21 Jul Be brave, use gold in a mural for your feature wall.
Even in our minimalist world of off-whites and torpes and a subtle range of greys, there is a
need to have at least a few walls making a statement and providing some character or at least
colour and breathe some life into our homes.
I have been a specialist decorator and mural artist for a number of years and seen a shift in
fashions and as in most things in this cosmopolitan age style and taste as with food has become
international, finding similar styles but with a national flavor in London, New York or Paris.
The same goes for elite companies producing high end fabrics and wall coverings, they can be
found in every capital with a similar wealthy clientele.
When these beautifully crafted products are shown off in interior magazines or are saved onto
the discerning want to be decorators’ pinterest board they become desired by not just the elite
but by all the professional classes.
With the demand for high end decoration come the more affordable products and like the knock
off designers handbags easily spotted and lacking in the finesse of the original.
This has been particularly true with wallpapers with oriental themes, leading brands have been
producing ever more exclusive and expensive products as there is always some-one who can
afford the best and it seems that chinoiserie never goes out of fashion.
As a specialist decorator and muralist I try to keep in tune with the changing trends and abhor
the populism of expensive paint brands that becomes popular with every designer because the
colour looks more muted and lime like.
These brands do not cover well and offer littles protection and are similar to the old lime paints that we moved away from 50 years ago, a similar effect can be achieved by muting the colours with white or using matte varnish.
The one constant has been the feature wall and I have seen (and painted myself) some
beautiful ones, and the bravest of these have often used gold leaf.
The most stunning contemporary murals I have seen recently are on the walls of Faena Hotel in
Miami. The Argentinian mural artist has used a backing of gold leaf with beautifully painted
scenes of jungle and marine life.
Outside the hotel at the back beachside is a giant Mammoth in
gold leaf by Damien Hirst the overall effect of this overwhelming setting is larger than life.
Not everybody has the sort of house or interior that can take large murals but most houses have
room for a feature wall, and the most practical subject matter to breathe some life into your
house is a chinoiserie mural and if you want to do it in style there is nothing like some gold leaf
softened by antique glazes.
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