“White…is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black…God paints in many colours; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white.”

 G. K. Chesterton

Every year I get fonder and fonder of White.  It reads so fresh to me — especially when paired with vibrant colors.  Today I’d like to tip my hat to White…

Love this great idea — subtle and yet striking. Via 79 Ideas.

 Soft, barely there mural artistry. Via Architectural Digest.

Featured on Design Milk, artist Genevieve Bennett creates inlaid, sculpted leather designs on multiple surfaces. Love how the white pops! Of course, you can always create unique relief canvases with meaningful quotes and beautiful patterns.

Anaglypta can also be so wonderful in white. Source Unknown.

Artist Maria Apelo Cruz

 

She shares that every piece in this room was first sculpted by hand in clay.

 

This is the newly cast plaster pieces. From here, each piece is sanded, refined and primed to be ready for installation on-site.

 

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Once upon a time there lived a beautiful dresser that longed to be more in life than just a place to store tighty-whities and t-shirts. Then one fabulous day along came a shining creative mind with a gallant jigsaw.  This prince of purpose turned that plain dresser into a sensational sink base. The former bedroom piece lived happily ever after with new meaning as center stage in another much visited room.

I always love it when furniture is re-purposed in clever, inventive ways. Taking pieces of furniture normally used for storage or display and turning them into sink bases is an example of re-purposing at its best. There is a company in Atlanta, Georgia called J. Tribble. One of the areas they specialize in is creating custom sink bases. Besides gorgeous wood finishes, they also have a line of handpainted bases. The following pieces are from their collection and help to beautifully illustrate the concept of transforming furniture from one purpose to another.

I love how old dressers were given a new life and transformed into sinks.  You can see more of the handpainted pieces in the J. Tribble gallery. The pieces above are ready for installation, but this is also a great DIY project. There are many tutorials online that will help you to create your own showpiece (like this one, this one and yes, this one).  Very soon, you’ll start seeing some of ours as well.  If you’ve already done this type of transformation, do you have any tips to share with us?

Cheers to all,
Peggy

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A few months ago, I was perusing different blogs and I came upon a post entitled Palazzo Lavaca Inspiration Photo Shoot by the wedding decor blog, Style Me Pretty.  My jaw dropped when I saw the location shots and I needed to find out more about the enchanting place that is Palazzo Lavaca.

Located in Austin, Texas, it was first established as a firehouse in 1890, became a saddlery in 1942 and saw its doors close in 1973.  The dilapidated property was snapped up by Giselle Koy, professional muse and author of The Modern Muse, and she oversaw an incredible renovation that was inspired by Venice’s Palazzo Fortuny.  She also took the best elements of European boutique hotels, mixed it in with the magic of NYC lofts and after hitting the blend button, created Palazzo Lavaca.

This is part of the Main Room and a close-up of the finish. According to Style Me Pretty, the walls “were restored to the original look and then sealed for preservation”. Below, one of the bedrooms.

Here are the dining areas…

Not all the areas have faux and/or decorative finishes.  Below is an office lined with Fornasetti wallpaper alongside a powder room with a nice, deep base color.

The hallway showcases a good mix of paint, a damask design and textured plaster with exposed brick.

Palazzo Lavaca takes its name from the street it resides in, Lavaca. It is 6,755 square feet and you can see layers of patina, great color balance and unexpected details brought in from global travels. Here are some final shots of lounging spaces.

That's an elevator you spy in the background!

Media Room

Colors and textures working beautifully together.

Photos from Sotheby’s and Palazzo Lavaca

Venetian Grandeur meets Industrial/Rustic Chic.  Ms. Koy intended Palazzo Lavaca to be the “forever home” for herself and her two children, but as she is moving to California, it is up for sale.  In the meantime, she lets it out for special events and weddings.  Please do take a look at their gallery further and marvel at the magic Ms. Koy created by adding to the building’s rich history.  I hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of it.

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Hello Everyone!

In last Thursday’s post on Chinoiserie, I included several pictures of the Grand Ballroom at the Dorchester Hotel in London. The metal Chinoiserie artwork was created by a company called Metall-FX, Creative Metal Solutions. When I found their website, I knew that I had to share their remarkable work with Fauxology’s readers beyond just that one post.

At Metall-FX, inventor Brian Eatwell has developed an extraordinary process for applying a metal finish to just about any surface imaginable. When the coating is applied to the surface of an object, it gives it the look and feel of solid metal. With dozens of pure metals and alloys from which to choose along with different textures, colors and finishes, an artist or designer is only limited by their imagination.

I’ve selected a few of my favorites from their gallery. Prepare yourself for a wonderful ride!

A fireplace in Paris is home to this elegant work…

Metall-FX shows you their interpretation of two great oceans…

Take a journey with their skilled artisans…

Art imitates life, animal life that is…

Would you like to see something in red…

Mother Nature would love this…

Trojan Battle Scene Frieze
The Metall-FX team created this Trojan Battle Scene Frieze for a client of James Livingstone of Lourenco & Co. It is over forty-four feet in length!

