Zoë Design

REPLACE / RESTORE PRE- 1812 DUFOUR WALLPAPER

2011-10-02T11:58:00.031-04:00

We were recently asked to look at a water damaged wallpaper. This is a well known but rare Joseph Dufour paper now called "Rives du Bosphore". It is a very detailed wood block printed “panoramique” which is thought to be pre- 1812. These panoramic wallpapers were produced with more than 200 individual hand carved blocks. The panels over the fire place were so damaged they could not be salvaged. There was also toxic mold, which had to be treated. In the initial meeting with the client and designer, Lisa Cunningham of Warner - Cunningham, we all agreed that we could improve the composition by rearranging the elements over the mantel. We were given license to reinterpret using details from the Rives du Bosphore in our own way. While there, we also repaired and touched up where necessary around the rest of the room.

Lena - touching up other parts of the wallpaper.

During the 200 years this wallpaper was in this house it had been changed. The white puffy clouds in the original had been painted out with a deeper gradated tone and the entire mural was varnished. Hence, even if the paper were still available, it could not be replaced. Below is a photo of the original paper from the Zuber archives (Z101).

The first picture below is the original Dufour wallpaper over the mantle, which was damaged. Take note of the fact that the imagery doesn't "wrap" the corner. The installer chose to raise the imagery over the fireplace to make best use of what he had. We were able to use elements of the original mural to create our own composition and make it continue around the corner. (See below)

This is what the wall looked like when we arrived. We chose to have our wallpaper installer, Greg Kahler, cover the wall with Dreamscape before we started so there would be a removable substrate, in case of future water infiltration.

Trying to save the original paper.

And so, we begin.

Doug - adding the first layers.

White chalk indicates where the "wood block" would have printed the paper. We painted each stroke with a brush.

The next few photos show details of the original.

Above is the original, used as reference for our reproduction - below.

The finished room.

Mural Restoration in Milton, MA

2011-08-23T16:19:00.017-04:00

The following "before and after" photos show a beautiful example of an early architectural mural, painted on the walls and ceilings of the foyer of the Dr. Amos Holbrook house, a Federalist style residence built in Milton, Massachusetts in 1800, and listed in the National Register. The mural was created by Italian artists brought to America by Dr. Holbrook to paint the entry hall of his new house with trompe l’oeil architectural motifs.

The couple that own the house, an architect and a teacher, asked us to repair and restore the murals while maintaining the marvelous patina acquired over its 200 years of existence. Our approach was to repair only where absolutely necessary and try to retouch rather than repaint when possible. However, some parts were so damaged as to require significant repair of cracked plaster as well as the recreating and repainting of water-damaged areas.

Water stains on the ceiling "before and after"

Lena at work.

The area over the entry door had severe water and or smoke damage and needed to be completely repainted.

You can see deep cracks in the faux molding, these cracks in the horsehair plaster needed to be repaired before we could restore the painting.

Project complete

Another "notch" in the belt of Zoe Design, we are now archivists.

Here is a note from the homeowner, "Your wonderful repair and restoration of the murals in our house brings us joy every day, and we thank you so much for your talent and skill in bringing back these beautiful images."

Our reply, "Thank you for trusting us with this delicate project."

Digital Wallpaper

2011-04-12T08:20:00.006-04:00

Over the last few years we have produced several murals digitally. There were several reasons for this. First, the damage to our necks from painting large expanses of ceiling was costing us in medical bills far beyond the pain and suffering. Second, with these graphic designs, the repeating pattern allowed Lena to paint only a 4 foot square and the ceiling paper design is created with the help of a computer while retaining the look and feel of a hand painted mural. This saves the clients money and allows them the freedom to take the paper, should they move, or replace damaged panels.

This design is based on a panel that was taken from the Chicago Stock Exchange ceiling and auctioned off by Christie's (circa 1893)

This design was based on an antique Moroccan wood-inlaid ceiling, brought to us by the designer, Lucie Beauchemin of Beauchemin Grassi Design.

Based on the "Studiolo" wood-inlaid ceiling at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The studiolo was commissioned around 1476 by the duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro.

We have also reproduced panels digitally and are able to customize the print size to suit our clients' space. These panels can be framed and hung, applied to room-dividing screens or applied to the wall with a small molding to "frame" them. The "frame" can also be painted as a trompe-l'oeil. Our wallcoverings are available in many substrates from papers to canvas.

