The Ornamentalist

California Mission Decor

2011-12-29T20:53:00.000-08:00

detail of the painted reredos at Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad

Driving up Highway 101 along the coast of California, you will see a lot of signs for "El Camino Real" and often a curved post with a bell attached. These bells indicate the old Mission Trail, which connects a series of 21 Franciscan missions built in Alta California in the 18th century.
We decided to stop at a couple of these missions on our way back to San Francisco. And I had my camera with me.

Interior of the Soledad chapel

Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
Originally built in 1791, the chapel and one wing of the original quadrangle were completely restored in 1955, and the chapel still has the original title floor.

a simple painted dado and border in the Soledad mission chapel

Painted ornament of the most basic configurations decorate the chapel at Mission Soledad. The effect is whimsical, rich, serene.

Soledad chapel ceiling

geometric border in the Soledad chapel

the lovely corredor porch of Soledad Mission

Growing up in California I took for granted the "Mission Revival" style of architecture which dominated late 19th and early 20th century development. But when you walk around a real mission, features like beamed ceilings, corredors, giant iron candle holders, and deep-set windows make a lot more sense.

The nave of San Juan Bautista, the largest of the California Missions.

San Juan Bautista
Built in 1797 directly above the San Andreas fault, the largest of the California missions has survived a number of earthquakes. Much of the original structure remains, and the church has been fairly recently restored.

arcade border in the nave, the piers are painted with folksy faux marble panels

The interior was painted originally by Thomas Doak, and American sailor and carpenter who had jumped ship in Monterey, and who decorated the reredos in 1817, in exchange for room and board.

The altar and reredos at San Juan Bautista houses six beautiful santos

A small chapel with wonderful stenciled garlands

The back of the church with its simple trompe l'oeil columns. "This is the House of God, and the Gate to Heaven"

The outer walls collapsed in 1976 and were rebuilt within a few years. Since the mid-1990's restoration work has been carried out Dr. Ruben Mendoza and the students of CSU-Monterey Bay. And done rather nicely I have to say!

the bapistry

This simple guilloche border is used throughout the church in different colors.

The simple ornamentation as well as the color schemes I find very inspiring and really quite useful.

A room in the convento painted in deep blue and red borders

I have no idea what the banner over this door is supposed to mean.

Do you live near an old mission? I am reminded now to revisit my local: Misión San Francisco de Asís.

all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter December 2011.
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Cirque de Noël

2011-11-27T23:26:00.000-08:00

Amazing Cirque de Noël clown by Wendy Addison

The maestro and I took a much needed break and wandered up to Port Costa, to visit the Theatre of Dreams, the studio of artist Wendy Addison.

The shop decked out for the holidays

You may have seen Wendy's beautiful creations before: constructed of ephemera, antique bits, letterpress tags, imagination, and lots of German glass glitter. Normally open only "by chance or by appointment" the shop is transformed during the holidays and open for visitors for a few weekends.

a rare and elusive social butterfly

glittered numbers

The original Theatre of Dreams, built by Wendy in 1994- part dollhouse, part dreamscape

Port Costa is a "census-designated place" - population 190 - the cherished remnants of a 19th century railroad ferry town on the banks of the Carquinez Strait, just north of San Francisco Bay: funky, foggy, romantic, and at times a bit rough. I used to go there with a long-lost love for dimly-lit dinners at the Bull Valley Inn, or drink with friends at the Warehouse Café. Tree-lined streets and nostalgia form the backdrop for the creative scene here.

Wendy's work is curious and steeped in Victoriana, with just enough of the eerie and mysterious to be really interesting. Peek in the shop windows around Halloween to see how glitter can be macabre. You can see more of her imaginative creations at her website.

a black glitter raven peers out over an antique gilt mirror

dancing circus faerie tree toppers

painted Santo figure dressed in antique lace

Cirque de Noël

annual holiday open house at

Theatre of Dreams
Fridays and Saturdays December 2 & 3, 2011

and December 9 & 10, 2011

#11 Canyon Lake Dr.
Port Costa, California

WendyAddisonStudio.com

(510) 787-2164

all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter

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More images posted at Flickr

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

The Doors of Saint-Germain-des-Prés

2011-11-17T01:08:00.000-08:00

a beautiful entry with faux bois doors

Last month I spent two fabulous weeks in Paris, staying in a very cool apartment in the chic Saint-Germain district. One day I wandered around just looking at the wonderful doors. You do that, too, right?

Bleu

Paris is a city of limestone, and the entry doors to these limestone facades are the only opportunity for color, so they often get special attention. Even a plain door is given a glossy, gorgeous treatment. Nearly half the doors are oak, although usually if you see an oak door, it's actually a faux finish imitating oak. Some of the painted oak is so realistic I had to look for signs of wear or peeling paint to be able to tell the difference.

This charcoal grey is really popular right now.

Blues, greens, and greys predominate in this neighborhood. Red appears to have fallen out of favor, perhaps because it fades so quickly. It seems every color you can think of looks great with limestone. Although there was one safety orange painted door of an art gallery that I really didn't like. I did not take a picture of it.

bright blue on the Quai Voltaire

limestone, black, and gold - a classic Beaux-Arts tradition

a beautiful verdigris look

With rare exception the doors are never polychromed. All woodwork in an entry or the paneling surrounding it is treated the same. I am not sure if this is by convention or law.