Here is a brief glimpse of the process that creates this incredible work of art….

One last picture…

This company is definitely going on my Favorites List! I only wish they were on this side of the pond. I hope you enjoyed seeing their work as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their work. Check out their website to see a gallery of their finishes and projects. You will love it!

Cheers to all,
Peggy

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A few years ago, I came upon EverGreene Architectural Arts.  You know the joy when you discover a company whose sheer craftsmanship and dedication to excellence oozes out of every image, every project and even every pore of their website?  Exactly.  Evergreene is truly a special and unique studio — one of the finest in the country.  Their scope of work is astounding — please do take some time to see their artistry.

We are proud to profile one of their recent projects, the lobby ceiling of a building along Fifth Avenue in New York City.  The project had undergone multiple renovations and the original entrance had an unusually narrow, low-ceilinged lobby. After adding lobby height and width, the new entrance and portal was then roofed with a shallow arch, evoking the building’s crown.  The commercial project had a decidedly contemporary vibe and the technique was designed by Robin Roi, the head of their decorative finishes department.

First, the team primed the surface and then created a textured pattern in a dark green color, which was the color that the client wanted to come through the final gilding.

The artists made a textured finish with heavy acrylic paint and massive brushes in a swirled pattern and then gilded it with aluminum leaf.

Close-up

It was all then sanded and abraded it lightly to reveal the texture even more. Finally, it was glazed to match the rest of the lobby.

Close-up

The gorgeous finish blends beautifully with the Travertine walls, patterned terrazzo floors and marble accents.

The final images are by Jock Pottle. All are courtesy of EverGreene Architectural Arts.

EverGreene advises that there’s a long historic precedent for this style, specifically, combed plaster from the aesthetic movement in the 1880s. It was actually more a style than a movement and was in response to the Victorian clutter of Gothic Revival.  To a certain extent, they used influences of the Far East as stylistic cues. Edward William Godwin is the architect that more or less typifies this style.  Taking the contemporary interior in mind, Robin Roi created a more abstract version of the textural aesthetic movement wall coverings for this project.  I think the technique is gorgeous and so well done — and am enchanted with the final colorations.

Since 1978, EverGreene has been creating award-winning designs and projects for special clients.  Their studio has several facets, including restoration and conservation along with sacred, civic and theatrical works.   In fact, they have a fascinating short video explaining how architectural conservators explore, sample and test historic interiors to determine past layers of history and suggest an appropriate plan of action.

The company also keeps a wonderful blog where they share some of their projects. You can also keep up with them via their Facebook fan page.  A warm Thank You! goes out to EverGreene Architectural Arts (and especially their Communications Director, James Tarmy) for sharing their project and incredible artistry with us.  What a beautiful way to end the week — enjoy the weekend, dear Readers!

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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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“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”
― Julia Child, My Life in France

I thought a quote by Julia Child would be a wonderful ice breaker into the next week-long series announcement: Kitchens.  It is also appropriate because in the time that we’ve had the week-long series events — an entire week dedicated to one area with five chosen studios to profile — so much has been learned.  What works, what doesn’t and which projects help ignite imaginations.

We continually strive to improve and have made a few changes to our submission and selection process — and one change which will make you really happy.

For the first time ever, each of the artists and/or designers in the series will receive a sponsored prize AND five lucky readers will win a prize as well.  Yay!  So, without further ado…

Are you ready for your close-up?

Cabinets with a rubbed finish of black over Chinese blue, lined in gold. Featured in Architectural Digest.

KITCHENS

The heart of the home — and a place where memories become beloved stories.

We help create these rooms that provide an inspiring, fun and warm environment.

Fauxology is looking for these Kitchens — the ones that have something extraordinary. Something unique. Something completely artistic.

The submissions lines are now open — and here are the details:

• Deadline: Friday, March 2, 2012
• E-mail: Submissions@Fauxology.com with the subject line Kitchen Week Submission
• Entries: One project per e-mail. Please send as many projects (and images per project) as you’d like.  E-mail must have your name, company and quick overview of project, including the year completed.
• Surfaces: Any overall design is eligible as well as any surface in the kitchen, including but not limited to cabinetry, counter tops, walls, ceilings, canvas works and flooring.
• Images: Can include before and during shots, but there must be images of the completed room.
• Note: Please do advise us of the publications your project has been featured in. We are ideally looking to feature projects that were not the sole focus of a prior publication, the exception being websites, blogs and fan pages personal to the artist and/or designer.

~  ~  ~

If chosen for one of the five slots during Kitchen Week, you will be sent follow-up info by Sunday, March 11th.  Those chosen will have their own one-day feature on Fauxology during Kitchen Week in April 2012 — and win a prize along with five lucky readers!

Thank you — and I hope to see your project in there!

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