Headboards Archives - Leichsenring Studios

What’s with the trees?

by Sharon Leichsenring· October 01, 2021· in Artisan Finish, Artwork, Ceiling, Childrens, Headboards, Historic, Staircase, Trees, Tropical· 0 comments

I’m working on a mural design right now. It’s a tricky one, more of a puzzle at this stage. I’ve got to weave in my clients’ favorite Central Park NYC locations, and in a very natural way, add in the Eiffel Tower and a pair of European landmarks that have a great deal of importance. I’ll be sharing more about it when I start painting, but that won’t be happening til spring of next year. But. Right.Now. This is the most challenging part, to make the transitions from vista to vista feel effortless. Not contrived at all. My magic elixir, add trees. In this case it will be winter branches, heaped with snow. I know it will work, as I’ve used trees before for just this solution. Trees, actually, (besides clouds or maybe scrolls, but we’re not talking about that right now) might be my favorite thing to paint. Pictures say it better. So, this mural which is in a private residence in Branford, CT, portrays many historical vistas of the now bygone Branford Driving Park, first used for horse races, then automobile in the early 1900s. Check out just how elegantly the trees frame each vignette and bring your […]
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It’s a Dog’s Life

by Sharon Leichsenring· February 03, 2020· in Bathrooms/Powder Room, Dogs, Furniture, Headboards, Murals, Stairwell, Trompe L'oeil· 0 comments

I’ve been asked before do I have a signature style. The answer must be no, because surely all my clients would not be so alike as to want the same style. But what I realized, there is something that I add to a mural whenever the opportunity presents itself. A dog. Yep! I love them, and love when their owners want to make them part of a mural. Sometimes, it’s simply a mural all about dogs. Like this one in Grapeland, TX which was a combined portrait of three generations of labs. Brandi, Cooper and Hank, sunning themselves on the dock. I found it best to have plenty of snacks in my pocket as the dogs checked out my progress. On the other hand, the dog might become the focus of the mural. In this example, I was painting a headboard directly on the wall because painting it made it possible to match the existing furniture. What was the best part of this project was painting the owner’s beloved Bella to be with her always. This wine cellar mural has the vineyard as a background for this make a statement portrait of the owner’s dog. Dogs become such an important part […]
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Painting Furniture 101, the rules

by Sharon Leichsenring· June 03, 2019· in Artisan Finish, Artwork, Bathrooms/Powder Room, Fretwork, Furniture, Headboards, Textured Finishes, Trompe L'oeil· 0 comments

From where I sit, there is only one rule to painting furniture: have fun with it. Believe in the power of color, indulge in your whimsical nature and do not be afraid to desecrate a “real” wood finish. First case in point, my own dream project. This idea had been living in my “have to get this done someday ” part of my mind for such a long time. I could almost see it finished, but I admit, I was intimidated by the time I was going to have to put into this cabinet. I’d envisioned my own interpretation of a MacKenzie Childs creation, filled with patterns, stripes and detail. Did I say detail? The plan kept getting more involved. The starting point-two innocent resin bumblebees, given to me by my cousin Nancy as a thank you for helping her on a fireplace redo. Actually, she gave me four, so I still have another project calling me. But I digress. The bees in turn, called for a bee and thistle motif. I couldn’t find a scroll pattern I liked, so I designed my own. Recently, the designers at MacKenzie Childs have added other color palettes, particularly to their black and […]
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A Little Goes A Long Way!

by Sharon Leichsenring· November 01, 2018· in Artisan Finish, Artwork, Brick Treatments, Budget Conscious, Ceiling, Childrens, Fireplace, Headboards, Scrollwork, Trompe L'oeil· 0 comments

One of the biggest misconceptions that people make about decorative painting is that it’s only something for mansions. That artists like myself are only interested in big, lengthy (read expensive) projects in high end properties. I’d like to use this newsletter to illustrate just how wrong that notion is. Many of these are smaller scaled design solutions that took only a day or two to complete. This first example is a simple, glazed finish for this kitchen in Darien, Connecticut. I didn’t want to compete with the gorgeous jaw-dropping countertops, so the glaze served as a perfect transition from the intricate patterning found in the stone. The grey has just a hint of plum that matches the same overtone in the cabinetry. Next, the windows flanking the fireplace in scenic Seymour, CT framed a view too pretty to block with window treatments. Instead, I used the lovely flowered branches and bird motifs found in the sofa fabric to marry the walls to the rest of the room. And when it comes to window treatments, simple panels soar to the next level with the addition of a painted border. Both of these designs were driven from the fabric patterns. The focal […]
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Trending Tissue Finishes

by Sharon Leichsenring· October 04, 2017· in Artisan Finish, Bathrooms/Powder Room, Headboards· 0 comments

As much as painting murals is my favorite work, I have to admit that that every so often, I have an opportunity to create one of my favorite finishes, glazed tissue with raised stencils. And I love it! Hmmmm….you’re wondering. What exactly is that? It’s a dimensional, textured finish. It’s created by first troweling on a stencil in plaster, creating a raised, or embossed, image. Then the surface is covered with tissue paper. The creases and crevices found in the rolled tissue over the stencil is caught by the glaze that is applied as the final layer. Take a walk with me through a recent job. The biggest challenge was narrowing down several possibilities. All of them looked so pretty in the light coming through the shutter, but the test would be which would look best without the benefit of the added light. I’ll be showing you closeups of the winner’s choice in a moment, but this finish was a close contender. This is a plaster finish in the look of linen. I then troweled my favorite fern leaf stencil for an additional layer of depth. This was painted in a muted metallic gold paint and then washed with an […]
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If “Happiness is a Warm Puppy”

by Sharon Leichsenring· July 07, 2017· in Artisan Finish, Dogs, Headboards, Trees· 0 comments

