The 5th Wall

A few posts back, Julie's dining room, we mentioned our 'strong' opinion regarding ceilings. Well, here we go again, a dining room and it's ceiling. The dining room walls had recently received a strie treatment. Strie is a combed glaze finish created by pulling 1 or 2 tinted glazes over a base color, resulting in a very fine pin stripe. The clients, Mary & Paul, weren't sure if the color or the strie were right for the room. We offered 3 solutions: paint an additional stripe over the existing colors on wall, add color and a medallion to the ceiling or do both.

It was decided to start with the ceiling. Replacing the expanse of the white ceiling with a warm, complementary color would change the entire feeling of the room. And adding a medallion would anchor the chandelier. Mary & Paul's existing walls were blue and the window treatments gold dupioni silk. We chose a gold lusterstone to 'warm up' the blue walls and balance the fabric and hardwood floor.

We won't bore you with the details of the installation...standard trowelling and stencil procedure for FWS. What we will share was the exuberant reaction of the clients: It's as if the ceiling color and artwork had ALWAYS been there!!! They were beside themselves. And it's true. The 5th wall just shouldn't be ignored.

We are currently doing some personal shopping for them, assisting them in completing some unfinished decorating projects.

No more white ceilings!!

Susan & Tracey

FWS

Inspiration: Found

The inspiration for Julie's dining room was found in her choice of fabrics, and her desire for an all-over damask.  After presenting the initial sample boards, Julie decided on a combination of technique and color. The damask pattern was then chosen; the same 'chandelier' cartouche used in the samples, 14" high.  For   the ceiling finish, we opted for Lusterstone, custom-tinted to match the draperies with the medallion stencil complementing the wall pattern.

We would like to express a professional opinion here.  We feel VERY strongly about ceilings.  This is the 5th wall...never leave it white!!  Especially if you have beautiful crown mouldings and coffered beams, as this dining room does. Color on the ceiling completes the room, makes the trim pop and will feel like its always been there.  You'll want to paint every ceiling in your home...no kidding...clients have done this!!  Either bring the color of the flooring up, or use a color that is a slight contrast to the walls.  Trust us on this!!

First up...the coffered ceiling.  It was basecoated in Richmond Gold, followed by 2 passes of Lusterstone custom tinted in the same.  The medallion stencil was then installed.

The walls were then basecoated in Blue Danube.  We trowelled on 2 coats of Soft-Tex, also custom tinted to match.  Soft-Tex is a plaster that adds soft highs and lows to the wall, giving the appearance of fabric.

 The walls were measured and marked for the registration of the stencil.  The first pass of color was Lusterstone tinted in the Richmond Gold.  Working with a production stencil of 2 images up, we worked our way around the room with the 'whole' cartouche and then went back in to complete the corners, tops and bottoms. 

After the first pass was completed, we toned down the entire damask pattern with a wash of the Blue Danube Soft-Tex. 

The completed dining room walls have a very soft, aged feeling.  A little shimmer, but not too formal.  And the ceiling...the icing on the cake!!  As mentioned earlier, we have very strong opinions about the 5th wall.

This particular ceiling has very dramatic architectural features that were lost against the sea of white.  Now, stunning in gold!!  Need we say more?

 

The sitting room across the hall was completed in a similar color palette: Richmond Gold on the walls, and a very pale blue on the coffered ceiling.  Perfect visual balance upon entering the home's foyer.

Julie recently informed us that she and her family are now using their dining room on a daily basis.  Amazing what artistic inspiration can do for a room.

Until next time...

Susan and Tracey

FWS