The gorgeous celadon paneling of the Ladurée shop. Madame was posing for my camera in front of the shop and at the last moment she turned to her good side and struck this casual pose. Brava.

an unusual burl treatment

detail of faux burl door, a bit worn

More of this collection are posted in my flickr set "Doors of Paris".

all images in this post by Lynne Rutter, October 2011.
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Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Postcard from Paris

2011-11-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Interior of the Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

Just back from two wonderful weeks in Paris and environs, and having to hit the ground running.
Will be back with more soon!

Sainte-Chapelle brilliant with some recently restored windows in late afternoon sun.
photo by Lynne Rutter October 2011
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Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Les Monuments de Paris

2011-10-03T01:05:00.000-07:00

Les Monuments de Paris, detail of hand-painted scenic mural by Lynne Rutter

Recently I completed work on a scenic mural for a home in San Francisco, in the style of a papier peint panoramique, an extraordinary wallpaper popular in the late 18th and early 19th century.

Interior Designer Gary Spain commissioned me to paint an entire room mural in grisaille, or more specifically using an eau forte palette, which has a warm gray-brown asphaltum color that would compliment his design for the home. Our clients asked for something chic and urban, with scenes of Paris, but wanted to avoid anything too romantic or dramatic (many scenic papers depict battles and crowds of people), and that we make a personal view of Paris, rather than just the famous sights.

Dufour's Monuments de Paris, detail in color

Combing through my fabulous book French Scenic Wallpaper 1795-1865 I found the marvelous "Monuments de Paris" by Joseph Dufour et Cie. This paper was last printed in 1820, and there are few surviving examples of it. Its design seemed the ideal reference for this project, all of the monuments are pre-Hausmann era buildings; some easily recognized, and some not; lined up along the banks of the Seine in no particular order (or scale for that matter) while the viewer sits on a lush, peaceful island in the center of the river. I knew I could easily adapt this to suit the client's taste and site considerations.

a 3d mock-up of the room helps me determine sightlines so I can fine-tune the composition of the mural

Les Invalides, in progress

In San Francsico, our City Hall has a dome that pays homage to the dome of les Invalides in Paris. I chose this building as the center image of the east wall.
Using some digital images of the original paper from the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as some photos of actual structures in Paris, I began design work, tailoring the mural composition for the room, and creating a custom palette divided into the necessary values.

The original wallpaper was block-printed, so in painting in this style, there can be no blending, and colors must be opaquely painted and repeated. To preserve a flat, regular surface, there could be no touching up, no rubbing out of errors. Each stroke must be confident and committed. While this appears simple, it's actually far more work than using a "painterly" style. The effect is well worth the effort; the room looks rich, calm, and timeless.

Yes, this is a COLOR photograph! the ceiling and dado were matched to colors in the mural


Dufour's paper was strangely lacking in bridges, so we designed the Pont Neuf into the mural - its architecture echos the shape of the archway in the room

While the style of the mural is faithful to the Dufour paper, the composition and many elements in it are entirely original. The entire mural is scaled to the space and composed to work with the architecture of the room.

Thanks are due to the painters of my atelier - Melka, Shannon, David, and Michelina - without whom this mural might still be in pieces in my head.

Thanks also to Alan at Surface Fragments for his timely blog entry on this same reference, and for sharing his resource material with me.

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Lynne Rutter Murals & Decorative Painting

Evening in the Forbidden City

2011-09-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

an emperor portrait painted for the San Francisco Opera opening night gala

Patrons attending the opening night of the San Francisco Opera on Friday were treated to a colorful performance of Puccini's Turandot as well as a special gala dinner in a majestic tented Opera Ball Pavilion, An Evening in the Forbidden City.

Renowned event designer Robert Fountain commissioned me to help decorated the pavilion with large scale portraits of Chinese Emperors. Of course this is right up my alley so of course I said yes.

the ghostly apparitions of Emperors in my studio

Melinda's clear favorite was the kindly old emperor in the vermillion robe.

With only about a week to paint these, I called in my friend and colleague, Melinda Morey. We had a brilliant time working together! We were fairly literal in our painting technique - using a period Chinese style and including a lot of rich pattern. I was especially thrilled to be using such pure, saturated color for the magnificent robes of the Emperors: vermillion, gamboge, pure cadmium yellow, indigo, kingfisher blue...

Emperors in the studio just after completion

Lynne with three of the 9 foot tall paintings

The Gala Pavilion was fabulously draped entirely in red, and the portraits hung and lit to great effect.
After the opera the party continued with dancing in the Hall of the Emperors.

Style Maven Joy Venturini Bianchi with Qing Dynasty emperor.

More inspiration:

Bertoclucci's The Last Emperor

Twilight in the Forbidden City by Reginald Johnston

Murals for special events? Why, yes !

Mrtvaški ples

2011-07-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

In the 14th and 15th centuries, plague and wars gave Death a central role in art; the Danse Macabre is an important subject in medieval iconography. Recently I got to visit one spectacular example in Slovenia.


