I Love these Drapery Details from the Grand Trianon at the Palace of Versailles! The Grand Trianon was built by Jules Mansart in 1687 for Louis XIV, (also known as the ‘Sun King’) as a reprieve from the formality of life at the main Palace. This little get away for him and his mistress, Madame de Montespan, was lush with decorative details. This remarkable color palette is over 300 years old, and is proof that some things are always a classic, regardless of the current trends. I would assume that these items have been refreshed or refurbished since 1687, as much of the Palace has been undergoing renovations during the last decade. The furniture and art of this residence is so spectacular, that these details could easily have gone unnoticed. I’ve been to Versailles several times, and this was one of the few times this residence had been open to the public. If you’re there and it’s open, don’t miss it. It’s usually less crowded than the main Palace and can easily be done in an hour… unless you like to linger and enjoy the details. Then by all means, walk very very slowly because there’s so much to take.
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Creating the WainscotDIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Framing the FlowersDIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Painting the FlowersDIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, The Big Reveal
I created this DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired wall mural for a client who was converting a second bedroom into a home office. The ‘Mackintosh Roses’ are the focal point of the mural, with added geometric patterning to balance the composition. The white lines also feel a bit like a wainscot, which work to frame the chairs that I found at the GoodWill for $10. One of my favorite tricks in a small room is to paint one of the walls darker than the others. It seems to draw your eye to the outer corners of the room, making it feel larger that it really is. I was able to easily complete this mural in just a few hours.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret McDonald were hugely influential in creating a modern esthetic in Glasgow Scotland, in a time when Victorianism was all the rage. Their rooms with clean white geometric lines were a stark contrast to the dark baroque inspired furniture of that era. Some of their masterpieces include the Willow Tearooms, the Hill House Residence and of course the Glasgow School of Art.