The original panel below was commissioned by Honey Collins of Honey Collins Design for her space in the Wenham Museum Designer Show House.

Date Palms, commissioned for Sue Williams Design. These original panels are in the Tryall club in Jamaica.

These French panels were commissioned by Lucie Beauchemin.

I hope you all will forgive me for posting so seldom. I have tons of material and little time. More to come soon. Sincerely, Doug

More on Chinoiserie

2010-10-20T18:32:00.022-04:00

Business has been great and so I have not had time to devote to this blog. Please forgive me for this omission.

Below is an umbrella which Linda Chase of Linda Chase Associates asked us to paint for her show room in Santa Barbara. Linda is a brilliant designer and co-author of several books including, "In The Romantic Style" & "The World of Biedermeier".

This powder room in Boston was part of a large commission by Lucie Beauchemin of Beauchemin Grassi Interiors. Lucie's stunning work in America, Europe and the Middle East has graced residential properties, yachts, helicopters & theaters.

Our mural was based on murals in the Chinese Pavilion of Drottningholm near Stockholm, Sweden.

This panel was created for Honey Collins of Honey Collins Interior Design for this years Wenham Museum's Designer Show House. We work often with Honey and she is a real pleasure to work with and a talented designer.

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We had a large project in the California desert over the last winter, and we wrapped up the details this summer. The entry way to the master suite called for a mural to define the space. Lena, Brooke, & the designer, Andree Jessup of Jessup Design, decided on this Chinoiserie scene.

Brooke's mom wanted a mural with some "zing", in the powder room of her Rancho Santa Fe home. The background color added the intensity she was looking for.

This foyer in Manchester, MA, called for a lighter touch.

Back to southern California where the sandy tones seem more appropriate.

Another powder room in Cambridge, MA, for designer Julie Alvarez de Toledo. Julie is located in Orvieto, Italy. She is now much sought after in Europe and USA.

And yet another powder room commissioned by Scott Clements of SR Clements Design, for a house in Manchester, MA, overlooking Singing Beach.

This Manchester, MA, home required a way to beautify the hidden doors between the butlers kitchen and the dining room. Lena and the home owner came up with this solution.

We are so pleased with the mural below, created for Honey Collins, that we published it on our most recent promotional mailer. It was featured in the July/August 2010 issue of Design New England, "Northern Belle" about Honey and her work. Honey wanted this mural to look and feel like an 18th century hand painted wallpaper. We achieved this with multiple layers of Rembrandt chalk and glaze and have dubbed it the "Rembrandt Finish".

Chinoiserie on panels is another common use.

This home in Boston was a commission for Julie Alvarez.

A GENTLE PLEA FOR CHAOS

2010-08-30T18:38:00.006-04:00

Recently, we went to stay with Penny Bianchi, the marvelous designer and our great friend in Santa Barbara. She was the first person to hire us when we had just launched our business, 28 years ago. Penny wanted to know why we had only one photo on our web site of the work
we did in her powder room. We painted this mural in the Montecito home she built 10 years ago. This blog and the photos included herein are our feeble attempt to make up for that omission.

Penny's home is featured in the September issue of House Beautiful. The title of the article is "Patina".

It is a magical place that one might suddenly come upon in the Italian countryside.

Sequestered at the end of a small road where a hiking trail leads you by a butterfly preserve. A pea gravel pathway takes you along an alle of olive trees and into a different world.

It is here that Penny and Adam invite the birds of Santa Barbara to live with them amidst a wonderland of native plants and trees.

One might easily be deceived into thinking that nature herself had created this Eden – but it has evolved over ten years under the careful direction of Penny.

Both garden and house take you back to the fairy tales that comprised your childhood.

Each room, whether inside or out is full of potential discovery. Beautifully controlled chaos reigns, the spaces overflow with lovely things from different times and places.

The interior tumbles out onto porches and terraces and the garden grows in, up the walls and across the ceilings. There are no boundaries.

More Murals

2010-04-02T18:11:00.018-04:00

We are currently wrapping up our most recent project in Boston. We have painted on Azek panels a bucolic landscape, which will go behind a frame on the roof deck against the brick wall of the building next door.

There is a sky on the ceiling in the family room.

One of the bedrooms will be very French.

The entry and dining room is in progress now.

