Furniture Archives - Leichsenring Studios

Setting a new table

by Sharon Leichsenring· January 01, 2021· in Artwork, Budget Conscious, Furniture·

If ever there were a year that needs a new look, it’s surely 2021. The inspiration for this table makeover started from designer Dyane Prezioso in the diamond shapes in one of my favorite Cappiello vintage posters for Isolabello. She saw harlequins and that initiated the design. As soon as I started some rough sketches, I saw that the hard diamond edges needed some softening and if adding some type of a scroll is an option, I’m in my happy place. The table was sanded, primed and painted in great gray color from Benjamin Moore. The paint is a satin finish from their Advance cabinetry paint, a perfect choice for tables and chairs. Here’s a closeup of a detail, and then the full tablet top. The large diamonds were stried in several shades of gray and a creamy white. The scrolls added a perfect balance of whimsy and movement. Dyane’s fabric choice for the chair seats is spot on. Take a look at how perfectly the monotone palette of the table serves as such a great backdrop for the creativity of my client. Hard to believe it’s the same table. Paint, one of my arsenal of tools in making 2021 […]
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A Crib for Greta’s Dollies

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 08, 2020· in Artwork, Birds, Childrens, Furniture·

I got a call recently from my cousin Nancy. She was going through her attic and basement, and making those decisions that people like me (a wee bit of a hoarder) can never do. A few things she had that just weren’t staying in her house, but perhaps I’d be interested. The doll’s crib caught my eye immediately. The two square panels on either end screamed Illustration! Of course I couldn’t pass it by. I neglected to take a photo in the before state. We calculated it was about ninety years old. Her mother’s father had made it for her mother. It was in great shape, but chipped and painted a sad faded beige. Some sanding and a new coat of paint and I was ready to go. Fabric choices for the new bedding provided my palette. I’m old-fashioned. I enjoy sewing by hand. The nubby fleece provided extra texture. Here’s the new bedding. I knew almost instantly what I would be painting. This piece is a Christmas present for my youngest granddaughter, Greta. Unlike her two older sisters, at twenty months, she is hardly ever to be seen without one of her dollies. Holding one, or pushing it in […]
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A Toy Chest for Caroline

by Sharon Leichsenring· March 02, 2020· in Artwork, Childrens, Clouds, Fretwork, Furniture, Gifts, Lettering, Video·

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 […]
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It’s a Dog’s Life

by Sharon Leichsenring· February 03, 2020· in Dogs, Furniture, Headboards, Murals, Powder Room, Stairwell, Trompe L'oeil·

I’ve been asked before do I have a signature style. The answer must be no, because surely all my clients would not be so alike as to want the same style. But what I realized, there is something that I add to a mural whenever the opportunity presents itself. A dog. Yep! I love them, and love when their owners want to make them part of a mural. Sometimes, it’s simply a mural all about dogs. Like this one in Grapeland, TX which was a combined portrait of three generations of labs. Brandi, Cooper and Hank, sunning themselves on the dock. I found it best to have plenty of snacks in my pocket as the dogs checked out my progress. On the other hand, the dog might become the focus of the mural. In this example, I was painting a headboard directly on the wall because painting it made it possible to match the existing furniture. What was the best part of this project was painting the owner’s beloved Bella to be with her always. This wine cellar mural has the vineyard as a background for this make a statement portrait of the owner’s dog. Dogs become such an important part […]
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Painting Furniture 101, the rules

by Sharon Leichsenring· June 03, 2019· in Artisan Finish, Artwork, Fretwork, Furniture, Headboards, Powder Room, Textured Finishes, Trompe L'oeil·

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 […]
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Two sides of texture

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 01, 2018· in Artisan Finish, Budget Conscious, Commercial Space, Furniture, Textured Finishes, Trompe L'oeil·

Wall finishes have come such a long way since DIY sponge kits. Let’s take a look at two approaches to using texture. Recently, Bella’s Café in New Haven underwent major renovations when the original café was expanded by taking over the newly available space next door. Dramatic warm colors were chosen for the multi-layered plaster finish on the walls. The color started with depth , a mesmerizing merlot, followed by a rich carmine, and finished with a cinnamon hue. The plaster is infused with mica powder. The layers alternate from smooth troweling to lacelike texture. Here’s the wall to check out. The banquettes were covered in a deep oxblood color, which prompted the trim color I chose. The excitement came when I spotted these shutters on a fun hunting trip with Rose, the owner. I was tasked with matching the worn colors on new wood needed to hang the shutters. I took a cue from the shutter colors and instead of flat black on the ceiling, it’s a dark gray with a definite deep blue green cast. Take a breather from these highly charged color choices, and see the ship lapped wall opposite the banquettes has a textured salt […]
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Tying up loose ends

by Sharon Leichsenring· August 31, 2018· in Artisan Finish, Artwork, Dogs, Furniture, Textured Finishes, Trees·

