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Look at that gorgeous original woodwork on the stairway and doorways in this restored Iowa farmhouse.
A close up detail of the motifs and links.
A peek into the process…
Historical Reproduction “Practice Mock Up”
Posts in Category: vintage
Personalized Vintage Home Decor
Here I the photos I promised from the finished project mentioned in my latest post. What a delight to help a homeowner personalize her home with a vintage pattern excavated from below years of old wallpaper patterns!
The view from the kitchen into the dining room.
Look at that gorgeous original woodwork on the stairway and doorways in this restored Iowa farmhouse.
A close up detail of the motifs and links.
A peek into the process…
Karen Harrill from Co-Line Graphics created the vinyl stencil to the exact dimensions I needed for each individual wall. She also taught me the correct way to apply and remove the stencils. The vinyl stencil was totally the way to go with this project to create the aesthetic unity necessary and meet the unique needs of this project. Notice the “E” and the “N” in the corner of each stencil? That way we knew which pattern belonged on which wall-North, South, East or West.
Historical Reproduction “Practice Mock Up”
I’m going this week to recreate this historic stencil pattern in the dining room of a restored 100+ year old farmhouse. I’ve been looking forward to and preparing this project all summer.Using some very modern methods (scanning, computer CAD program, and a professionally cut vinyl stencil to lay out each wall to its specific dimensions) and some very traditional art tools (pencil and tracing paper, stencil brushes and paints) to recreate this vintage pattern. The homeowner found glimpses of this pattern buried under layers of old wallpaper when they began remodeling the dining room. They took some photos and traced the pattern, then turned the project over to me. This is very different work than most of the creative activities I have been engaged in lately, but maybe that is part of the challenge. I think that it is always a good thing to take on a new project that will grow you as an artist and stretch you into new (or remind you of old) places you have been. I know working with this project has made me ask some new questions and seek out specialized help. I’ve learned new tricks and enjoyed seeing and helping a family as they restore a precious family heirloom (in this case an entire house!)