The innocent Child pulled from his crib, the Beggar with his prayer beads, the Loyal Soldier... death will take us all.

In the middle of our recent visit to Bulgaria, the Maestro was summoned to Klagenfurt, Austria to discuss a new commission. A side trip within a side trip, our host Gerhard Lehner, tossed us into his van and drove us to nearby Solvenia to see the marvelous Totentanz of the little church at Hrastovlje, on the Istrian peninsula.


The Banker offers his bag of money and Death laughs. The Doctor's medicine is likewise useless.

Cerkev Svete Trojice (Holy Trinity Church) dates from 12th century and is built in a unique Romanesque style. The now-famous frescoes were painted by Johannes de Castua and his atelier and completed in 1490.

Beautiful interior of the Cerkev Svete Trojice, Hrastovlje, Slovenia

The Monk, the Bishop, even the Cardinal... we all have to go sometime.

For a nominal fee photography without flash is allowed. It never hurts to ask!
The docent inside the church told us that owing to the plague in the 16th century, the walls were "covered in white sheets" (whitewash) and the entire town was burned and for a time, abandoned. Centuries later, after WWII, the whitewash was removed and the frescoes, discovered to be in very good condition, were cleaned and restored.

On the ceilings and elsewhere in the church, colorful frescoes with scenes from the Bible; the months of the year; portraits of saints; faux marbre columns with simple trompe l'oeil capitols; and stenciled borders embellish every available surface.
But most people come to see the Mrtvaški ples, the astonishing rendition of the Dance of Death.

Here is the Queen and the King, all of us are equal in the end.

The Pope, at the front of the parade, the grave is waiting and Death welcomes all.

15th century graffiti in Glagolitsa

Graffiti scratched into the walls was also preserved, some of which makes disparaging remarks about the King. An inscription crediting the artist: "Hoc opus fierit fecit Tomic Vrchovich de… magister Johannes de Castua pinxit" is repeated in latin and in the old Slavic Glagolitsa.

The procession of the Magi on horseback- this mural shows clear influence from Italian artist Uccello

Though the church interior is firmly Gothic in its design, the influence of early Renaissance Italy is apparent in some of the murals.

Here is a short video tour of the church (in Slovenian, I think) via YouTube:

Our day continued in a big loop through Koper, Trieste, and Aquileia, a day from which I am still recovering!

all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter, June 2011
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Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

The Enduring Appeal of Chinoiserie

2011-07-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

A History of a Style

Chinoiserie... that inventive fusion of Asian motifs and European sensibilities, can be whimsical, graceful, and theatrical. A major design phenomenon in the 17th and 18th centuries, it continues to be one of the most enduring and fanciful decorative styles in interior design.

Japanned wardrobe by Thomas Chippendale image ©NTPL/Andreas von Einsiedel

Interior design and mural painted by Lynne Rutter
2002 San Francisco Decorator Showcase

I became fascinated with chinoiserie through years of restoring and repairing hand-painted wallpapers and pieces of “japanned” furniture, studied its history and techniques, and eventually started painting some of my own designs in similar fashion.

It seems to me that every era has created its own version of chinoiserie, to emphasize exoticism and escape, or sometimes to be simply colorful and uplifting. In all cases there is a fairy tale dream-like quality that never fails to be charming.

It all began long ago, in a land far, far away…

A Style is Born:

Increased trade between Europe and China in the 17th century sparked a passion for all things oriental. What started with imports of commodities like tea, porcelain, silk, and saltpetre, grew to include a new cargo: a revolution in design.

The growing vogue for rare chinois artifacts inspired fanciful imitations from skilled artisans all over Europe. Oriental motifs both real and imagined, with pagodas, birds, monkeys, and figures in exotic costume, were worked into all manner of fine and decorative arts: everything from garden teahouses to japanned tea boxes were created in a Europeanized oriental fashion. An original and new style was born- not just from the Chinese influence – but far more from the inspiration borne of it.

Fantastic interior design ensued.

A subgenre of Chinoiserie, Singerie features monkeys in exotic costume doing playful and naughty things. Grande Singerie Murals by C. Huet, 1737 Château de Chantilly, France image: Atelier Mariotti

The new decorative style was popularized by the French court of Louis XV, as the curves and whimsy of Chinoiserie integrated beautifully with Rococo architectural features. Soon it became all the rage, with all the royal palaces of Europe creating glittering theme rooms and entire pavilions to house their collections of oriental treasures.

Jean-Baptiste Pillement’s 1760 book of engravings “The Ladies Amusement or The Art of Japanning Made Easy” was reprinted in England and became an influential sourcebook for designers of Chinoiserie. image from Lynne's collection

Over the next hundred years the mania for Chinoiserie spread across the Western world, in fashion, furniture, and interiors, even in theater and opera. No palazzo, schloss, or manor home was quite complete without its Chinese room. In early American interiors Chinese objects and fine, hand-painted wallpapers played a significant role and influenced design in the young United States for generations to come. For a growing nation that longed to be part of the rest of the world, the blending of eastern and western cultures was a symbolic and powerful idea.

circa 1780 Chinese painted wallpaper, in a room in Colonial Williamsburg, VA, was previously hung in a house in Boston. image via Carlton Hobbs

Painted Papers: The Flowering of Chinoserie

Early in the 18th century, the first hand-painted wallpapers were imported from China by the East India Company, and so were sometimes called “India papers.” Produced in China exclusively for the western market, they featured exotic looking flora and fauna delicately painted in brilliant colors on paper silk. You can see breathtaking examples of these early India paper murals in the Chinoiserie rooms of historic palaces at Hellbrunn (Salzburg), Oranienbaum (Russia), Drottningholm (Sweden), Sans Souci (Potsdam,) and Schloss Charlottenburg (Berlin.) At Nostell Priory in Yorkshire, famed English designer Thomas Chippendale used floral wallpaper murals in rooms filled with faux bamboo chairs and japanned cabinets.

