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.
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…
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 realized that I’d forgotten to share some of the projects we’ve done. Bad blogger!!! Well, in the past few months, we have been working on quite a few restaurants. I will spotlight a few of them in the coming weeks but we’ll start with Marie Livingston’s Steakhouse in Tallahassee, FL. The restaurant has been voted Tallahassee’s best steakhouse for the past several years and yet even with these accolades, Mrs. Livingston decided to not only build a new location but also create a cozier, more sophisticated atmosphere.
She brought in Orlando-based architectural firm The Evans Group for their professional expertise. We worked with their design team, Karen Guindi and A.J. Falbo, who picked unique finishes for many of the restaurant’s spaces. Karen Guindi describes the design as a “contemporary twist on a Charleston flavor”. Here’s our tour:
The exterior Courtyard shares its space with the Main Entrance. A faux marble was requested for the background of the restaurant’s large sign. To see a close-up, click here.
Once you walk in, you will see a small dome above the Reception. The designers liked the idea of a distressed silver leaf – they wanted the black base showing through the leaf and the squares not so perfectly set. To see the setting, here’s a Before pic.
Moving to the main Dining Area, there was a curved accent wall that was begging for a special finish. A two-toned Venetian Plaster with a pearl mica overlay was chosen. I believe they will be putting a piano in that area. Click on the pics for a larger version.
In the Ladies Room, a Luster Leaf finish was applied to the walls. This is a visual after we finished but before it was completed. Still to come were beautiful light fixtures, mirrors, a chandelier and other accents. To see a closeup of the finish, click here.
Finally, there was a faux Ostrich Skin designated for the three booth areas in the Bar. Although we do not have final pics, we do have a close-up of the finish. The colorations were chosen to blend with the fabrics of the custom-made curved booths.
We will be travelling back to take final photographs but I thought you’d enjoy the above in the meantime. Have a wonderful day!
Ahhh, New Year = New Outlook! When you hear the words “Antique Mirror” you think a beautifully aged looking glass — perhaps in a French chateau, perhaps in panels in an upscale hotel lobby. We LOVE those mirrors but also look forward to all the new patinas and designs you can do as well. This month, we premiere our Mirror of the Month: Mod Chic. It is not an antiqued miror per se, but it features one of many retro-forward designs available and can be done in any coloration and almost any size. Mmmm, now we’re talking!
Our studio produces creates these patinas and many more to ship world-wide. They can be cleaned and installed like a regular mirror and best of all, add a bit of visual oomph. What could be better? Please be sure to check out the rest of our gallery as well. We have a special newsletter for the Design trade and if you are interested in receiving it, please fill out our Contact Us form, send a Tweet to @Fauxology or simply e-mail a request to Info@GarayArtisans.com — we look forward to hearing from you!
“Be careful what you wish for” has been a recurring theme in my life. When I started the Fauxology blog, my goal was to reach out to fellow kindred spirits to share my love and obsession for all things Art. In the years since, I’ve interacted with some of the best artisans in the world and have gained lifelong friendships. Couldn’t get any better, right?
Then, I was contacted by the wonderful Home Workshop, a daily blog that focuses on design trends, how-to projects, transformation of rooms, products in the marketplace and so much more. They were looking for a Decorative Painting & Surface Design Expert to answer questions and contribute posts for their readers — would I be interested? Of course! So, now, the dream of sharing my knowledge continues to an even greater degree — heaven help my somewhat-insatiable curiosity!
My first post for Home Workshop revolves around a recent research trip to Bok Tower & Gardens, a national historic site here in Central Florida. To read the full post, click here — it features some of the gorgeous landscaping and good reference shots. You can also read my bio on the Contributor page. I do hope you enjoy the post and the Home Workshop blog! In the meantime, I shall still be writing for all my amazing peers here at Fauxology and have some great posts coming up. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season so far!
So, there I was, perusing through my Inc. magazine November issue when I came upon something unexpected. Their current Behind the Scenes section has a beautiful two-page profile on the Southern Theatre in Columbus, Ohio written by Alexandra Cheney. Behind the Scenes features “companies at the heart of everyday life”. Here’s both pages (I spliced them together) as photographed by Andrew Moore:
The Southern Theatre opened in 1896 and was one of the first theatres in Columbus to use electricity. It features gorgeous gold leafing and ornamental work. The plaster is done by Pymer Plastering, the decendants of the original plaster artisans. During the fourteen-month restoration that started in September 1998, they removed much of the original plaster, which was a mixture of horsehair and either lime or gypsum, and replaced it with plaster strengthened with nylon fibers. On the Southern Theatre website, you can read about its history and see further pictures with a virtual tour. It is definitely a stop for me the next time I’m in Ohio. BTW, the November Inc. issue also has other great articles — including ones on growing your company, balancing a family business and ideas for selling luxury in a recession. It’s a great magazine — hope you pick it up!
