Faux Finish Painting Is Back in Favor, And I Am Swooning...

fashion photos via 

Dan Lecca vogue.com

Joseph Abboud on the runway:

painterly, nuanced designs reflect his own personal style

 From Runway To Our Home:
Specialty Painting and Faux Designs Find Their Way Back To The World of Interior Design

written by Fashion Editor, Susan Young

Westchester magazine, 2003

From the runway to your front walkway--fashion and interiors are like fraternal twins. Although they don’t always look exactly alike, you can tell they are related. These two expressions of art, creativity, culture and history have a harmonious symbiotic relationship that is co-dependent upon the emotions, events and cycles of the current day. Historically, fashion has been thought of as only what we wear and not much beyond that. Today, fashion is inescapable, and we are surrounded by it from the latest trends in food (think foam), cocktails (bourbon is the new rum), hairstyles, and although the list goes on, our clothing and our interiors are its most pervasive manifestations.  Our personal style is no longer the frock we put on ourselves, but it encompasses the entire world we create around us.  Noting this, it's no surprise that faux painting patterns we have been seeing on the fashion runway have made their way back to the home.  

Let me go back for a moment and tell you a little bit about my fashion and interior design background—Over twenty years ago, when specialty painting was at the height of popularity in the world of interior design, I was commissioned for over a seven year period to specialty paint and faux paint the inside of renowned menswear designer, Joseph Abboud's home.  This was well before I was the co-owner and designer of root cellar designs, and even before I became a fashion designer (we are going way back).  This work and project imprinted upon me a life-long fascination with paint, design and fashion.  I continue to be impressed with Joseph Abboud's personal style, which is woven directly into the fabric of his design aesthetic--his home is his fashion sense incarnate. In his home, he yearns for a rustic elegance, and when I worked with him, he was obsessed with classic pattern, texture and natural earthy elements, and his sensibilities meld with sophisticated yet unpretentious livability. Everything in his home then was rough, yet polished which is exactly how I would characterize his collections even today, and for that matter, how he dresses himself.  It was a life-altering experience to create these beautiful painted designs and help the Abboud family create their dream home.  

So, when I read in Architectural Digest magazine earlier this week that faux finish painting is making a "comeback" in the world of interiors, I was elated.  For a few years now, the interior design world has become enamored with and appreciative of artisan, hand work, so it comes as no surprise that specialty painting has found its way back into the good graces of the design industry.  

In the AD article, New York City interior designer, Young Huh notes-- "faux finishes can work wonders in areas of your home that are lacking architectural detail."  
and 
“Applying a faux finish to a wall, such as faux marble panels or a textural wallpaper, is a great way to create warmth, texture, and interest.”  

On that happy, painterly note, let's celebrate beautifully crafted designs, and here's to handmade design!  Cheers to when we have the luxury of adding that wonderful sensibility into our lives, whether it's through fashion, food, tabletop or interior design.

some of the specialty painting  work

I created in Joseph Abboud's home