Stairwell Archives - Leichsenring Studios

It’s a Dog’s Life

by Sharon Leichsenring· February 03, 2020· in Bathrooms/Powder Room, Dogs, Furniture, Headboards, Murals, 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 […]
Read More

Wrapping up 2016

by Sharon Leichsenring· January 02, 2017· in Bathrooms/Powder Room, Childrens, Commercial Space, Floral, Murals, Staircase, Stairwell·

December seemed to absolutely fly by and I am hard pressed to pick just one single project to showcase. So without further ado… I finished the hallway for the mural a Tree Grows in Tarrytown, featured in December’s newsletter. (By the way, the remarkable Pat Marlin of Business Technology Solutions who created my spanking new website, has made it easy if you just want to revisit an older newsletter. They are listed in the tab “Projects” on my homepage at www.LeichsenringStudios.com). Continuing the theme of the staircase part of the mural, using elements of the home’s landscape, the hallway captures the gentle rolling hills in the property’s perimeter. There is a stone cottage that was a caretaker’s residence when the property adjoining was part of one of the former Rockefeller estates. Seems perfectly at home in the Sleepy Hollow attraction of this area. Take a look. I wrapped up a lucky little boy’s nursery. Elegant as always in design by Linda Brencher Interiors of Branford, CT, the sailing theme is educational as well as fun and colorful. So for my darling granddaughters, the perfect wardrobe for dress-up ! As much fun as they will have playing with it, the joy […]
Read More

A Tree Grows in Tarrytown

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 01, 2016· in Murals, Staircase, Stairwell, Trees·

I have been waiting my entire career to tackle a staircase in its entirety. It’s the truth. I’ve always seen the two walls as a single connecting canvas, but it was finding the right client to see it through my eyes. Here’s what the layout looks like. Hmmm…..How to make the subject matter work? And what exactly is the subject? My client was oh so prepared. She had created a visual feast in her exquisite landscaping and wanted to bring that vision into the foyer to warm the space. When we first met, she had dozens of photos printed out of the areas that were important to her, taken during different times of day and from a choice of angles. Center stage was a large maple that was take top billing. Drawings approved, I could not wait to start. Walk through the project with me. Here is the bottom section completed. Already my client and I could see the flow of colors she has used in her connecting rooms flow into the palette I used. Big smiles all around. Now it’s time to start the wall heading up to the second floor. I laid it out in charcoal, and as […]
Read More

Rooms with a View

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 03, 2015· in Bathrooms/Powder Room, Clouds, Dining Room, Kitchen, Murals, Places, Staircase, Stairwell·

The 21st interior design celebration, Rooms with a View, took place in Southport recently. Conceived as a brilliant church fundraiser under the auspices of the famed Albert Hadley (designer for the Kennedy White House, the Rockefellers, Astors and Gettys to name a few notable clients), each year the show embraces traditional and cutting edge design. Each of the twelve invited designers is given a space of 5′ x 8′ to create a vignette. They have a week to”build” their room, which comes quite simply with three walls and wiring for electricity. Then, the magic is on display for the weekend. This year was personally exciting to yours truly because the design team, Tracy Dwyer and Patrick Briel, from Westport’s Parc Monceau had asked me to paint a floor cloth that would be used in their vignette, The.Diving.Room. Too cool for words, I assure you. First, take a look at the room’s view. My rippling water over sand design painted on a canvas floor cloth is easily seen through the Lucite coffee table. Here is another view of the room. Here is the rug by itself. If you’ve never been to Rooms with a View, plan to next year. I’ll […]
Read More

Trees For All Seasons

by Sharon Leichsenring· September 04, 2015· in Artwork, Gifts, Staircase, Stairwell, Trees·

