Wall Pattern Painting in Queens

It's nuts that it is mid-June and I am just getting around to posting about these wall patterns I painted for a client back in early April.  Of course I could never have done this myself - I had the help of two seriously amazing friends who for some reason like me enough to spend three days stenciling, taping, painting, peeling and touching up hexagonal wall patterns with me.

Hugest thanks to Will and Ri

So, this was a LOT of work.  Firstly I designed the patterns in line with a hexagon motif that repeats throughout the clients' home.  Then I had to think a lot about how to get those designs off paper and onto the wall.  I considered ordering custom stencils, making my own large-scale adhesive stencils, snapping chalk guide lines onto the wall and drawing the pattern using those, and finally settled on making a small stencil of a repeating unit that we could move and trace along the wall.

First we traced, then we taped...

Then we painted...

And we stencilled while we taped and we taped while we painted.  All the while we talked about the meaning of life and how Fergie really likes to spell things in her songs.  And Will kept saying "le doy" and Ri was worried he'd start saying it all the time, for real.  Then the paint was dry and we peeled off the tape.

The next day we worked to touch up what we lovingly termed "the poop stains."  And the messy edges - why doesn't painter's tape ever work the way it should??

On the second day we also got down to it with the pattern for a wall in the foyer.  Same process...

We stencilled and we taped...

Then we covered everything up and Will donned a pair of disposable slippers and face mask and created a dusty, golden storm in the foyer.  When the paint was dry we peeled off the tape...

Of course some touch ups were needed, which we did on the third day, but after that - voilà - the super dramatic entrance that the home owners were after.

Stay tuned for a future post showing progress shots of the entire project!

Elle Decor: Collective Effort

The New Jersey home of Trent Wisehart.  Featured in Elle Decor July/Aug 2012: Collective Effort.  Photography by Laura Resen.  All images from www.elledecor.com.

Why I like it: Moody interiors.  Use of zebra.  Strong contrast between lights and darks.  Restrained color palette.  Exterior of home is lovely (paint job and landscaping).

More photos of this project after the jump...

Architectural Digest: Home of Jenni Kayne and Richard Ehrlich

From Architectural Digest, October 2012: Comfort Zone.  The home of Jenni Kayne and Richard Ehrlich.  I love the simple and relaxed palette and the overall vibe of this project.  Looks very beautiful but still comfy and livable for a family.  Speaking of which, even the children's rooms are amazing.  Project by Standard.

All photos from www.architecturaldigest.com or scanned from the magazine.  Photos by Roger Davies.

More photos of this amazing home after the jump...

Color Files: Au Naturel

For me, the appeal of clean, bright white combined with natural wood finishes, black accents, and fresh greenery never gets old.  It gives off an appearance of serenity and calm that to me makes the perfect interior.  The palette can be applied in so many ways, from a more rustic look to a steamlined modern look.  I think the important thing is to get the balance right.  You don't want so much white that the room feels sterile, and you don't want so much wood that it feels like a barn.  And you can't forget your soft surfaces and good lighting, otherwise the room just doesn't feel livable.

Here and after the jump: some of my favorite interiors and vignettes featuring this favorite palette of mine.

Fish Scales!

Jarrod Lim - Koi Lounge Chair; Property

I've been seeing fish scale patterns popping up everywhere lately, and I'm loving it.  That chair above is amazing.  Here's another fun shot.  Check out those shadows!  More fish scale items below...

African Wave wall stencil from royaldesignstencils on Etsy.

Mansour Modern, Ben Soleimani Hyde Collection Zeus Black Rug

Mecox Gardens - Fishscale Chest of Drawers

Plantation - Lafayette Side Table

Kitchen with fish scale wall pattern - Sorry, I don't know the designer.  I know I have

seen this image before, though, so I will keep digging!

My favorite trompe l'oeil to date

Trompe l'oeil can sometimes be really cheesy and over-the-top.  I can definitely appreciate the talent of the artist who executes well done trompe l'oeil panelling, for example, but to me it seems a little silly to incorporate fake, painted-on panelling into an interior.  Real panelling is a different story, but in general I think it's better to celebrate the beauty of what is there rather than to try to disguise it as something else.  

That said, this trompe l'oeil light pattern is stunning!  This is a Boerum Hill parlour by Nightwood in Brooklyn.  It makes the room feel even more light and bright that it already is.  I do wonder if it would seem odd at night though, when it's very obvious that the highlight is painted on.  At any rate, it's beautiful, inventive, and well-executed.  

Image from www.nightwoodny.com.

Instant Attraction: Apartment of Brandi Becker

This one is a little bit of a stretch for me, but the eclectic mix of pieces in the Soho loft of interior designer Brandi Becker of Indi Interiors works so well together.  The warm color accents make the otherwise stark finishes more inviting.

Photos by Matthew Williams, from www.indiinteriors.com.  More after the jump.

Instant Attraction: Craftsman Bungalow by Nickey Kehoe

This beautiful overhaul of the interior of a Craftsman bungalow in Venice, CA by Nickey Kehoe was featured in the February 2012 issue of House Beautiful.  The designers began by brightening up the interiors with white paint, which neutralized the Craftsman architecture.  They highlighted ceiling beams and mouldings with black paint and grounded the rooms with deep brown black wood floors, then added a beautiful selection of furniture and textiles.  I love the the black, white, and muted neutral palette with pops of the right colors.  

House Beautiful has posted a video showing before an after shots of this project so you can see just how incredible the transformation was.

Photos by Amy Neunsinger, scanned from House Beautiful.  More photos of this project after the jump.

Imagine sitting in a room that was enveloped in one of these warm, glowy Benjamin Moore colors.
Left: Melon Popsicle.  Right: Summer Melon.

A good gray paint can be hard to find.

Love this paint deck inspired painting method.  From Living Etc August 2011.

Color and Whimsy

 

 

An assortment of photos from the August 2011 issue of Living Etc.  These are rooms that either use eclectic arrangements or bold color to give you a jolt of feeling when you look at them.

Interior design by Ann Wolf.  I love the perfect shade of gray in the bedroom and the patterned wallpaper backing the shelves in this study.

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl. 
Twigs' Pheasant wallpaper.

I love the slightly irregular rainbow stripes painted on this wall.  Depending on the color palette, it could be used in almost any room.

Blue!

This soft, deep blue-green makes you feel like you're inside a velvet box.

Long casual curtains in differing shades of blue.

Images from Living Etc April 2011.

I love these colored balusters.  What a nice way to add a pop of color to an all white space.  From Living Etc April 2011.

I like the addition of a sleek modern bed to a traditional room.  Also, look how they've essentially used that fireplace as a headboard and used that interesting paint technique.

It's a common myth that a dark color makes a room look small, but see here!  You only really see the light blue walls, the dark one just sort of falls away and you don't notice it.  Very clever!

From Living Etc, March 2011.  I love the blue wall and assortment of curiosities and photos arranged here on the mantle.  But after learning about Edith Wharton's design principles (she was a designer as well!) I have to think she would shun this sort of thing.  Oh well, taste is subjective!

Deep blue-purple paint

Farrow & Ball Brinjal estate emulsion