Family Tree : Lena in the studio, working on this tree which will be our next mural paper pattern. This mural is taking a long time because the garden also needs her attention. Inside or out, she is a true artist like her grandfather.

From Impressionism to dramatic & colorful styles of monochromatic grisaille – or Japanese stylized murals on aluminum leaf or a wall of whimsy with a free brush, murals can be made into the custom wall covering of your choice and shipped direct with instructions for your installer. Please note: Zoë Design giclée wallpapers are worthy of care and attention by an experienced paperhanger!

Trees can be represented in so many styles of art. The variety of artist mediums, paint textures and brush strokes offer all the tools needed for any style. 

Whether you want to blur the lines between inside and out, increasing your apparent space or invite nature inside, these are some of the questions you need to ask yourself when considering a mural or mural paper. 

Surround yourself with trees.

Watch Lena paint!

The post Discover the Beauty of Trees appeared first on Zoe Design.

Introducing vintage maps, nautical charts & reproductions!

We have over 30 antique maps and charts from the Library of Congress, which are in the public domain. If you follow us on Facebook and Instagram, you can see updates of  installations, starting with a Manchester-by-the-Sea Chart from the home owners private collection. At the suggestion of designer Emily Sumner I reproduced this 1822 chart at about 500% of its original size and colorized the land. This was applied to the ceiling in the “Map Room”. There is beauty in using charts on the “fifth wall”, ceilings are a forgotten place to decorate.

Sidenote: We found the molding surrounding the mural was not square, Greg Kahler “PHD – Paper Hanging and Design” had the brilliant suggestion of an appliqué of the border which follows the shape of the “box”.

photo: Greg Kahler of Paper Hanging & Design

Charts and maps are not only representational of a place but also have a tracery of line, if you love old maps, this is for you!

To order vintage map and nautical chart wall coverings from Zoe Design, contact us!

Also, it doesn’t have to be all about maps!

Choose from vintage books, illustrations, and other patterns, contact us for other design ideas for your home & business!

Etchings from the 1700’s

The post New Ideas For Your Home appeared first on Zoe Design.

  Liturgical Robe-4355PEM

  Silver-6179PEM (Circa. 1840)

I was asked by a New York design firm to come up with a Peacock tail feather wallpaper. They had found a paper with real Peacock feathers which sold for $4000 per panel. Here is what I came up with:

While I was at it, I did some experimenting with Guinea Hen feathers.

   Or one can make a pattern from the feathers.

 Transenna-3717

Stone Barn in Connecticut 127″ Repeat 108″ High. 

 

    I can put a scene in the windows or remove them completely.

 

The post Gicleé Wallpapers appeared first on Zoe Design.

The post New Year, New Designs! appeared first on Zoe Design.

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.”

The post Mural Restoration in Milton, Ma appeared first on Zoe Design.

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

The post Gilding (Metal Leaf) by Doug Garrabrants appeared first on Zoe Design.

0

0

In 1991 we were asked to paint a powder room in Beverly Hills by our friend and art director, Rand Sagers. Lena & Rand settled on using, as inspiration, a fresco from around 14 A.D. which is housed in the Metropolitan Museum.

During our tenure in L.A. everyone, it seemed, wanted to add patina to their walls. What better way to age a wall than with a fresco. For a library or powder room, this fresco is perfect for calming and enveloping you with its dark walls and the thinest columns ever.

We were asked to repeat the mural in the Homby Hills home of Jerry Moss (A&M Records) and Annie Moss (Super Model) by their designer Linda Chase. During the work we became friends with Annie’s assistant Kim and have kept in touch with her through her marriage, baby and soon enough college & empty nest. I can’t believe it has been nearly 30 years since we painted this mural.

I won’t go into any of the boring details of painting process although we will be happy to share our technique with anyone who asks. If you are interested in the history of the original, built by Agrippa and Julia (Augustus Cesar’s daughter), here is a link.

Thanks for reading.

Doug & Lena

Frescoe from Pompeian ruins in powder room of Homby Hills, CA home. Interior Design – Linda Chase

The post Fresco – From The Imperial Villa at Boscotrecase appeared first on Zoe Design.