Monday, June 14, 2010

Random Thoughts




Another deadline approaching, another brief post. But, it's a topic that I actually want to explore in the near future, so I'm treating this one as a warm-up.

I absolutely adore high gloss and lacquered walls. When I bought my condo two years ago, the very first decorating decision that I made was to choose a high-gloss paint for my living and dining rooms. I wanted to create a nighttime apartment as this was to be the time of day during which I spent the most time at home. And let's face it- glossy, shiny walls look their best at night. I chose Farrow & Ball's Powder Blue in an oil-based high gloss. I know, I know- not really an environmentally friendly choice, and one that truthfully smelled to high heaven for a few weeks. Still, to have walls sprayed in a high gloss paint cost a lot less than having my walls hand-lacquered. And quite frankly, it was the only way I knew how to achieve the look that I wanted.

One tidbit that you may not know about me is that I enjoy walking around my home at night and admiring the walls. (A strange habit perhaps.) I also painted the crown molding the same color and finish as the walls, and at night, depending on how the light hits it, the trim still looks wet. I love the fact that two years later, it still looks super shiny, highly reflective, and wet. As great as it looks, I'd like to be able to take a photo to show you what I see at night. Unfortunately, my photography skills are such that I can't seem to capture the richness and the luster that one sees in person. Perhaps this is why the photo at top stopped me in my tracks. It's actually from a cookbook,
Lee Bailey's New Orleans: Good Food And Glorious Houses.

The walls of this New Orleans house are painted such a handsome shade of green yes, but really, isn't it all about that seriously glossy finish. See how they still look wet? This is exactly why many of us love the high-gloss effect. This photo captured the beauty of the room at night when lit by soft-light, not an easy feat to achieve. The photographer, Langdon Clay, did such a great job with this shot. Now, if only I could take similar photos of my living room.






An aside: I was in New York very briefly last week, and I was reminded of my very favorite star-studded door. (Remember when I wrote about them
a few weeks back?) This one is at The Carlyle, just off of the elevator lobby. If I were to do a star door, this would be the one I would try to imitate. The black paint and the bronze stars are classic, yet they have pizzazz. And see that blinding light bouncing off of the door? This is why I don't dare try to take a photo of my living room walls. I just can't seem to figure out the flash thing. Obviously, I need to stick to my day job.


(Top image from: Lee Bailey's New Orleans: Good Food And Glorious Houses by Lee Bailey, Langdon Clay photographer. Bottom image by Jennifer Boles.)

21 comments:

  1. Love the idea of high gloss walls. Would you ever use it on the ceiling to give the effect of height?

    (You need to put your camera setting to a high ISO - say 1600, and not use flash.)

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  2. if you provide the cocktails and the company, I'll bring my camera and tripod over! Those gorgeous walls need to be enjoyed by everyone!

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  3. I agree about the fabulousness of lacquered walls - if done right, and yours are, then a high-gloss finish is superb for catching the light and reflecting what is near to them. Until the advent of electric light rooms were painted and gilded in such a way to catch and play with the light from candles. To decorate a room in such a way is perhaps now gone and unknown except to a historically-minded few. Also, I've always liked treating the crown molding as part of the wall.

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  4. I am contemplating doing this to my bathroom walls. I think it would make for a rich and really dramatic effect. In high gloss black. Aaaahhhh...breathe, maybe?
    L.

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  5. LOVE lacquered (or any kind of shiny) walls. You so need to get your place photographed (to share with all of us!).

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  6. bahadesigns9:52 AM

    I too am fascinated by lacquered walls. Did you spray the walls yourself or did you hire a professional? If you did it yourself what equipment did you use?

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  7. Lacquered walls, or walls that look lacquered, are great and can really make a room come together. My wife and I have a small office/bedroom with poor natural light and we hate the current walls (our own doing unfortunately) and we have been considering a high gloss paint. I'm just not sure if how that will turn out with the small size and light situation.

    Thanks for another great post!

    Freddy

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  8. I love love love lacquered walls! I think I know this house......it was featured on Joe Ruggiero's Homes Across America a few years ago. I sure miss that show. Anyway, the entire house was gorgeous! It was in the Garden District - I hope it survived Katrina.

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  9. You need to turn on the lights so there is plenty of ambient light and so the reflective items (mirror, crystal, gilt) refec their images on the walls. Then you shoot without a flash, so you don't "wash out" the reflections you are trying to capture on film.

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  10. I'm on the lacquered walls bandwagon. When we moved to this house here in Houston 3 years ago, I opted to lacquer the wall that is two story high with large windows that look out onto our pool. I wanted the wall to virtually disappear so I painted it a Ralph Laurens gloss black. I've never been sorry since.

    Hope you had a great weekend?

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  11. I love the gloss on the walls and the idea of decorating a room around the time of day it is most enjoyed.

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  12. I love glossy painted walls too! There's something so glamourous and mysterious about a room with this detail. Very sexy. I fell in love with the aubergine walls that Mario Buatta did for Joanne DiGuardiola's home as featured both on NYSD and in AD mag a few years ago. Timeless!

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  13. ...so glad you brought this up! i love gloss personally and try and inflict it on all my cients too! my favorite is a glossy ceiling - either white or black - the lighting actually works with the paint and light bounces off the ceiling - or the walls - and brings more light back into the space! my painters at first thought i was crazy, but it really works! again, thanks for speaking to this...i'm glad to know it's not just me! ...really enjoy your blog!

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  14. Anonymous2:10 AM

    Your post reminds me of the sad fact the Farrow and Ball has discontinued the oil based high gloss finishes. Unfortunately, the water based high gloss paint from F&B just does not have the high sheen of oil base formula.
    Truth be told, I am having a hard time finding an equal to the high gloss oil base farrow and ball paint. Fine Paints of Europe has a high sheen, but the paint is very difficult to work with. Sigh....I am not an environmentalist when it comes to quality paint finishes.

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  15. J --

    Speaking of glamour, you look beautiful on the cover of Array!

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  16. Mister Clint8:10 PM

    great post.

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  17. Jennifer, never apologize for a short post-this one is full of ideas! I am on the bandwagon too. I am doing an olive green lacquered library this fall in a house. pgt

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  18. Please do take Byron up on his offer! Inquiring minds do want to see your walls! I'm a fan, too, but you likely guessed that ;-)

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  19. I'm guilty of being on the lacquered bandwagon, too. My house is kind of dark (too many trees, south-facing, high fence along one side), so I added some of that pearlescent paint to my regular paint to give it a sheen, but it didn't quite do the trick. It looked good in the rooms that had a lot of light but didn't do anything for the darker rooms. I wonder if you need a flat wall as opposed to a textured one for it to look really great?

    Also, I would love to lacquer my front door. I don't know why, but it seems like such a daunting DIY task!

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  20. I am about to paint my daughters room a lacquered navy. Would love any tips you have.

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  21. Thanks for answering my question Digs Inside & Out, about glossy ceilings. I've always thought it should work to create the illusion of height, but have never used it to achieve that. The same is true of shiny white marble floors, so in theory you could double the effect, rather like mirror reflecting mirror.

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