Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Walls: A Must!

I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
Seriously.

Walls: The Best of Decorative Treatments, Florence De Dampierre's new book, is that good. It is not just for designers and painters, but should become a staple in the library of anyone who is interested in design, whether in their own home or elsewhere.

Any book that starts off with the villa of Livia's garden frescoes gets my attention immediately. (They are even more spectacular in person and can be viewed at the Museo Nazionale Romano in Rome.) 




Ms. De Dampierre takes us on a tour of the best of decorated walls throughout history. From the simplest of decors...




to intricate and detailed frescoes, the book's beautiful photography transports you into each room.




There is a fair amount of attention given to stenciling and trompe l'oeil, both of which are skillfully done by many decorative artists today.








Gilding and painted patterns combine here in a spectacular manner.




Wallpapers are also covered, from the flocked...




to the sublime, hand-painted landscape version by the Zuber company. 



Of course,  you can also view Toile de Jouy, tapestries, murals and wood panels.


One of the rooms in the Pavlovsk Palace in Russia. Check out that marble!


As a decorative painter, it makes my heart sing to see a book totally devoted to its beauty. 

Thank you, Florence!

The best part is that today's artisans and artists are just as devoted to their craft. If you would like to view some fantastic work by these talented folks, visit Regina Garay's Fauxology blog this week to see some pretty darn cool powder rooms.

Beautiful photography by Tim Street-Porter and Pieter Estersohn.

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8 comments:

  1. OMG! Can't wait to receive mine!!!!!! Thank you for the lovely review with images, Ann. So happy to see this book out...!

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  2. Oh, no, no, no Annie, I just saw (5 min ago) a book at Round Barn Potting Co. it's called Creating the French Look and I already ordered it. Now I want this one too. Sigh! I hope my husband isn't home when they arrive to my door (or sees my credit card payment) Thank you for sharing with us, I really like it!
    XXXX Ido

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  3. Ido, I face the same dilemma. Too frequently!

    ;]

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  4. I think all these artists were told not draw on the walls when they were young and they are working out their brilliance now! Amazing and I always love feeling how passionate you are about the craft in your posts :) Have a wonderful day! XO, Kelly

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  5. I knew I wanted this book the minute I saw the cover but now that I know just how good it really is I can't wait for my copy to get here!

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  6. I used to do lots of decorative painting and often I see things that tug at my heart - that book looks amazing.
    pve

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  7. GORGEOUS, Don't you just want to jumo into some of those colors?? This is how I started doing some art again, experimenting and painting my walls. Wouldn't some of these finishes (like that lavender marble looking panel, look stunning in a modern house with contemporary furniture. And I love tthe freehand whimsical drawn panels. I have tried that and a disaster...I love your blog and thanks for stopping by mine. And what Lake is that, the sunset photo you took, Lake Erie? Gorgeous place that is...

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  8. Love your beautiful blog!

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