When one of our team members, Monica Arrache, told me she was traveling to visit her hometown of Boston (one of my fave cities) I hounded her asked her nicely if she would photograph anything Fauxology-ish in order to share with the readers. She finally had enough of my begging kindly did so with not one, but two amazing spaces.
Emerson College came upon the closed and dilapidated Art Deco-styled Paramount Theatre and commissioned it to undergo a $92 million dollar renovation to transform it into The Paramount Center. The renovation was overseen by Elkus Manfredi Architects. The interior theater has been restored to look like the movie palace that opened in 1932, complete with gold figurines, murals and restored historic finishes. It now houses classrooms, offices and several state-of-the-art performance spaces for Emerson College. There are guided tours for the public as well. Here are some of Monica’s images…
...and they do mean, ANYBODY...
559 Washington Street, Boston, MA
I found an excellent article on its history and current interior design. Additionally, there is a 5-minute video from The Emerson Channel in case you’d like to see further into the space:
I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into the new Paramount Center and that it inspires you to visit it while traveling in Boston. I’d like to send out a special Thank You! to Monica for the images and information. I’ll have the second location up soon. Have a great day!
Green is a color that signifies life — growth, renewal, healthiness. It is a color that denotes nature and balance and can usually be found within a calm color scheme. Used well, it can help alleviate anxiety and relax both the mind and body. Many famous phrases revolve around the color, such as “going green”, “green with envy”, “green-lighting a project” or “it’s not easy being green”. Mmm…maybe that last one not so much. ;) In entertainment, there is even a “green room” — it is the area a performer can be found waiting until his or her time to go on stage. Interestingly, it is rarely painted green.
Sensational Color has wonderful further information on the color green. In the meantime, I found a few catalog and magazine images that showcase this beautiful color.
Wallpaper or Decorative Artwork
Venetian Plaster on Accent Walls
Unexpected Areas
Overall
I hope you’ve been inspired to Go Green! Until next time, dear Reader!
Image Sources: Architectural Digest, Interior Design, Benjamin Moore, Phoenix Home & Garden and Elle Decor
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!
A few weeks ago, we profiled the wonderful artist Lynne Rutter. She writes an incredible blog, The Ornamentalist, and I look forward to reading each post she writes. The latest one, A House Inspired by a Jasperware Teapot, talks about how she took inspiration from an unusual source — and created an exterior masterpiece for her clients. Here’s the Before…
…and you’ll have to click on the post link to see the results. You’ll love it, trust. (Jasperware certainly gets around since I’ve also found it to be inspirational.) BTW, in the post Lynne also includes information on how black can be a serious contender for the exterior of your home. I kid you not — I’d slather it on if the architecture of my house would allow it. (Sadly, no.) Have a great day!
I once blogged about architect David Ling and enjoyed how he called rusted or patinated surfaces as having “layers of history”. That’s a great way to describe spaces that have seen a lot of living and love but haven’t experienced it themselves. At least, that’s my romanticized version of it. Here are some images — please note that you can click on them to zoom:
INTERIORS
Sotto Sotto Restaurant in Atlanta, GA as featured in the Atlanta Travel Guide
Love the distressing on panels (left) and Indonesian doors (right) as featured in Elle Decor
FURNITURE AND SUCH
(Sources Unknown)
EXTERIORS
Faded reds and pinks in Buenos Aires as shot for Oprah magazine by Todd Marshard
Giambatista Valli photographed in Rome’s Palazzo dei Conservatori Museum by Henry Bourne for Elle Decor
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When I’ve traveled to countries that have quite a bit of history, I’ve marvel at the weathered surfaces and have expressed my appreciation. Of course, they see it as something that needs fixing and not something to crow about but hey, I find it beautiful. Hope you had a wonderful start to the week — see you soon, dear Reader!
Aren’t mosaics beautiful? Certainly an incredible aspect of art. I’ve written before about how mad I am about them but today, I want to focus on a blog focused solely on mosaics: the Sara Baldwin Design blog. Sara Baldwin runs an international company, New Ravenna Mosaics, and I had the pleasure to meet her at a design show last year. She’s wonderful and extremely generous with giving business advice (I’ve turned to her a time or two). On her blog, she writes not only about mosaics, but also about her travels, discoveries and her company’s behind-the-scenes actions. One of those posts, caught my eye: Look What We Did Today. In it, she talks about a very special (and not altogether cooperative) photo prop. Here’s a hint:
You’ll have to clink on the link to see the adorable and hilarious results. Be sure to also check out her Capitols, Columns and Cuervos: Parte Dos (or, Gourmet Tequila, the second best thing in Mexico after the Materials Marketing Factory) post which features colorful murals and Bough Wow Wow, a post that is all about Asian-inspired mosaics. I could keep linking on an on…enjoy the visit to Sara’s blog!