If Charles M.Schulz is correct that “happiness is a warm puppy”, then these two pet projects are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. First, let me bring you to Wag Central in Stratford, CT, where owner Angela Pantalone has a created a dog care facility like no other that I have ever seen. My part here was small, but I enjoyed being a part of its creation. I was brought to the project by the inimitable Patrick Briel of Tripka Design, (www.tripkadesign.com )whose direction was creating a look somewhere between a cross of the Flintstones and the Jetsons, with equal measures of simplicity and Zen. Patrick designed the two existing structural support columns to become white birch trees. Here’s a look at how they started after being wrapped in sonic tubes and painted white. I then painted the stylized birch design. The smaller branches made of PVC pipe were prepped and painted into my shop. Here’s how the trees stand now, complete with a few winsome cardinal mobiles. You will be amazed at how fantastic this place is. Check it out at www.wagcentralct.com. Plan a visit. You will not be disappointed. The second project was creating a one-of-a-kind […]
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A Gallery Opens in Trumbull

by Sharon Leichsenring· November 01, 2016· in Clouds, Events, Headboards, Murals, Textured Finishes· 0 comments

A new gallery is opening its doors soon in Trumbull. I am so psyched because I will have work hanging on its walls! And what a gallery it is. A totally new concept. The works of art are custom headboards. Located at 1 Trefoil Drive in my hometown of Trumbull, I.M.Smitten will be hosting a private Friends and Family Party November 5th to show off its unique collection of custom headboards. The brainchild of owner George Holley and his partners Phairot Iamnaita and Holly Sutton Darr, the collection includes innovative features such as built in reading lights and USB ports. Design Director Holly Sutton Darr has collected an impressive array of Connecticut artists and artisans to execute their talents on the headboards. Here I am working on one of my favorites, a queen size board showing Italianate Scrollwork. My boards include some textured finishes. I’ll also show you a few of my favorite “mural” boards. The collection of artists brings wonderful visual energy to the gallery. There is hand painted glass, plaster and wonderfully distressed finishes. As an artists, I love the opportunity to paint in the company of other artists. All work is completed on premise. Truly, as […]
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50 Shades of Blue

by Sharon Leichsenring· March 06, 2015· in Ceiling, Headboards· 0 comments

I recently finished two small projects that had only two things in common; they are both in the same home and both utilize the color blue as the main theme. The first was a painted background for a massive bed in a guest bedroom. The bed is very dark. And my client wanted to utilize the bedding that you see pictured. The walls were a beige with absolutely no personality, and not nearly strong enough to balance the visual weight of the bed. We were both reluctant to paint the room very dark, but needed something to balance the furniture. I chose a color from Benjamin Moore’s new collection called “Color Stories”. “Sheer bliss” was indeed the perfect blue. I then designed a backdrop for the headboard to tie it all together. Painting was slow going given the texture on the existing walls. Here’s the backdrop completed. Here’s another shot with the bed back in place. Pretty sweet! I had fun using the graphic elements found in the carved headboard to incorporate into my design. And here is a close up of the corner post area. The lovely monochromatic blue palette was perfect for the room. The second […]
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Sharon’s Medicine For Cabin Fever

by Sharon Leichsenring· February 02, 2014· in Artwork, Bas Relief, Budget Conscious, Headboards, Kitchen· 0 comments

It’s still January and I’m taking advantage of the snowstorm that has cancelled work for the next few days. But being trapped inside can give you a bit of cabin fever. Are there some areas in your ‘cabin’ that are simply making you crazy. It’s a boring area, perhaps, or it just needs that little something but you can’t put your finger on it. And in the back of your head you’re thinking I probably can’t afford it. So here are a few solutions, with their costs. This project was a small add-on. I was already working in another room of the house. The bathroom was having some beautifully designed tile installed, making the plain white vanity suffer in comparison. Here, I painted a simple motif derived from the tile design onto the two cabinet doors. Cost: $225. Visual value? A home run. This second example is a headboard painted directly on the wall. Not only does it do what it needed to do-supply the missing furniture-but it’s fun to boot. Cost $600. What a great way to get a custom bedroom that exactly fits the space and personality of room. I also find myself […]
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Headboard Redux

by Sharon Leichsenring· April 10, 2013· in Headboards, Scrollwork, Trompe L'oeil· 0 comments

It started as the simplest discussion one could imagine. What could be done to dress up this simple brass headboard? The linens chosen were elegant, providing an equally sophisticated palette of gray and taupe. Take a look at the headboard to be considered. The queen size bed is situated in a well proportioned room measuring approximately 24′ x 26′. Take a peek at what else provides design elements in the rest of the room. I decided to use the graphic design the headboard provided. My client was quite clear in describing what she saw as the gap needing filling. The design would need to encompass more than just around the perimeter of the headboard. Pictures had been tried above the headboard and just didn’t fill the proportions properly. The solution I came up with is certainly grand in scale. The area behind the swirl work is a strie that I created for just this space. Usually a strie treatment describes pulling, or dragging a brush through wet glaze to get a linear effect. Here, the process involved a similar dragging but through many colors and layers of mica-infused plaster. I have to tell you that I always give fair warning […]
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