FOCUS PROJECT
MURRAY RESIDENCE
DENVER, COLORADO
DENVER, COLORADO
I had the opportunity to create a large scale trompe l’oeil folly for a residence in South Denver. Trompe-loeil are the French words for “fool the eye”.
This was a large addition to an exquisite property. It contained a two story Master bedroom with an open layout for a library, master bath and an elevator to an upstairs gym. The designer, client and I had the time to plan a year and half before the start of the decorative painting phase of the project. Sally was inspired by an image of a Palazzo in Spain with hand painted curtains on smooth plaster walls. A striped silk taffeta was chosen in apricots and ivories for the actual curtains as well as my painted Two stories of scaffolding went up and lines the same width as the fabric were drawn on the vaulted ceiling. Gathering and tucking resembled tented fabric. Between the pillars bronze medallions pinned the “fabric”. A valance housing motorized curtains was cut by the carpenter following my drawn lines for the bottom of the ruffled edge. It was painted as a tasseled curtain.
I utilized several yards of her selected fabric to create sample boards in my dusty studio, which at the time was an old plastic bag factory in the Ball Park Neighborhood. By draping the silk fabric and practicing the strokes for recreating the folds and gathers on plaster boards we worked out each detail. I used a slurry blend of plaster and pigment. It took time to find the perfect match for a palette while waiting for the colors to dry and cure.
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For the library, the client found an antique piece of hand painted wallpaper. It was applied between the narrow arched windows. She asked if I could continue it’s floral design and extend it up the sides of the windows. I did so by applying pumice to the walls to mimic the canvas texture and it seamlessly became a meld of two different centuries. I finished the columns woodwork detailing. Though the carpentry was well done the wood reveals were quite sharp and undesirable. I took on the project of filling the wood softening their look by applying a plaster in two colors and giving it the look of stone.
"Dear Cat,
First of all, I want to say that I could not be more pleased with the result of your talent and heartfelt effort to create what I had in mind..."
"Cat, your technique with Venetian Plaster and marbling is unparalled. The trompe-loeil is as beautiful as I've seen in Italy! "
I put together a fantastic team of 8 artisans to assist me in this substantial project. With all aspects of the job completed in approximately 6 months. Truly this was one of the pinnacle projects of my career.