Making an Entrance

Recently I was asked by one of my lovely designer friends, Wendy Appleby of Your Home By Wendy, to add a little punch to this foyer.

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The architecture had real potential and just needed something to warm up the walls.

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The finish brings continuity to the living room and dining room which has a similar color scheme. There wasn't a medallion over the chandelier. Inspired by some of my recent projects we decided on a scrolling ironwork motif that ties in the finish on the fixture.

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The door is a beautiful carved mahogany masterpiece. With a little faux bois on the trim it now fits in the space rather than sticking out.

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And here were my helpers for the job! Eddie (the dog) and Mr. Squinkers (the ferret)

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As always, thanks to the clients and to Wendy for the opportunity.

Lets make it a beautiful 2014 together!

Jan 2014 postcard

Start your New Year right. Whether it be a fresh new finish or a stunning mural, let's work together to make your project a reality this year!

Knock on....wood?

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After a two year hiatus from participating in the HEC Decorator Show House, I have had the pleasure to design the grand foyer of this year's house, Mount Ida.  Knock on wood, that all of the efforts of the designers, volunteers, and workers will pay off with a record turn out of visitors! For tickets and more information, click here. My rendering for this year's promotional material.

Mount Ida is located atop the hill next to the Court House in Ellicott City.  Originally built in 1828 by members of the Ellicott Family, Mount Ida was built in the Greek Revival/Italianate style.  Sometime in the 1970's or 80's, the foyer was divided up into three spaces but has now been restored to all 30 feet of its original glory.  In designing the space, I wanted to honor tradition but had to add my own twist.

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The original foyer, as seen in this photograph from the Library of Congress, taken in the 1960's.

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This picture shows what I saw when I did my walkthrough.  These partitions were put in place sometime in the last few decades and the decor was left from when Mount Ida was a decorator showhouse in 1995. This is taken from the same vantage point as the black and white photo above.

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You then passed from the first space into this room. This is the central area of the foyer. The door to the right led to an office.

The first thing that happened was all of these walls, including a wall covering the back doors were taken down.  Repairs, scraping, cleaning, painting, and more painting took place over the course of 8 weeks.

And here are a few images of what my space looks like now just to tease you!

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Knock on...wood? You will have to come see for yourself!! ;)

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Look closely at the chandeliers that Bill Knapp fabricated. Can you tell what they're made from?

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This is Brian, the contractor who HEC hired to do all of the renovations that needed to be done, like fixing the waste stack that exploded in my space the week before I was to start. (I know. gross.)

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I really have to thank several people for making my vision happen.

-Paula Henry of Simply Put Interiors for help with the design layout, moral support, and great friendship.

-Bill Knapp, Bill Knapp Arts, for without him we would be in the dark.

-Alison Roy-Harrison of Columbia Interior Finishes for doing all of the basecoating for my space.

-Phil Adams from Floors Etc for my area rugs (all three of them!)

-Amy Alder for her upholstery expertise

-My mom, Carol Lenehan for her immaculate sewing skills on the skirted tables.

-My dad, Kevin Lenehan, for helping me build the skirted tables and wiring the chandeliers (all three of them!)

-Barry Sheehan- Metal in Motion, for helping out with my brainfart that "there should be a sculpture here..."

-The volunteers and members of HEC, Inc.

and Mikey, for his patience.

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We all hope to see you there!

BSO Decorator Showhouse 2013

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"Cosy Corner" is the title designer Paula Henry of Simply Put Interiors gave to this tiny little bedroom at this year's BSO Decorator Showhouse.  Previously owned by legendary Baltimore Colts Quarterback Johnny Unitas, the house was transformed by almost two dozen designers. This year Paula enlisted my services to create a unique ceiling treatment and textural wall finish.  In addition, I created sketches of some of our beloved pets, my cats and her dogs.

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It was a whirlwind trying to get all of the work completed but the final result is a stunner.  Paula always has a great way of visualizing and executing a beautiful environment.  I'm always happy to be a part of her projects.

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A special thanks goes to my Friend in Faux, Alison Roy Harrison who owns Columbia Interior Finishes.  Alison bailed me out and executed the finishes on the walls while I was busy trying to finish the ceiling before deadline. Thank you Alison!!

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Art Underfoot

Good Morning!I just wanted to share with you some exciting news...Royal Design Studio, the maker of incredibly cool stencils, featured my floorcloth that I created for my studio!! Melanie has an awesome blog that is viewed by tons of people so I am very honored to have my work showcased along many many other super talented decorative artists. A big thank you to Melanie Royals and Regina Garay for the feature.  I am sooo excited!!

Click here to view the feature!

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Also, you can vote for my floorcloth that has been entered in a contest held by Royal Design Studios, I could win a shopping spree!  Maybe a stencil for your next project...?

Royal Design Studio Stencil Contest

Thanks everybody!!