And finally the media room is another example of using technology to every ones benefit. The designer, Lucie Beauchemin, came to us with a tear sheet from a magazine. The ceiling in this image is Moroccan but we couldn't make out what the pattern was.

I used it as reference to design a pattern and Lena painted a 35 inch "tile" in colors which work with the interior design of the room.

I will scan that "tile" and repeat the pattern with my computer and have it printed on 36" strips by White Light Digital. This paper is wet strength wallpaper, printed with archival inks tested to be stable for 200 years. If a panel is damaged years from now it can be replaced from our digital files.

Finally, the wallpaper will be hung by Greg Kahler of PHD, who, hung a 20 foot mural on canvas for us in Latitude 43 Restaurant & Bar in Gloucester, MA. The whole process will be the subject of a special on New England Dream House. More to come when all is finished.

Zoe's Bedroom

2010-04-01T13:22:00.016-04:00

When our 14 year old went away on a month long exchange program to
France it was our chance to surprise her with some changes to her
room. First I built a platform for her bed. This platform is 16 feet
wide by 72 inches deep and should sleep a party of 10. Then I
installed a sound system that she can plug her Ipod into, two small
speakers with a powered sub woofer. All the while Lena was painting
one of the walls to "break through" to a dark and ancient forest. She
would have been thrilled if she had not spent the last 4 hours on the
plane and the trip home from the airport so sick she couldn't get up.
I suspect food poisoning, French cooking and all. :-) She is better
now and loves everything, can't wait to get her David Tennant, "Dr.
Who", poster up!

Basilica San Marco

2010-03-31T18:03:00.004-04:00

Lena was recently asked to create a quick, low cost backdrop of the Basilica San Marcos and the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy for Lucie Beauchemin of Beauchemin Grassi Interiors. It stands 10 feet high by 20 feet long in 4 panels. Here is the result:

Desert Project

2010-02-07T13:43:00.020-05:00

We have just returned from two months in the CA desert, a welcome diversion from our usual New England winter existence. We were working on an Italian style house which looks out over a flat valley floor, seemingly growing from the side of one of the many skyward reaching mountains. Designed by Architect Kristi Hanson and built by Easton Builders, it seems to be built of materials from the landscape around it. The house's reclaimed beams, dark inlaid wood floors, worked stone walls, and carved mantles mark it as a piece of the desert. The designer, Andree Jessup, the home owner and Lena settled on using reference from a 15th century wood inlaid ceiling, Studiolo di Gubbio, commissioned by the Duke of Montefeltro. This masterpiece was brought in its entirety from the Ducal Palace to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1996. Because reproducing this in paint would be both time consuming and cost prohibitive and our necks could not take more ceiling work we decided to paint a single "cell" and create digital wallpaper. The result saved time, money and our necks, a win-win-win for all and it looks striking.

In the "casita" we were asked to create a ceiling that was graphic and inexpensive. We opted for a laser cut stencil applied in two colors on a deep base. The result, while fast, is effective.

The ceiling in the dining room needed accentuation. Lena and Brooke chose to use yet another 15th century Italian fresco design as the inspiration.

The homeowners wanted a mural in the entry to the master suite. Lena thought it needed to be decorative and a juxtaposition to everything Italian. They based the mural on early panoramic wallpapers printed by Joseph Dufour from around 1804. He was the first to produce "decor in continuity" the true precursor of panoramiques.

We also glazed the master bath with a finish Lena created while mimicking silk for the base of some date palm panels for a client in Jamaica.

The outstanding lighting was created by Susan Huey Oster of LIT. A fair amount of time was spent making sure all light trims, plug and switch covers match their background.

And finally, Doug came up with a Marmorino plaster finish which works well with the all the stone, wood and tile, covering thousands of square feet in the great room, bar and kitchen.

When we work on location we are able to accomplish so much more than local jobs because there is rarely any commuting involved and we have little to do but work. The Palm Springs area was fantastic to work in because whenever we took time off we found wonderful hikes such as "Carey's Castle" in Joshua Tree and "North America's Largest Palm Oasis" in Palm Canyon. We really loved doing this job. ;)

America's Largest Palm Oasis

Looking up towards "Carey's Castle"

"Carey's Castle"

Looking down from "Carey's Castle"

Chinoiserie

2009-11-05T11:16:00.024-05:00

We are often asked to paint Chinoiserie. Chinoiserie is a French word which refers to an imitation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art, especially in 17th and 18th cenury Europe. We have traveled to Sweden several times to study original works in the Chinese Pavillion of Drottningholm.