Some months, my newsletters seem to write themselves. It’s a project that has its start to finish completely falling within the calendar days of that month. I write my story, share my pictures and out it goes to you. Easy Peasy. And then there are those projects that have a life of their own, the last piece taking its time to fall into place. I made promises to share the end shots with you, so enjoy. My April 2018 newsletter (you can read it at https://www.leichsenringstudios.com/fit-for-a-queen-a-royal-powder-room-indeed/) was about one of my favorite powder rooms is in Stamford, CT and was completely muraled ,including the ceiling. My client asked if I knew someone who could take care of the final detail that needed to be dealt with: changing the existing casement window into one made of stained glass. Yes, I did know someone whose work would be a perfect match to my own. Enter Michael Skrtic. An extraordinary stained glass designer and maker. You can check out his work at www.theglasssource.com. I drew the scene in the window area that would have been painted had there been no window. I also saved my palette so Michael could see […]
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Strictly by the book… not in my studio!

by Sharon Leichsenring· May 03, 2018· in Artwork, Birds, Furniture, Murals, Ocean, Trees·

I’m going to have to start being a little more careful with my words. I simply can’t start every newsletter by saying this project surely is one of my favorites. But is it true, each and every time, and the bookshelves in this project have been on my bucket list of things to paint for a long time, and I loved it even more than I thought I would. My client gets all the credit for the concept. The four plain panels on this built-in cabinet were calling for something, but what ? She saw bookshelves in her mind’s eye, so that’s where we started. The sketching of one panel with five shelves, meaning a total of twenty shelves total, seemed a bit much. So I suggested letting the upper portion of each panel acting as a window showing some of the beautiful vistas of her properties and we were on track. Included amongst the books were some meaningful possessions and a beloved pet. Once I had drawn the four panels to scale, I added them to the photo of the actual cabinets to see it clearly. Here’s what that looked like. Canvas cut and ready to […]
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Equal Parts Quirky and Classic

by Sharon Leichsenring· July 06, 2016· in Clouds, Furniture, Lettering, Trompe L'oeil·

A request for whimsical lettering? Music to my ears. I met with the fabulous Joanna Farber, no stranger to the world of design. Farber, the former owner of Westport’s iconic Parc Monceau was looking for some lettered detailing. She had chosen a font named Gluttony Man for this location. I was also asked created a rebus that was an homage to her late husband’s career. At Ms. Farber’s home, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Michael Pagett, the owner of Chetwode. Michael has recently opened his new showroom at 318 Strawberry Hill Avenue in Norwalk. Learn more about his exquisite cabinetry at www.chetwodecabinetry.com. Here is a fun trompe l’oeil window I created in the showroom. Have I mentioned that my work is never boring? A call from Virginia Blaker of Room Rescue (www.roomrescue.com) resulted in an unusual request. Virginia asked me to add my painting skills to a “chair-ity” auction for the Center of Family Justice in Bridgeport, CT. Virginia had a sturdy little high chair that had been originally painted by her grandmother in the early 1950s. It was time to give it a new face. Virginia sanded the chair, primed it for me and together we brainstormed […]
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They had me at Krakens!

by Sharon Leichsenring· October 04, 2015· in Dining Room, Furniture, Ocean, Property Brothers, Trees·

I love a good challenge. It keeps me on my toes and thinking out of the box. I recently completed two projects that did exactly that. The first was a mural for a dining room. My client made it clear that she and her husband wanted something that truly captured their tastes and personalities. She mentioned mermaids, schooners and kraken. She had me at kraken. This was going to be fun. Kraken indeed! Norwegian mythological sea creatures. Here are a few of my initial sketches. Take a look at the finished painting. Each porthole is 5 ½’ in diameter. Keeping the budget in mind, simple trompe l’oeil planks completed the composition. Below is a closeup of the mermaid porthole. They might not be your cup of tea, but it was exactly what my client had envisioned. They are intriguing, these krakens, are they not? This month also brought the opportunity to be the decorative painter for a one-of-a-kind desk. The Twin Root Desk was designed by the brilliant Patrick Briel of Tripka Design. Imposing and utterly massive, it commands its office. And here you can see the two-tiered desk from another vantage point. Here is a […]
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