I’ve always loved murals and try to suggest them when the space calls for it. I think some clients can be a bit put off when they are brought up because they think it’s “not something for them”…oh, but how it can be. Murals really encompass a variety of looks — they can be muted, colorful, realistic or charmingly odd. Here are just three examples I’ve found where you can see how a little artistry — or a lot — can transform a room into a place you’d love to spend hours in.
(above) A Dining Room during Thanksgiving. Notice the painted trees & leaves over the arched area which leads perfectly into a view of a sculpture garden. It’s a beautiful (and unexpected) touch when paired with all the other elements – the barrel ceiling, the fabrics (love the backing of the chair on the right) and the overall color scheme. Designed by Charles Pavarini III Design Associates and photographed by Phillip Ennis.
(above) This artistry adds charm and fantasy to what could have been a serious space with a stiff upper lip. It’s one of David Carter’s works.
Of course, you can always use another artist as inspiration. An ode to Monet’s water lilies changes the above two rooms into incredible spaces. Here’s another view. They were painted by Paul Meriguet of Ateliers Meriguet Carrere (Paris) and are photographed by Francois Halard. (BTW, you want to click on the Meriguet Carrere site link. Happy sighs.)
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We really could go on and on with the different types of murals available for your space. When hiring a muralist, please be sure to look at their portfolio with a discerning eye. Just like we are attracted to certain artists and their canvas works, you will feel a pull towards a particular artist and their style. You will note that some artists are better suited for scenery, others are more whimsical and others can be more modern or in the alternate, more traditional. I hope this post has inspired you — see you tomorrow!
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!
My brother, Jason, is a total Foodie. So when I hear him in rhapsody over a restaurant, I know it’s going to be a phenomenal experience. Case in point: the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, FL. Columbia is the oldest Latin restaurant in Florida and one of its Top 25 restaurants overall. It opened in 1905 and has since been named an All-American Icon — only one of 50 restaurants in the country to have the honor as bestowed by Nation’s Restaurant News. The food is influenced by the cuisine of old Spain and on certain nights, even have extraordinary flamenco shows to complete the experience.
After attending a NY Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays game this past Sunday, the Hubs and I decided to stop by. Jason had also told me that the decor was as outstanding as the food. I thought he was talking about the interior but lo and behold, I found these tiled beauties on the exterior of the building.
One image just a bit closer
(above) Click to Zoom
A smaller tiled mural is right next to this bigger one.
There were also several beautiful elements in the interior design. They have fifteen (15) dining rooms in total and each is as interesting and different as the previous one. The restaurant itself is 52,000 square feet. Click here for more information and to read about their fascinating history. Below are images I took and some pulled from their website.
Reception (left) and the view — with painted columns and ornaments — from our table (right)
Cafe Dining Room
The Red Dining Room with an allover design on the walls
The Kings Room -- love the tiled chair rail.
Oh, yes. You may be wondering about the food. Although we did not have the 1905 Salad (rated one of America’s best salads by USA Today), we did have amazing tapas, paella, sangria and decadent desserts. [And hey, thousands of Facebook fans can't be wrong.] Our fantastic waitress, Megan, practically had to roll us out of there with both our stomachs and eyes happy. What could be better?
The beauty of interior design and decorative painting is that a space can take on any personality. The choice comes down to the client, of course, but also what the aesthetics of the area is. A unique option to consider is a silhouette — an outline of a chosen image with an appropriate background. Just a hint of artistry without overwhelming the space. Here are two examples:
Above is a teenager’s room (I believe) I found profiled in Country Sampler magazine a few years ago. I love the overall idea and colors — I’d replace the chair and take out the hung magazine collage next to the silhouettes and the frame trimmed in black lace, though.
(Above 2 images) This space never gets old for me. The artist is David Carter and the room is featured in his book, The Complete Book of Paint. The plus is that he shows how to achieve the effect as well. It was among the first design books I purchased and is still a perennial fave.
Hope you’ve had a nice start to the month of August. See you tomorrow!