The panel above was done for Honey Collins Design to hang in the Wenham Museum's Designer Show House. It sold immediately and we have since reprocuced it digitally. These archival ink on canvas reproductions have been very well received.

Cupboard doors or panel insets are another popular use of the style.

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We have painted numerous murals in assorted Chinoiserie styles all over the USA, but none has been more successful, in our minds, than the one where we were asked to make it really look like silk paper. Spending extra time on the base coat made all the difference.

SISTINE PALACE

2009-10-30T10:40:00.016-04:00

This past spring, Zoë Design was hired to transform the entry hall of a large (23,000 sq. ft.) house in Weston, MA. Our client wanted the feel of a 16th century palazzo. After several meetings, armed with stacks of books, we chose reference from many sources but the bulk of the landscapes & drapery came from the Villa Di Vicobello and, of course, the angels and putti are Tiepelo.

The project was daunting as the entryway was quite imposing with its double curving staircase and rotunda-style center with a staggering crystal chandelier. There was a soaring geometric dome that ended in a cupola far above the ground floor. It was decided to leave the ground floor walls white (the client has a fondness for white) and to focus on the second level. There were four large curved walls, which needed grand vistas. Thus, the Italianate landscapes with classical ruins. We softened the edges of each wall with painted drapery in whites and creams, embellished with tassels and yellow-gold roping. A personal touch was added by placing something in each
scene (a musical instrument, etc.) to allude to each of the client's four children. The kids really liked having a piece of themselves in the mural.

The dome was difficult in that it was geometric (sharp angles) and felt modern. We decided that a soft blue sky with clouds would help disguise the edges and draw one's eye upward. Borrowing
from Tiepolo, we painted some rather magnificent angels and putti amongst the clouds. The idea to paint the woodwork came part way
through the project. We felt that the white was still overwhelming so it was decided to bring a brushed gold feel into the woodwork. The change was amazing. The landscapes leapt to life and were "framed" by a soft gold. The same idea was carried around the edges of the dome to tie in visually to the walls.

The project was an enormous undertaking, requiring the building of a "floor" across the top of the upstairs banister in order to set up the scaffolding needed to reach the dome and the top of the cupola. This "floor" alone was an accomplishment but thanks tothe builder, Bob Morini of Remco & Co., it happened like clockwork. Luckily, the client was willing to do it right and gave us the leeway to spend the hours needed to create a finished, polished mural. It's a nice feeling to walk away from something that you feel proud of having helped create.

Zoe Design in Boston Globe Magazine

2009-09-28T07:30:00.004-04:00

The Boston Globe Magazine September 20, 2009 features a cover story on a house in Manchester, MA which we worked on earlier this summer.

In the article are photos of the mural that Lena Fransioli, Brooke Sheldon and Natalie Gardner painted in the dining room and glaze that Doug Garrabrants and Kasia Mirowska did in the living room.

What is not pictured is the kitchen floor that we all worked on.

The interior designer was Honey Collins of Lenora Collins Design. What follows is what Brooke wrote about the "process".

Recently, Lena, Natalie and I created a mural in the dining room of a lovely old home in Manchester by the Sea, MA. The room had "nice bones", which means that the lines and proportions were elegant. There was a chair rail so our mural was confined to the upper portion of the wall. The designer had two starting points of reference. One was a picture of an antique primitive panel in very pale tones… a landscape with a figure and a small structure in it. The other reference was a magazine clipping of a mural done in a show house, a landscape in pale greens and blues. The key words used in forming an idea of our project were "bucolic landscape " and " pale sepias, creams and blues." The designer wanted the mural to sit back on the walls and the color scheme to flow from the other rooms in the house.

We brought out our reference material…..books of classical landscape painters (Claude Lorraine, Corot, Constable….) and tear sheets from a variety of magazines (I cannot stress enough the importance of good reference). The designer and client looked through the books and, together, we started to form a cohesive idea as to the feel and color palette of the project.

Our first step was to color wash the walls in a creamy yellow-white to "kill" the stark white walls. Then we took artist's chalk and, deciding our horizon line, began to lay out the landscape. Chalk is great because it's easy to sponge off lines you don't want. Just make sure you are using a color that is not too dark. In this instance, we wanted the feel of an artist's sketch, with bits of drawing showing through.

