Let me say this: Soon to be one-year- old Caroline is a lucky little girl! The first grandchild of my client (her grandfather) will be receiving this painted toy chest, beautifully built by her grandfather, for her birthday. I met my client almost eight years ago while on a job site. I was there painting a ceiling dome; he was there doing his master carpentry magic. We’ve stayed in touch via this very newsletter you’re reading now. We started the conversation about this project with a few sketches. The requests included her name and perhaps fairies? Done. You had me at fairies. And an opportunity to create my own. Here is the beginning work. A little more refinement, and a few more fairies later, we arrived at scaled drawings approved. The chest was delivered, primed and basecoated. I just about forgot to take a picture before I started but remembered enough to catch this. I must admit, I am at my most absolute best (forgive me if that grammar is incorrect here) when I can immerse myself in the studio with such a project. To create a magical world for this little person with my own characters and as much […]
Read More
From where I sit, there is only one rule to painting furniture: have fun with it. Believe in the power of color, indulge in your whimsical nature and do not be afraid to desecrate a “real” wood finish. First case in point, my own dream project. This idea had been living in my “have to get this done someday ” part of my mind for such a long time. I could almost see it finished, but I admit, I was intimidated by the time I was going to have to put into this cabinet. I’d envisioned my own interpretation of a MacKenzie Childs creation, filled with patterns, stripes and detail. Did I say detail? The plan kept getting more involved. The starting point-two innocent resin bumblebees, given to me by my cousin Nancy as a thank you for helping her on a fireplace redo. Actually, she gave me four, so I still have another project calling me. But I digress. The bees in turn, called for a bee and thistle motif. I couldn’t find a scroll pattern I liked, so I designed my own. Recently, the designers at MacKenzie Childs have added other color palettes, particularly to their black and […]
Read More
There was no clue on the outside of this home about the scrupulously period perfect design I would find within. Tastefully done, the Victorian interior was just delightful. The kitchen had been completely remodeled and there was a small wall that marked the end of the kitchen, and was visible walking down the hall. I chose to use “fretwork”, a decorative detail that’s found inside and outside of Victorian homes. It is recognized by its graceful, interlocking designs. Here’s my concept drawing. It was a good solution for an awkward space, and an opportunity to introduce architectural detail in trompe l’oeil (French, for “to fool the eye”) fashion. Here’s the design base coated. You can see, the design got a little more elaborate compared to the original sketch. I have to confess, I don’t often get the opportunity to do this particular type of ornament, and when I do, it’s a personal play day for me! The kitchen is a study in grey, so I chose to paint the base in light grey so I could use a nice crisp white in the highlights. The wall is adjacent to a lovely granite countertop, making for the perfect palette. I […]
Read More