Gallery in the Royal Pavilion at Brighton image via Wikipedia

Then, when you think you’ve seen everything, there’s the Royal Pavillion at Brighton, the spectacular pleasure palace built for King George IV. Completed in 1822, and is the ultimate example of the late Chinoiserie style, with its opulent, fanciful interiors and room after extravagant room filled with handpainted Chinoiserie papers, ornament, and ceiling murals.

An Enduring Style

18th century classicists argued that the Chinoiserie style was ‘a ridiculous hodgepodge of serpents, dragons, and monkeys’ and maybe it was, but then, even the most understated neoclassical Georgian house often had rooms whimsically decorated with floral murals “in the Chinese taste;” a pagoda folly in the garden; surely a pair of gilt brackets with blue and white porcelain vases, at the very least. Robert Adam himself more than likely trotted about his home in a banyan and turban, as did most gentlemen of his day.

Chinoiserie meets the age of speed in the the Art Deco smoking room of the cruise ship “Empress of Britain” c. 1930

A general revival of orientalism in the late 19th century found theatrical Chinoiserie theme rooms at the height of fashion once again in Victorian homes, providing a serene escape from bustling industrialized cities. From boudoirs to movie palaces, Chinoiserie figured gracefully into Art Deco and “Hollywood Regency” interiors, the exotic orient representing languor and wistfulness in an era of speed and new technology. Throughout the 20th century designers from Sister Parish to Tony Duquette used Chinoiserie to add opulence, color, and grace to their designs.

Grant Gibson‘s design for the 2010 Elle Decor Showcase, wallpaper by deGournay

Now considered a “classic” look, chinoiserie is very much on-trend as a versatile component in contemporary interiors. Wallpapers are still being painted in China for companies like by DeGournay, Gracie, and Fromental, and are in high demand all over the world. Contemporary muralists Jennifer Carrasco, Scott Waterman, Nora Johnson, and of course, Lynne Rutter, have all painted current styles of chinoiserie for their clients, each with a different spin on the traditional form, while top interior designers are incorporating chinioserie murals, furnishings, and accessories into their work in fresh new ways.

Is this a Chinoiserie revival, or the perennial flowing of an immortal style?

Further Reading:
Chinoiserie for Walls at Decorati Access
Red Bathrooms - Design InspirAsian at Pagoda Road

This article is an expanded version of one Lynne wrote for the Artisphere Online, published by the International Decorative Artisans League.

Lynne will be teaching a workshop on painting Chinoiserie at the IDAL annual convention.

©Lynne Rutter 2011

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Bastille Day

2011-07-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Bastille Day to all my French and Francophile Friends!

Read this great post about Marianne at Little Augury

Robe Polonaise made by Kathleen Crowley
Straw Tricorn hat custom made by Deanna Gibbons
photo by Erling Wold, New Orleans, October 2010

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

In the Spotlight

2011-07-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

You can read the on-line version at sfgate.com

It's kind of exciting to see one's name in print, spelled correctly and everything.

I'm pretty shy about getting my picture taken but in this case I dosed up on rescue remedy and tried to smile.

Nice interview written by Anh-Minh Le for the Stylemaker Spotlight in this week's Home and Design section of the San Francisco Chronicle. Anh-Minh is also the Editor-in-Chief of Anthology Magazine.

Several people have asked: my Belgian linen painter's smock was custom made for me by Kathleen Crowley.

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Opus Listatum

2011-07-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

How Roman construction techniques influenced a classic design phenomenon.

exterior detail, Church of Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno, Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

What was I doing in Bulgaria? A lot of people asked me this. Well I was fortunate enough to have an ulterior motive, accompanying the Maestro for the debut of his orchestral piece Certitude and Joy played by the Sofia Philharmonic (and which was *ahem* dedicated to moi) but also what I was doing in Bulgaria, what I usually do, of course, looking for beautifully painted architecture.

So there we are at the famous Rila Monastery, built in the 19th century in the Bulgarian National Revival style, and I notice the brick stripes of the are painted. Of course they are making an obvious reference to the Roman walls that are all over the country as this area was part of the Roman Empire, and the Byzantine Empire, and then of course the Ottoman Empire. Also prominently featured are the black and white stripes so common in Ottoman mosques.

Byzantine-era opus listatum wall c. 1259, Boyana Church, Sophia, Bulgaria

Ottoman Mosque Behram Pasa Camii, Diyarbakir c. 1573
image: Wikipedia

wall of the former mosque Büyük camii
Sofia, Bulgaria c. 1474

The "Opus Listatum" pattern is typical of late Roman walls, which were built with a core of concrete and faced with alternating "stripes" of brick and rock ("rock" sometimes being salvage from older buildings.) This was generally done to save on costs as bricks were becoming rather expensive.

