Blog - Page 7 of 11 - Leichsenring Studios

Powder Room Jewel Boxes

by Sharon Leichsenring· April 06, 2015· in Artisan Finish, Mica, Murals, Ocean, Powder Room, Trees, Trompe L'oeil·

Every decorative artist has a favorite place to play with paint and plaster. For me, it’s powder rooms. There’s absolutely no limit to the possibilities. They are self-contained little worlds that can relate to the rest of the home or they can shine with their own personality. Here’s one of my recent favorites. Love the boldness of the red walls. Here it is blocked out in a solid color. Now, take a look with a metal gold on the center ornament plus dynamic shadows and highlights. Here is another acanthus inspired panel. Plaster with infused mica is another route. Don’t you love the way the light dances on this single color application? Another choice is to use the plaster as an allover embossed damask stencil. A lighter shade of the plaster dazzles as the background. Here is the same finish with the bonus of a painted window with a view from the neighborhood beach. This is a true Jewel Box. The ceiling was painted with metallic gold, as were the doors and woodwork with an added coat of subtle dark brown glaze. The stencil on the band that acts as a chair rail is embossed with the […]
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50 Shades of Blue

by Sharon Leichsenring· March 06, 2015· in Ceiling, Headboards·

I recently finished two small projects that had only two things in common; they are both in the same home and both utilize the color blue as the main theme. The first was a painted background for a massive bed in a guest bedroom. The bed is very dark. And my client wanted to utilize the bedding that you see pictured. The walls were a beige with absolutely no personality, and not nearly strong enough to balance the visual weight of the bed. We were both reluctant to paint the room very dark, but needed something to balance the furniture. I chose a color from Benjamin Moore’s new collection called “Color Stories”. “Sheer bliss” was indeed the perfect blue. I then designed a backdrop for the headboard to tie it all together. Painting was slow going given the texture on the existing walls. Here’s the backdrop completed. Here’s another shot with the bed back in place. Pretty sweet! I had fun using the graphic elements found in the carved headboard to incorporate into my design. And here is a close up of the corner post area. The lovely monochromatic blue palette was perfect for the room. The second […]
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A Tree Grows in Texas

by Sharon Leichsenring· February 02, 2015· in Bas Relief, Murals, Trees·

Challenges come in all shapes and sizes. This one was huge! I’d already done several projects in this East Texas home of a dear client. We had discussed doing “something” in an oddly shaped space in the TV room. The available working space starts 10 feet off the floor and continues to a height of 24′ on one side, creating an awkward triangle some 16′ wide. What to do? What to do? It couldn’t be a simple solution like a mural. There were already several that I’d painted. It had to something special. My client Jan suggested a bas relief mural. I’d done smaller ones, but nothing of this size, and at this height. Did I mention height? The little voice in the back of my head was screaming NO! at me for just considering this. Height is usually a deal breaker, but… But. The challenge to create this piece was just too tempting. Game on. Usually I show you the finished picture first, but you need to watch this process. Here’s my scaffolding. Ready for climbing, the ladder is strapped securely to the scaffolding. Thanks to Jan’s husband Bruce for making feel so safe! Once I had drawn out […]
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Not your grandmother’s cabinets…anymore!

by Sharon Leichsenring· January 06, 2015· in Artisan Finish, Birds, Furniture, Kitchen·

I’m not asked often to redo kitchen cabinets. This recent project was a manageable size, and a great way to show you how effective paint can be in updating a kitchen. Keeping it short and sweet, here’s the finished kitchen. Here’s what it looked like before. These oak cabinets are fairly standard. There was no reason to justify ripping them out, but boy, did they look dated and boring. The granite was going to stay, as well as the floor. My client liked the route that I think is more than just trendy of having a different finish for the island. It’s been around for a few years and I believe it’s going to become a standard. Here’s the sample boards I did, as well as a new color with a lot of punch in its depth for the walls. My portion of the work was soooo easy. Super painter Dino Tetu and company (203-258-9818) dismantled the kitchen, removing all the panels, drawers and doors. These were primed, and then painted. Can’t say it enough: great prep insures a great finished job. There is an artisan feel to the work as the glazing shows some of the irregularities of the […]
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Be Not Afraid

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 13, 2014· in Ceiling, Mica, Powder Room, Scrollwork·

I think you know by now that I am bored silly by beige. I know it has its place, but it just freezes the creativity out of me when color is called for but the client is just afraid to indulge. Indulge? Yes, because that is exactly what it can become. An indulgence. Big, bold use of color is probably not good if you’re only thinking of resale value. Color makes a statement. It says you have a personality maybe bigger than life, and that’s what YOU want to surround yourself with. My latest client came with just such a request. Her condominium had been doused with mind-numbing neutrals. And the lady loves Red! I’ve got to work backwards because I just have to show you how a pop of red inspired the bathroom redo. Here’s the before picture and now, with a huge splash of red. So, now in order of what I did here. First, the ceiling of the long narrow hallway and foyer was filled with soft billowy clouds. I created a sample of peakaboo plaster, multi-layered mica-infused with the tantalizing peaks of red and merlot peaking through. You also see the red I chose for the […]
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Walk Away From The Wall!

