Narrative:
It all starts with the walls
The new residents of this spacious French Manor House planned to do a
complete interior decorating renovation. From formal living areas to casual
play spaces, the challenge was to create innovative wall and ceiling
finishes that would have an immediate stand alone impact while enhancing the
essence of each room¹s decor. Working from fabric swatches, conceptual
drawings, and existing architectural surfaces, the design process required
extensive experimentation with various faux specific materials and multiple
samples to achieve the unique "look" the homeowners were seeking.
The Entry foyer: By embedding tissue paper in a charred bronze paint, the
resulting veined texture created the surface which captured successive
layers of a reflective gold plaster and a mahogany toning wash. The ceiling
was finished with a blended gold and pearl glaze. Light beaming through the
cut glass doors dances off the surfaces and fills the space with an inviting
warmth.
The Living Room: On the walls, a platinum base and two layers of an
organically troweled Gold Deco plaster were tightly skim coated with a two
color blended mica paste. The result was a richly glowing metallic finish
softened with a veil of champagne mist. The previously painted white wood
work: Crowns, Base, Beams and Fireplace were woodgrained. Seven layers were
required to create the illusion of wood apparently so convincing that the
carpenters on the project were overheard arguing as to the species.
The Game Room: To capture the essence of a "casual but elegant" activity
area, stiff brushes were vertically dragged over a troweled application of
three shades of blue mica plaster. A skim coat and horizontal dragging of a
blended silver and pearl deco plaster resulted in a denim-like finish that
evoked a formal pattern with a playful punch.
The Arcade: In a room with no natural light, we needed to amplify the
illumination emitted from the electronic games. The ceiling and walls were
coated with three layers of a reflective metallic copper base. Vertical
stripes were masked to create an alternating organic amber and mahogany
aniline glaze layer. The resulting surfaces bounce the light around the room
like a super charged pinball machine.
The Dining Room: The ultimate challenge..."Can you make the walls look like
this baby blue moire taffeta but with some gold in it?" The formidable task
of replicating the shimmering fabric required stacks of samples. Application
tools had to be invented to achieve the intermittent linear pattern. To
solve the problem of "working time", various formulations with extenders had
to be incorporated into the mix. After the walls were completed, moldings
and trim were painted gold and hand buffed to a satin finish. On the
ceiling, a silver and pearl glaze is enhanced with a hand painted decorative
border. The intertwined gold flourishes are adorned with a delicate leaf and
floral motif to mirror the elegant fabrics in the furnishings and draperies.
Served in this dining room... a "feast for the eyes".
Color, texture, pattern, and sheen... all critical visual elements. For any
successful interior design project, it all starts with the walls.