This look became more deliberate and ornamental in Byzantine architecture, as seen in the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople constructed around 440 AD, and it then influenced the design of mosques and ablaq style masonry, and over the centuries worked its way back to Italy where alternating black and white striped stone walls graced churches and palaces.

interior Cathedral of Orvieto, 14th century. image via Wikipedia

Contemporary interior by as seen in Elle Decor; Georgio Armani Haute Couture Fall 2009

Currently a trend in fashion and a perennial design motif in contemporary interiors, black and white stripes seem to be everywhere in design magazines these days. And I am sure red and white stripes will have their day again soon!

Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno, Rila Monastery

Back again to Bulgaria, where Revival architects and designers in the 19th century made reference to two major influences in their culture in the form of Roman and Ottoman occupations of their country. I have to say I like both stripe patterns, I particularly like them used together, as they provided architectural and graphic support to the amazing colorful murals adorning the porch arcade.

Having a Revelation at Rila Monastery. My scarf is pure coincidence. Or is it?

Watch this space for future posts about Rila Monastery and its fabulous murals.

A Riot of Color in Baghdad

2011-05-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

A sports injury clinic in Baghdad, newly finished with bright colored tiles. photo by Ayman Oghanna for the New York Times

"Baghdad has weathered invasion, occupation, sectarian warfare and suicide bombers. But now it faces a new scourge: tastelessness."
So reads this article in the New York Times lamenting the profusion of colorful new paint jobs that have occurred since the demise of Saddam Hussein. "Under Mr. Hussein's government, a committee of artists, architects and designers approved the color of buildings, but after the violence from the 2003 U.S. invasion declined, bright colors started appearing everywhere." The article quotes several artists and ministers formerly employed by the Hussein regime as the arbiters of taste.


blast barricades in Baghdad covered in murals. photo by Ayman Oghanna for the New York Times

I have to wonder... what is the problem? Is plain concrete and sand colored stucco really preferable to freedom and self-expression? In this case, I think the problem is the ugly row of blast barricades, not that someone painted them pink and green. Beige monochromatic color schemes will not make Baghdad look more like Paris. Sorry, but no.

Here in Baghdad by the Bay, as San Francisco is sometimes called, we are known for our colorful houses, and I gleefully assist in choosing colors for the owners of these buildings. Of course I tell my clients to respect the architecture and sometimes advise restraint in color choices. But overall I find the tarted-up Victorian to be a thing of great beauty and fun. Some purists think that "Painted Ladies" are a blight on our historic architecture. But I believe that without them, much of our famous Victorian architecture may not have survived the 20th century. Between efforts to modernize and the urban renewal in the 1960s which included the demolition of thousands of Victorian buildings, we were lucky any survived intact.

"Postcard Row" and some of San Francisco famous painted Victorians

Color is highly personal and also very public; it invites attention and interaction, scorn or celebration, but never apathy. The movement to brightly paint up the Victorian houses of San Francisco attracted a whole new generation to appreciate their lively architecture, and in turn fight for their survival.

The people of Baghdad are now free to add color to their buildings no matter how garish or misguided, and are reveling in this freedom. I think when people have come through a hard time they are hungry for color and for bright, visible change. Eventually they will learn what works and what doesn't but for now I applaud them for breaking out and expressing how they feel in the biggest way possible.

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Lady Smitson

2011-04-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

One of the remarkable miniature portraits collected by my great-grandmother is this charming painting of "Lady Smitson," as this is labeled on the back. Having inherited this collection, I am carefully cleaning and documenting each piece as I have time. This painting is signed "Gram" on the front, and dated "80" on the reverse, and set into an elaborate frame of brass.

Lady Smitson

Lady Smitson is realistically and beautifully painted, with texture and brushwork recalling the English School style. Her clothes and hair are in the fashion of the 1780's. The I don't think this is a copy of another painting but rather an original and lively (and possibly idealized) portrait of a beautiful and fashionable lady. Who was she? I wish I knew.

you may click on the images to view them larger

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Geometric Floor

2011-04-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

the floor is painted with an interlocking hexagonal pattern

I recently completed a floor for a new furniture and design shop in San Francisco using a really hip-looking interlocking hexagonal pattern. I have a bit of thing for hexagons in general, so this pattern really excited me.

the white painted floor / work in progress with giant stencil

the finished painted floor

My design was interpreted from African textiles, with a nod to the mid-century fabric patterns such those by mid-century design icon David Hicks, who had put his own spin on this look in the 1960's.

As the shop is in a long, narrow space, over 50 feet deep but only 10 feet wide, I designed a very large scale repeat, and elongated the pattern to help foreshorten the room; so even though the pattern is "stretched" it does look symmetrical, and the room appears wider and more stable as a result.

The pattern was painted onto the concrete floor using floor and patio enamel from Benjamin Moore, and a huge stencil I designed and cut in my studio Look carefully and you can see how the repeat fits together.

The showroom will be open in a couple of weeks and I will update this post with the name and location soon!