I just completed this project for one of my favorite clients. We have from an artist’s perspective, the perfect relationship. She’s very visual and we approach each scenario as a team. I love her input. Her home has a charming walkway to the front door, terraces of rounded brick steps. It’s beautiful for guests. However, family members generally come into the house from the garage and enter climbing up a most boring staircase. Climbing the stairs may be good aerobically but the view! It can’t get more boring than this. If one could see through the back door’s window to the right, one would be rewarded with a gorgeous sylvan vista. So a solution was born. A canvas of a good size (30″ by 40″) depicting the missing view. The transom window mimics those found in the home. I drew this sketch and we were on our way. I had to shift the perspective a little and drew it as it would be seen from a “worm’s eye’s view”, the opposite from looking downward like in a bird’s eye’s view. It may not be something the viewer is aware of, but it trick’s the mind to accepting it as more […]
Read More

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 […]
Read More

A House Touched by History

by Sharon Leichsenring· May 03, 2012· in Historic, Horses, Murals, Places, Staircase, Stairwell·

A Victorian house sits on a quiet street in Middletown, NY. The historic marker on the sidewalk in the only sign that hints to passersby of the rich history that is part of Middletown’s history. When I first met with the owners, it was clear to me right from the start how challenging a project this would be. The owners have a clear respect for the value of their home’s history. Care has been taken to protect the original stained glass work. The intricate workmanship hails from another era. How then to combine all the subject matter that Middletown had to offer? The Thrall Library was a treasure trove of information and old photographs. I also photographed some of the existing buildings and statues. I designed the mural in two sections. The work was done on wood panels and when completed, attached and framed to the wall. Here they are! If I’ve captured your curiosity, let’s take a look up close. The first two scenes reflect the owner’s interest in the Civil War. The tattered flag of the 124th Regiment honors the famous Orange Blossom Regiment formed in Middletown in 1862. The statue of a lone soldier salutes the honor […]
Read More

Bare Naked Stairway

by Sharon Leichsenring· October 05, 2011· in Murals, Staircase, Stairwell·

It’s hard to imagine that anyone was content with the “before” once you’ve seen the “after” photo. It was always an area with something missing. A picture was hung, but just wasn’t the right answer. That was my cue. Here’s my solution. Take a look at the “before” space. Now consider what I could do with it Here’s the “after” shot. Thought you might enjoy some close-up shots. Let me paint an entrance to your private little world. I’d love to talk to you about it.
Read More

Horses of a Different Color

by Sharon Leichsenring· December 01, 2010· in Historic, Horses, Murals, Places, Staircase, Stairwell·

Along the way, there have been more than a few projects that have tested me as an artist. However, and that’s a big however, this one surely tops the list in so many categories. It needed a great deal of research, a tightly maintained sepia palette and a design that could transition from different scenes as one ascended the staircase. I’m going to take advantage of the wonderful writing of Robert Pollack, who authored the following article which appeared in the Shoreline Times of Branford, CT. There are more pictures at the end of the article. Wall of history: Muralist paints life as it was in Gibson Girl era Published: Thursday, November 04, 2010 By Robert C. Pollack Special to the Times BRANFORD – The sepia mural that adorns the wall alongside a staircase and reaches up to the second floor of a seven-room 1925 house takes the viewer into another era. The time of the Gibson Girl and the bowler hat. It seems incongruous that this local historic scene in this old house is near Planet Fitness and busy Boston Post Road. Spanning 13½ feet in length and sweeping up 14 feet, the mural typically evokes this reaction from […]
Read More

A horse is a horse, of course, of course…

by Sharon Leichsenring· August 04, 2009· in Horses, Murals, Staircase, Stairwell·

I hope this email finds you well, thinking creatively, and finally, enjoying the summer. This recent project will certainly stay in my favorite projects collection. Not so much that I am a “horse person” (I like horses, from a distance. They are beautiful for other people to ride.) What makes this mural special is that it was the perfect solution for this space nestled in the hallway and another way for the owner to enjoy this motley crew. Working from photos and a peek out the window when needed, this space which is a little over a 7 ½’ square is now home for … Teddy and Freddy Barnum and Bailey and the terriers Buddy and Holly as well as assorted tack and saddles. This mural brings a smile to my face when I see it. Is there a mural in your home that might bring a smile to you?
Read More