Once the landscape was about 90% drawn in, we began to wash in thin layers of acrylic in sepia tones to get a sense of the lights and darks and to see how the landscape was sitting. We ended up scrubbing out areas that felt wrong and redrawing them. It's very difficult to get the drawing down pat before you paint but you will save yourself a lot of stress if you can start with a good framework. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time "redrawing" with paint. The layering of color came next… pale blues in the sky and water and deeper grey-browns and grey-greens in the landscape. The overall effect was soft and elegant. We decided to leave out human figures but put some Mediterranean-style buildings in the background.

See more at Zoe-Design.com.

PLANNING A PROJECT IN PALM DESERT

2009-09-27T14:43:00.018-04:00

OK I haven't added to the blog in ages, but, I will try to be more consistant.

We are planning a job in Palm Desert for December. We will be doing Marmorino plaster on the walls, glazing walls, painting a mural and many hundreds of square feet of stenciled ceilings.

For the "Casita" or Guest Living Room ceiling I came up with a stencil pattern based on the fabric & wallpaper the designer, Jessup Design Inc, supplied. The lighter color in the graphic represents copper. This will go between rough wood beams.

The Living Room, Great Room and Kitchen share a ceiling, also with rough wood beams. Based on the fabrics in the room we chose a pattern from a 15th century Montefeltro wood inlaid ceiling. The ceiling is now on display in the Met. NYC. I created a stencil and Lena added some oil paint shading & highlighting on top. I then photographed it and created a repeat. We can now have it printed on canvas and hung like wallpaper. This will greatly reduce the time and cost of hand painting over 1000 square feet of ceiling.

I will write more & post photos in December. Christmas in Southern California again, sounds good. Though I spent 28 years of my life in SoCal it has been 14 years since I was there for Dec. 25th. I think we will spend the day on the beach.

Gilding (Metal Leaf) by Doug Garrabrants

2008-10-01T12:24:00.000-04:00

Gilding is the art of applying a thin layer of metal to a surface. Leaf & other gilding supplies are available from many sources including SeppLeaf in New York. Leaf is made from metals such as real gold (ranging from 6 – 24 karats), Dutch metal (composition or imitation gold), silver, aluminum, palladium & copper. Real gold and aluminum do not tarnish; all the others will tarnish & must be sealed.

If you wish to do some gilding or contract an artisan to do the work for you this article can help you avoid some of the pitfalls. Start with the surface as smooth as possible. Orange peel is what we call the bumpy surface caused by roller application of paint and the leaf will reflect this texture. If your work is high up like this aluminum leaf ceiling there is no concern. Up close, even brush strokes will reflect. Your level of preparation will depend on your budget. If you can budget a perfectly smooth surface, spraying the base color & size (the glue that holds the leaf) and spraying the clear coat, your finished product will be far better on close inspection.

Start with a base color of bronze or rust, depending on the color you want to see peeking through between the individual pieces of leaf. Over that you must apply the size in an even coat over the entire surface. We like water base Rolco Aquasize. After 15-20 minutes the size is ready to accept the leaf and will continue to be tacky for 36-48 hours. We have found that it is best to have all your work done within 12 hours. Apply the leaf, being careful not to touch it with your bare fingers, using the paper backing. Be sure there are no drafts in the room, the leaf is very light & will blow away. When you have finished applying the leaf, you need to carefully burnish it. I use a camel hair brush & cotton batting. When burnishing, be sure to move with the overlaps so you do not tear the leaf away from the size. Gently burnish away all the flapping overlapping metal. Vacuum or gather all the bits so they do not end up in your clear coat.

Let the size dry overnight. At this point you can acid etch the leaf for a beautiful oxidized look or apply a clear coat. Acid etching is a topic for another time because of the vast possibilities & combinations of acids & metals. For the top coat we like Ronan Acrylic Clear Overcoat, a solvent based, fast drying, acrylic clear gloss topcoat. The can says 24 hours to recoat but do not believe it, give it at least 48 hours between coats. This product is very toxic, wear an organic vapor respirator & arrange for adequate ventilation. Two coats are adequate, however we often do 3-4. At this restaurant we then painted the “Logo” over the clear coat in washable flat wall paint. This added the difference in reflectivity to the color disparity creating a beautiful old world look. It took 6 coats of the flat paint to make it opaque. Now order some leaf & give it a try on a frame to start.

All photos © Doug Garrabrants Photography