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Exterior Color: Beauty on Broderick Street

2011-04-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

this subtle paint scheme allows the details to shine

Broderick Street's elegant new facade

It is a magnificent building with substantial and wonderful architectural features. But when I first saw this house on Broderick Street in the NoPa neighborhood of San Francisco's Western Addition, it had easily the most unflattering paint job on it I have ever seen: dark brown trim cut the facade into squat proportions, intricate details imprisoned under layer upon layer of indifferently slopped-on paint. Horrified, I mounted the stairs and rang the bell. You poor thing, I thought, who did this to you?

The home's owners called me (not a minute too soon!) looking for a sophisticated, urban look. They also wanted to show off the unique period features of the Edwardian architecture with its generous nod to the Beaux Arts style.

the unbearable "before" picture

We chose a hazy, grey/green for the "base" color of the design. Most of this color is used on the sides and back of the house. On the facade itself, there is very little "base" as most of its surface area is actually "trim" - with massive brackets, prominent mouldings, and columns. To make this look cohesive I limited the contrast between these two colors. In addition, a slightly darker, celery color is employed around the windows, to help the columns stand out a bit more, and then we had a bit of fun by using a very current color of teal on the window sashes.


A bit of 23k gold leaf here and there makes all the difference!

Homeowner Gisela caught the gold bug after an on-site gilding lesson and tackled the gilding of details herself, following the few rules I gave her "gild anything round, sticking out, or just asking for it." I think she showed admirable restraint!

shadows enliven the sculptural details

Though budget would not allow for a full restoration of the facade, we were at least able to restore its dignity, and give a fresh face to this grand lady.

Color design: Lynne Rutter

Painting: Danny Massingale, San Francisco

click on images to view larger. all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

An Ornamental Mystery in Pennsylvania

2011-04-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ceiling painted on wooden beams, circa 1880s, and relocated in the 1940s

Some months ago I was contacted by a reader, Teresa Huhn, who had a mystery involving the ceiling of her Pennsylvania, home, which was built in the mid 1940s. The ceiling had been relocated there from a much older building, but which one? Teresa sent me thrilling photos of the ceiling and told me she'd heard "two possible histories provided by relatives of each side of the original owners’ families.
History #1 says that the ceiling was from the Thaw Mansion, Lyndhurst, that was located along “Millionaire’s Row” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
History #2 says it is from a German church."

a lovely grisaille inset

Was I intrigued? You bet! I was inclined to rule out the German church because the imagery in the ceiling isn't religious in nature, nor is the ornament so particularly German, although I have seen its like all over Europe, including parts of Germany. I consulted some others about this, who thought it could be German, or Swiss, or maybe French, but it also could be a mix references. I then had a major diversion reading up on the lurid history that lead to the near-ruin of the Thaw family and the subsequent disuse and eventual demolition of Lyndhurst, their palatial Gothic Revival country estate. Lyndhurst was torn down in 1942 after years of neglect, and it did seem likely that some of the architectural elements salvaged from the mansion by antique dealer Vernon Regal may have well have been built into somewhat more modest homes in the area.

The ceiling in its current home: note one of the planks has been made into a valance for the vertical blinds

I decided to investigate the source of inspiration of the ceiling rather than speculate as to its original site. It's rather nicely painted and in excellent condition, it's typical of the kind of work in "revival" style mansions built in the late 19th century for the new American aristocracy. When it was moved, the ceiling may have been "chopped" or altered in proportions, making it harder to place its original location. It may have been a flat ceiling, rather than pitched as it is now.

the ornament is painted right onto the wood, with details in gold leaf. gorgeous!

I reminds me of the kind of thing you'd see in an early renaissance chateau, like La Roche Guyon castle or Chateau de Pierrefonds. Could it be the work of French painters?

My fellow Ornamentalists, if you would like to weigh in on the origins of this ceiling, or its style, by all means comment and help us get to the bottom of this mystery!

I'd like to thank Ms Huhn for sharing her wonderful ceiling with us, and I am given permission to say that this marvelous ceiling is currently for sale, and comes complete with a 6 bedroom 6 bathroom house built in the Midcentury Eclectic Style (sorry, I just made that up) as well as a lovely bit of land in Wexford, Pennsylvania.

Are you cursed with a boring white ceiling and would like something ornamental to improve your life? Please feel free to contact me, I'd be more than happy to paint something for you.

Click on images to view larger. photos in this post by Teresa Huhn, published here with permission

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Neues Museum, alte Schönheit

2011-03-26T03:14:00.000-07:00

Fresken im Ägyptischen Hof von Karl Eduard Biermann .

It's impossible for me to visit Berlin without thinking about how it looked the first time I visited in 1984 as a college student. My best girlfriend and I stayed in a cheap pensione whose back half had been blown away and was closed off simply by shutting a hallway door, something I found out accidentally at 2 AM while looking for the WC.

visitor, Akhenaten with family, architecture

A trip through Checkpoint Charlie led us through a wasteland of bombed out buildings, many of them with trees growing up through them. I recall thinking that the Communists left the mess as some sort of message.

Through subsequent visits I have seen Berlin knit itself back together, then reinvent itself to become once again a world class city filled with artists of all kinds.

