blog turned me on to the amazing House of Turquoise blog written by Erin Olson. Ms. Olson also has a list of blogs that break down decor elements by color. Here’s a peek at one of the pics featured. I wish I’d had this kind of environment in school…
2) My friend, Carol Leonesio, is writing “28 Days of Stenciling” on the Stencil Talk blog. She has been featuring some really cool companies doing wonderful finishes with stencils. Have a great stencil project you’d like highlited? I think she may have some slots open. Send your pics and details to paintit@comcast.net.
3) Another cool color blog I’ve come across is Color Buzz. It is written by a mixed group of decorative painters and designers called Beehive Studios and they have great things to share. The blog is sponsored by Valspar.
4) I’ve recently been featured by not one but two blogs! I wanted to give them a nice public “Thank You!” and I hope you can check them out. The first is oh brooke and we were featured in her Wall Stripes: Subtle or Circus? post (thankfully, we made the “good” stripes list). The next blog to feature us is Meet Your Muse and the post was called Born to Paint the Walls. Jennie Nash, who writes the Muse blog, has a novel about artists entitled The Only True Genius in the Family. Cool, no?
5) On her Design Amour blog, Melanie Royals recently showcased a wall that featured a new way of thinking with Modello Designs. You need to click on this link: Art Deco Mural after Rateau. The wall is so beautiful that it has inspired almost 40 comments. De.Li.Cious. Here’s a peek:
6) Last but not least, if you are into cooking and baking — then please check out my friend Angela’s blog, Spinach Tiger. She’s a decorative painter who happens to write a gourmet food blog. Great recipes and pics. I always seem to click on her site when I’m hungry…
Those are the nibblers! Thank you in advance for clicking on the links and I hope I’ve provided some sites to bookmark for future visits as well. I soon am going to be compiling a list of decorative paint and plaster companies who have wonderful blogs and great thoughts to share. There are so many wonderful artists to discover! Have a great day!
Ah, it’s that time of year again! New paint color trends to unearth and a portfolio to spruce up. Since I do the research every year, how wrong would it be for me not to share? I’ll have to look back at the post from last year and see how accurate the color forecasting companies were. (‘Cause let me tell ya — I think we did a variation of gray every month in 2008. That was a HUGE color for us.) Here’s how it usually gets started: Fashion starts the kick which influences home interiors. All of a sudden you notice that the colors you’ve started seeing in the shelter magazines are the colors used in the visual merchandising of the home design stores and/or departments. Last year, I did a color trend presentation for Robb & Stucky and while providing the proof of this visually, they actually gasped. I swear! I think it’s really cool to be consciously aware of how color is promoted and sold.
So, enough of the appetizer….let’s get to the entree!
1) Pantone – Pantone has chosen Mimosa, a “warm engaging color”, as their color of the year. It’s chosen because of the state of the economy: “In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.” They say it also speaks to enlightenment and that it has appeal for both men and women. I do think it is a beautiful, radiant color. I like this one. BTW, there’s a nice Pantone’s Home + Interiors 2009 video link from Apartment Therapy as well.
2) Paint Quality Institute – The Institute’s goal is to educate consumers and professionals about using the highest quality paints and coatings. For their color trend reports this year, they have a great podcast and the enclosed video. This year, they have narrowed down their choices down to three categories: Menswear: Blues, Browns & Grays, Weather or Not: Purples and Rosy Reds and What’s in Bloom?: Lemon Yellows, Citrus Greens and Pumpking Oranges among others. If you’d like to read their full report, click here. My favorite part is how they add what decorative effects would be ideal within each category.
3) Color Marketing Group - This group predicts colors up to three years in advance. Must be exciting to work there…taking a note of everything, doing the research…oh, sorry, got off track. They have their full list here. Their colors include the “must have” Purple, the “stand-out accent color” Yellow, cooled down Grays and gray-inspired Browns. They also list White as an option for commercial spaces since it reflects “purity of thought, motive and result — which is what we want from businesses now”. It’s a very interesting read.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this – each forecast seems like a good variation of the other, no? If you would like to keep abreast of color tidbits all year, consider reading the Color Association blog. If you’d like to read more about color in general, all the sites above are fantastic to cull information from. I might not have a post tomorrow so if not, I hope you have a colorful weekend! (…had to go there…)