by Sharon Leichsenring· November 05, 2014· in Childrens, Clouds, Dining Room, Floral, Mica, Murals·

A few years back, I used to teach week long workshops at schools for those wanting to learn decorative painting. Subjects included painting murals, clouds, trompe l’oeil and perspective. I taught occasionally in Denver and Atlanta, but was most at home in Houston at Janie Ellis’s School of Decorative Painting at Anything But Plain. As I was scheduled there several times a year, I had the unique opportunity for me to get to know my students well. I followed their progress and got to know them well enough to appreciate some very distinct personalities. The most common problem most faced was expecting way too much of themselves during a short period of time. The mind says “Yes, I know I need to factor in years of practice” but the truth is the heart looks for perfection. Quickly, with frustration only a heartbeat away. I shared my own mantra of what to do when that happened. I tell myself to walk away from the wall. A few feet’s distance quickly puts things into perspective. An artist needs to learn when something is done. Two projects this month had me muttering to walk away from the wall, indeed. A dining room designed by […]
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A Rose by Any Other Name

by Sharon Leichsenring· October 02, 2014· in Ceiling, Dining Room, Floral, Furniture·

A rose by any name other than DeCandolle’s Rose would just not express how happy I am right now with the universe. Love when the universe gets it right! The project for redoing this dining room began as a discussion over a cup of coffee with my client in her home, where I had done some smaller projects. Her dining room, though very pretty, was just not hitting the mark to reflect her personality. We talked about something floral, and I asked her if she might consider something where the scale was a little less than traditional. She said sure, and I was off and running. The room seemed perfect for huge, oversized blossoms, with exquisite swirled stems and leaves. My inspiration came from a favorite engraving of mine, Pierre-Joseph Redoubte’s De Candolle’s Rose. It’s beauty to me lies in its simplicity, a sweet briar rose. The sample was painted on a creamy background that I glazed with a pale gold metallic paint. The painting seems so alive, with the gentle shimmer of gold. Here’s my sample. It’s time for the big question. Will my client, Jeannie, love it as much as I do? I’d been vague about what type […]
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Under the Weeping Cherry Tree

by Sharon Leichsenring· September 07, 2014· in Artwork, Kitchen, Murals, Stairwell, Trompe L'oeil·

Sometimes the simple answer is the perfect answer. My client in this elegant Fairfield, Connecticut home had a section of wall that just glared, needing an solution that wouldn’t look too contrived. The wall was formed when the 12′ height of the kitchen dropped back to 8′ in the foyer and hallway. Here’s the kitchen before I started. Hanging a large painting just felt awkward. Thank you again for the always imaginative ( and superb) painter, Dino Tetu, who was on the job and suggested that I might be the solution. A discussion with the homeowner led to the direction of a painted window for the space. I noted that there were several window transoms in the home and thought the added architectural interest would look better than a big picture window. So, what to paint, what to paint? We discussed vistas that had appeal to the family (beaches were high on the list) but again, not feeling natural. As I walked through the first floor of the home, I was struck by the lovely trees I could see from every room and Voila! There is was. The painted window would just be another opportunity to view the outdoors. Here’s […]
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Take Me To Venice

by Sharon Leichsenring· August 05, 2014· in Furniture, Places, Scrollwork·

Mr. John Hennessey might be one of the most romantic husbands I know. I’ve known John for, well, decades really. We go back to my earlier life when I was Sharon the Signpainter and I lettered many a panel for John in his bustling real estate enterprise. We’ve crossed paths over the years, so I was not surprised when John called for my help in creating a surprise for the lovely Marianne for their upcoming 38th anniversary. John delivered a chest to my studio. Funny thing about it; I had monogrammed it some thirtysomething years ago and it was going to be redone as a surprise anniversary gift. He was leaving everything in my hands. The metal straps could stay, or not. It could remain cedar, or perhaps not. The subject matter was Venice, and John emailed me some great photos from a recent trip there. Beyond that, all he said was “surprise me, Sharon.” He didn’t want to see sketches, concepts, progress pics. He’d be as surprised as his wife at the unveiling. I’ve got to do this in order. Here’s how it started out. My husband took off the straps and brass tacks and sanded it smooth. I […]
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All in a day’s work

by Sharon Leichsenring· July 06, 2014· in Budget Conscious, Ceiling, Fireplace, Trompe L'oeil·

It’s summer, and the livin’ is easy. So is work when simple projects go exactly as planned. Here are two of my current favorites. The first was a request for a simple medallion to enhance the breakfast area in this transitional style home. Here’s the sketch I started with. It is sweet music to my ears when the client already knows “design” language. She said, “I love how this drawing speaks to the round and square elements in the space.” And indeed it did. I made a quarter pattern to get the design up on the ceiling quickly. And without further ado, and happy smiles all around, the completed trompe l’oeil (fool the eye) medallion, an exercise in painting highlights and shadows. Here is a close up view. The second project was a distressed finish on a fireplace. I’ll show you the finish shot first so you’ll get my color choices. I had shown the owners several options, the alternative being the safer, simple beige route. I was so happy my clients trusted my vision and went with this sample. The fireplace was prepped and painted for me when I started. Kudos to Professional Painting by Dino Tetu (203-258-9818) for […]
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