During my most recent visit, I was excited to see the Neues Museum, the original home of the Egyptian Museum, which has recently reopened.

remnants of niche ornament

The Neues Museum, on Berlin's Museum Island, was completed in 1855 by Friedrich August Stüler, and was once Prussia's most important and famous public buildings. It was bombed to smithereens during WWII and left empty and largely exposed to the elements for over 60 years.

Neues Museum Bacchus Room in 2000, note vine marks on walls. image via Wikipedia

Bacchus Room in 2009 after renovation. image via Wikipedia

Some aging ornament in a gallery of the Neues Museum

Gallery ornament, detail

Under the splendid design and direction of British architect David Chipperfield, the Neues Museum was rebuilt, as a sort of archeological site itself, incorporating old and new, displaying its collection and its history in equal measure.

Ornamental painting, bullet holes, exposed brickwork, and modern finishes all work together to create an historic environment for one of the world's most famous archeological collections.

The modern areas of the building are pure form and space, and are simply breathtaking.
Glimpses of the building's former glory, with its 19th century decorative treatments, are particularly thrilling.

circa 1855 ceiling borders in the Neues Museum

A fragment of a lost ceiling, Neues Museum

Nefertiti enshrined at the Neues Museum, image via Wikipedia

The centerpiece of the museum's collection is the breathtaking bust of Nefertiti. She is displayed alone in a lovely domed room with malachite green walls of polished plaster. I cannot describe how inspiring this sensitive and beautiful portrait really is. No photograph can do her justice.

exposed brickwork and original decorative fragments form the backdrop for the Neues Museum displays

Wall ornamentation, Neues Museum, Berlin

For more information and images about this building and its renaissance, have a look at these sites:

Neues Museum website, virtual architectural tour.

New York Times article about the museum renovation, with many great pictures.

AIA Architect Magazine review and photos of the Neues Museum.

Exterior Views, original plans, and architectural designs, at Wikipedia

Click on images to view larger

photos in this post by Lynne Rutter, March 2011 unless otherwise noted.

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

The Doors of Prague

2011-03-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

entry door St. Francis Seraphicus Church, Prague .

I made a too-short visit to Prague this month, getting only lightly reacquainted with one of my favorite cities. Since my last visit 10 years ago (wow, has it been that long!?), much has been restored or rehabilitated. I noticed in particular gleaming and intricate ornamental ironwork, particularly on the doors.
I posted a larger collection of these door pictures at flickr. Here are some highlights:

beautiful amber painted door of the newly restored palace of the Rožmberkové (house of Rosenberg) Prague

strapwork ornament carved into an old door, Staré Město

Detail of one of three black iron doors with polished iron ornaments, Italian Embassy, Prague

These exterior door are all at street level, and are special with good reason. An overall pattern adds to the architecture of each building, and the door becomes more detailed and personal the closer you get. What better way to invite you closer?

I don't know anything about the specific tradition of ironwork in this region, but it does seem to have a distinctive style reminiscent of celtic designs. Which makes sense since during the *cough* Iron Age, the Celts originated from this area.

a delicate and ornate knocker on an ebonized, studded door

a beautiful medieval looking figural knocker

splendid entry door and handle of the Svatý Mikuláš (St. Nicholas) church, Tyn Square

Now, some interior doors

a lovely old door in the Vladislav Hall, Prague Castle

a very simple inlaid door with fantastic hinges

a beautiful marquetry door in Prague Castle

a small utilitarian door in a hallway- at once substantial and elegant.

ornate hinge: St Thomas Church, Prague

I am resisting the urge to pound a thousand upholstery tacks into my front door. However, a faux marquetry door might not be out of the question.

More pictures!

My flickr set: Doors of Prague
Prague Doors by photographer Ksenia Grishkova
PBase gallery by Helen Betts.
Prague Doors flickr set by verymystery

If you like door knockers, check out this collection by Grant K Gibson.

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Silver Gilt

2011-03-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

silver gilt moulding detail, Charlottenburg

In the Schloß Charlottenburg, Berlin, a number of rooms are still being restored and re-gilt. There is an enfilade suite of rooms in the Neuer Flügel with silver-gilt mouldings that I found particularly charming

white and silver room, Schloss Charlottenburg, Berlin

Silver looks beautiful with white, and with mirrors of course, but look how splendidly it works with color.

a silver and green chamber

a silver gilt door reflects the warmth of the adjoining red and gold room

a favorite moment: worn silver gilt window shutter, with curry yellow silk drapes

Curry yellow silk upholstered walls and silver gilt mirror

Enfilade is in the glossary!

click on images to view larger
all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter, Berlin, March 2011

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Postcard from Berlin

2011-03-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

Chinesisches Haus, Sanssouci, Postsdam

We've been visiting Berlin and environs for the last two weeks. Many lovely pictures. Stay tuned!

Inspiring Powder Rooms

2011-03-15T03:50:00.000-07:00

Whistler: Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink

This week at the wonderful blog, Fauxology, written by the always effervescent Regina Garay, it's all about Powder Rooms.
I am honored to be featured in the first post in the series, all about designing for these special, small spaces.