Recently, Jason Lucas and Anthony Pinkston teamed up to bring professional artisans a complete resource website, Method Finishing. Their motto is “The Nuts and Bolts of Decorative Finishing”. It is a subscription-based website but even if you do not sign up, there are many complimentary resources available. As you enter each of their site’s areas, there is someone telling you exactly what that page contains. I’m not one to like hearing music when I enter a website, but that is a pretty cool feature.
If you go to their Video section, they have 30 second ads and hi-res pictures for each of their Methods (Recipes), which you can choose to purchase individually. An area that is quickly becoming a fave of mine is their Resources. It lists product manufacturers, colors and a resource glossary. (That colors link is a sample page and is an area for subscribers only.) I love how they list all the organizations, forums and online sites available for professional finishers. (I once thought to write a blog post about that but there it is all in one page. Nice!) I do have to say that it warms my heart to see the Fauxology blog listed as a resource under Blogs and Online Publications. (Thanks, fellas!) They also have cool Galleries to gain inspiration from.
The subscription runs $35/month and they have a Professional subscription which runs $105/quarter — namely, $26.25 per month. During the year, there will be roughly 56 finishes sent to each subscriber, so it averages out to about $7.50 per video recipe. The professional subscription actually receives more — about 64 new finishes per year. (Side note: I’m not ashamed to say I needed a calculator for that one. I’m an artist not a mathematician, folks. Ironically, I married a past state champion for Math. How’d that happen?!?) I hope you get a chance to review their site and access further information about the program. They even have a Facebook page. Let me know what you think!
While artisans handpainting murals and trompe l’oeil will never go out of style, digital murals have become quite the rage. One of its leaders is the wonderful Architexture company who introduced TattooWall, digital images transferred onto an interior or exterior space giving an “affresco effect”. Recently, Michael Ybarra, Director of Sales & Marketing, took the time to discuss years vs. days.
Q: There must be resistance by some artists. Is there a misconception about TattooWall?
A: One of the biggest misconceptions about Tattoowall is that it takes work away from muralists and traditional artists. It’s not the taking away of work, but a way of expanding their businesses. Artists can save time by creating their art small, and printing it large with Tattoowall. Generally, a client will hire an artist because they like the particular style of that artist. Since an artist [has] 24 hours in a day, he is limited to what he can physically handle in the time he devotes to his art. Tattoowall allows that artist to handle multiple, detailed projects in a short amount of time. The artist can even work with a chain of stores or restaurants across the country and execute original artwork simultaneously in various locations. They can spend more time on creativity and less time on the physical application, sometimes in awkward positions on ladders or scaffolding.Tattoowall also allows the artist to incorporate their faux finishing skills into and around the mural to create an overall balance of art and style throughout an entire business or residence. This also becomes more cost effective for the client. Another misconception in the market has been that commissioning a mural was not often financially achievable and now Tattoowall makes it more affordable.
Above: Imagery provided by Decorative Imaging
Q: What are some of the newest or innovative products you have in your products?
A: Besides Tattoowall, the Urbantattoo product lets us take the artist’s work many steps further by putting the artwork onto leather, mosaics, glass, aluminum, wood floors, and [other] surfaces. This opens so many opportunities for the artists and designers to get creative, knowing their work can be on virtually any surface.
Q: How do you go about creating new designs?
A: With Tattoowall and UrbanTattoo the creativity comes from the artists and designers. Plus, we have an extensive image library that is constantly growing, which allows new artists to gain more exposure for their work. This adds great diversity to the options that are available to the client.
Q: Where do you see your industry heading in the future?
A: Where many other industries have been assisted by technology, the field of Art often seems to lag behind. As artists and designers know, traditional murals can become very labor intensive. Tattoowall is now a tool that has been provided by technology to make the mural process easier. With Tattoowall, I see traditional artists sharing their creative vision and getting more exposure for their talent, all the while improving the efficiencies in their operations and growing their business.
