Tromping the Wall

Trompe l’oeil. Such an artsy, sometimes intimidating term. Simply translated, it means “to fool the eye”. To decorative artists, it means using light and shadows to create the illusion of three dimensions on a flat surface.

And be still me heart, but I am totally on board when a designer says let’s try a little trompe l’oeil on this wall, for a very contemporary look.

Let’s trompe!

Working again with the talented Dyane Prezioso of Shadee Lady Interior Design and Custom window treatments. She’d had some thoughts of creating an architectural approach to a focal wall that mimicked using flat molding and paint. But let’s forget about using wood, and do it all in paint. Would it look believable?

I’m going with a big, whopping yes on this one but let’s stop my giddiness right there. She wants a little more drama. We are going to be working on a dark charcoal background.

The background wall is simply not smooth enough to tape. Sigh…

So we will do it freehand. Engage steady hand and let’s go. Years of sign painting has readied me for the task.

And so it goes. Working on a dark background, everything will need an extra coat.  

Totally worth it. Here is the finish

I’m loving the results, but there’s a small hiccup. Fabric has been changed for the window treatments.

I now must tie in the slightest touch of red to marry the wall to the fabric.

Dyane chose Benjamin Moore Red Currant. A simply glorious red. I’ll remember this one to use again

It’s clean, it’s sharp. It works. I promise to share pictures when the room is completed with window treatments and furniture.

Trompe l’oeil has been a great tool for framing a focus wall, whether contemporary as you’ve just seen or in this much more traditional room I painted a while back. Still one of my favorites. 

Painting a mural on one wall and just using paint, or in this case, glaze, on the rest of the room can be awkward. So I created a painted frame, complete with inset carvings, using trompe l’oeil. So much more elegant than just ending the mural in the corners of the room. Paint solutions, from my little chest of magic tools.

I’m sure I’ve got a solution for you.