Read how a formerly white on white bath was transformed with decorative painting and just a bit of gold leaf, and how this painting by James McNeill Whistler inspired the design of the entire room.


Japonesque bathroom mural, faux marble floor, and 12k white gold accents by Lynne Rutter

Thanks again to Regina for featuring my work in her lovely blog!

Interior Design: Ashley Roi Jenkins
photo by Lynne Rutter

Lynne Rutter Murals and Decorative Painting

Arts and Crafts Collaboration

2011-02-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

polychrome frieze and gilt eucalyptus leaves

A San Francisco dining room designed in the Arts and Crafts style by Debey Zito Fine Furniture and Design, became a wonderful opportunity for collaboration between several members of my local artisans guild, Artistic License. This very special group is comprised of local artisans who specialize in period design. Debey directed a team of local talent to create this room.

carved panel cast in plaster

A frieze panel of California poppies was hand-carved by Debey's partner, Terry Schmitt. To carve the frieze for the entire room was cost-prohibitive, so ornamental plasterer Lorna Kollmeyer cast them in plaster.
The casting is incredibly sensitive and you can see every pore from the original piece wood as well as every mark in the lovely carving.

I painted the new plaster frieze with a faux bois finish, to match the furniture-quality paneling that Debey and Terry installed the room, and polychromed the poppies with mica powders and pigment.
Terry also sculpted the plaster Eucalyptus leaves which I then gilt with 23k gold leaf.

Beautiful Arts and Crafts dining room by Debey Zito Fine Furniture and Design

plaster frieze in progress- painted with faux bois finish

The room is capped by custom dragonfly ceiling paper, hand-made in San Francisco by David Bonk.

You can read more about this artisan collaboration which has just been published in the Spring 2011 issue of Arts and Crafts Homes magazine.

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Islamic Inlaid Ornament

2011-02-09T01:49:00.000-08:00

Turkish Gamesboard, center ornament

During an all too brief visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, I was completely rapt by some wood and ivory inlaid pieces.

Backgammon board detail

A 16th century Ottoman gamesboard, spectacularly decorated with inlaid patterns in ebony, ivory, micromosaic and silver.

I love how the side elements have the look of an architectural arcade.
click on images to view details

Anglo-Indian fall-front cabinet, side view

Indian Fall-Front Cabinet, circa 1650-1670, rosewood inlaid with ivory.

detail of inlaid ivory ornament

Details in the ornament are created by incising lines in the ivory, then rubbing black lacquer into the grooves.

You can learn more about these two pieces (with more pictures) at the LACMA website, in the Islamic Art section.

photos in this post by Lynne Rutter, February, 2011
click on any image to view larger

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Ornamental Borders Workshop

2011-02-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

Announcing the latest in our series of specialized workshops for decorative artists working to enhance and refine their skills


The bones of this ceiling design- borders! Ceiling by Lynne Rutter in the Paris Resort Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas.

Ornamental Borders: Two Day Intensive Workshop
in San Francisco
instructor: Lynne Rutter

Borders are the most versatile of ornamental embellishments! Even the simplest design can create a wonderful impact on a space. In this class we'll explore multiple techniques used to create some Renaissance-style ornamental borders, with an emphasis on design and transfer methods, as well as painting techniques including stenciling, pouncing, trompe l'oeil, lining, and gilding.

detail of ceiling border by Lynne Rutter

Learn each simple method and how to put them together to create more complicated designs. We'll explore how to adapt ornament for a variety of different applications in today's interiors, while you create your own set of full-sized samples in hands-on practice.

ornamental ceiling by Lynne Rutter

This class will be offered again soon. Email me to be put on the mailing list for announcements.

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting

Palais Ferstel, Vienna

2011-01-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

restored ceiling boss and stenciling, Palais Ferstel, Vienna

While visiting Vienna in 1993 I spontaneously stumbled into a maze of arcades with beautiful groin vaults, 19th century ironwork skylights and some memorable stenciling. When I found my way out I jotted down the name of the building, Palais Harrach.

shopping arcade in the former Palais Ferstel

This was not entirely accurate. On a more recent visit I sought out the newly restored Cafe Central and found myself wandering around a 19th century villa that had been beautifully decorated and converted to a commercial space, and found that this romantic revival gem was indeed the Palais Ferstel. The palace was designed in the 1860s by architect Heinrich von Ferstel, inspired by his many travels in Italy. It became a bank and stock exchange, and like many buildings in Vienna, was badly damaged in WWII. In the 1980s it was completely renovated and now houses elegant shops and galleries, and features a fabulous ballroom for events. It's sort of rafted together with the lower level of the baroque Palais Harrach, and these passages makes a nice little detour through the Freyung area.

detail from the Palais Ferstel vaulted ceilings

This ornament is very interesting to me because though it follows all the rules and placement of Gothic ornament, it seems to me neither Gothic nor Italian in style or color, which I suppose is often the case in revival styles. Nevertheless the repetition of the ivy leaf motif in so many of the painted borders and the cohesive scheme of olive, plum, and ochre makes for a nice atmosphere.

You can find more photos of this lovely place by searching on flickr.

all photos in this post by Lynne Rutter, Vienna, 2008
click on images to view larger

Lynne Rutter Murals + Decorative Painting