Architexture offers workshops to teach artisans on the hows of this fascinating option. It’s a 2-day class ranging between $645 – $695 and Michael explains the course: “It includes hands-on application, gilding, glazing and troubleshooting. We cover the history of fresco and Tattoowall, technical explanations and how to work with clients throughout the process. We also discuss Urbantattoo and its many capabilities in the design world. For half of the second day, we coordinate with a local business for an on-site Tattoowall application, giving the students real, hands-on experience outside of the classroom setting. The certification courses are designed to help the artists learn how to take on large projects and grow their businesses.”
Of course, you can also see their video presentation or their step-by-step guide to see if it’s for you. They also have quite a comprehensive FAQ page and you can even order a sample kit to play with. Coincidentally, I met owner Gaia Calcaterra when she was visiting the HD Boutique show. It was a true pleasure to meet her — she’s very charming. Well, I do thank Michael Ybarra for giving us such great information about the exciting Architexture offerings. It’s always great to think outside the box — and, of course, finding out about all the options we can offer our clients.
Chances are you are familiar with the book, The House that Faux Built by author and activist Adrienne Van Dooren. It’s one of the must-have books to own in your design library since it showcases the transformation of a 1940’s home with over 500 pictures of beautiful finishes by some of the best artisans of today. However, this is no ordinary decorative painting book – true to it’s title, the proceeds of its sale were going towards raising enough money to build a home in New Orleans, post-Katrina. The beauty of it all? After four years, it has proven a success and the funds to build the home have been raised! Here are some pics from the project, now under construction:
The home will be a sanctuary for a young family with two children and is being built from scratch from the proceeds. During the first week in November, the house will be worked on by various artists who have volunteered their time and resources for this second “House That Faux Built” project. The second phase of this project will be included in a re-printing of the original book and this round will benefit both Habitat for Humanity as well as the SPCA. There are also other good works coming in to play. Rebecca Parsons will be on hand during the two weeks to video the project, the dedication ceremony and the artisans who selflessly are donating their time for a mini-documentary of the process. The entire project will also be professionally photographed and will receive a well-deserved amount of press.
I spoke with Asheville artisan Lyna Dawn, the Chairperson of the project, to get a little more information on this worthy endeavor. There is more information to be had at the Faux House website but here’s some good ways to get involved in this second phase:
1) SPCA (Birdhouse Auction) – The SPCA will have their annual fundraising event on Saturday, November 14th, with a Hooray for Howlywood theme. During the event, there will be a charity auction involving gorgeous birdhouses handpainted by artisans – but hurry, the deadline to send one in is Thursday, October 29th. Send the birdhouses to:
Attention: Dean Howard
Howling for Success Auction
1700 Mardi Gras Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70114
2) Artisan Volunteers – The second phase will run the first two weeks of November. The first week is geared towards working on the actual Habitat home and both faux finishes and murals will take center stage here. The mural work will be geared towards helping the SPCA and its headquarters. Please note that great rates have been worked out to help with food and lodging costs (including the beautiful Degas House) and most materials will be donated. Jane Drew is the Project Coordinator in New Orleans and you can reach her by e-mailing Jane1478@aol.com or calling her directly at (504) 666-2609.
3) SPCA (Doghouse Challenge) – During the first week of November, doghouses will be built by an artist couple in Monroe, LA and will be painted by the volunteer artisans. These will also be auctioned off at the SPCA shindig, Hooray for Howlywood, and will be spotlighted by their special celebrity host.
4) Sponsorship – Some of the sponsors include Golden Paints, Royal Design Studio, Modern Masters and Jeff Raum Stencils. (Note to Readers: I’ll plug in more sponsors as I find out more about them.) If you’d like information on becoming a sponsor, please contact the Sponsorship Chair for the program, Laine Discepoli via e-mail Laine@misselaineous.net or via phone (513) 533-FAUX.
5) Donations – If you are not able to participate in any of the above but would love to help, please consider donating to the cause. All efforts are truly appreciated.
It’s amazing that such an incredible endeavor has come to fruition. It really is quite heartwarming that faux truly has built a home for a deserving family – and every one of us who owns the book helped make it happen. The original artisans must be so proud – as well as founder, Adrienne Van Dooren! Please tour the Faux House website, consider getting involved and by all means, purchase the book if you have not done so already. There is tons of eye candy, ideas and all for a wonderful cause! There is also a Facebook Fan Page for the originating non-for-profit organization, Artists4Others. Until next time!
