From the monthly archives: March 2009
An amazing Houston area home was recently the cover and feature article in Houston Design Resources. Imago Dei worked with the
to create many ASID award-winning designs.
The castle-like French inspired home required a striking and memorable entry. The coffered ceiling in the foyer received a metallic glaze treatment with subtle bronze and antique gold.
The surrounding furdown had Imago Dei creating a custom stencil wrap-around designed and applied on site. They expertly complimented the furniture and fabrics in the the foyer in style and color.
Another successful collaboration occurred in the dining room. Imago Dei they worked out the details, taking into consideration the placement of furniture, artwork and lighting. The artists used a trompe l’oeil effect to create architectural interest in perfect proportion and style to complete the room’s ambiance. (Trompe l’oeil is French for “fool the eye” and a style of realism in painting that combines perspective, shading and coloration to imitate reality.)
Imago Dei worked with the client to develop a chateau scene from original photographs that combined images from Texas Hill Country to the French countryside. Particular flowers were specified by the client that were included in the painting. The resulting mural, painted in acrylics on canvas, was installed at the end of the hallway leading to the Master Suite. The mural’s peaceful, bucolic setting creates a tranquil transition to the suite.
Based on a French Chateau style of architecture, the home oozes with personality from the suit of armor to the hand carved dragons in the castle-inspired media room. Other contributions to the home including the hand-painted fine art on tile for the kitchen, hand-sculpted stonework in the media room and trompe l’oeil features, metallic faux treatments in the Master Bath Suite, will be covered in a future newsletter.
Decorative finishes that are easy on the eye, wallet and environment
Sometimes it just all comes together. While researching for products that are eco-friendly, Imago Dei found that these also produced effects at have stunning richness, yet are also less expensive than their toxic counterparts.
Imago Dei uses the most environmentally frien
dly products as possible, including low or no VOC paint products, plasters and finishes.
· Low VOC: latex (water-based) paints like Sherwin-Williams “Duration” paint caries their GreenSure™ seal, which Imago Dei uses for their base coats, offers maximum performance, long-term durability and the highest indoor air quality ratings.
· No VOC: Milk paint (casein) has existed since artisans in ancient Egypt were painting murals. Made from milk proteins, lime and natural pigment that is eco-friendly, non-toxic, lead-free and not radioactive. This is a fantastic product for those with sensitive health issues or allergies. It is also an excellent choice for painted furniture, cabinetry and millwork.
· Non-toxic: Our metallic finishes are water-based, non-toxic, contain no lead or mercury or other harmful ingredients. There is no odor with these non-tarnishing, non-fading products which are completely safe for interior use.
· Sustainable, raw materials: natural clay plasters actually improve interior air quality by “breathing” with changes in humidity, absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing negative ions which are biochemically beneficial.
According to the EPA, one of the top five health risks in the US is Indoor air. until recently, it was common for fumes to drive people from their homes during repainting. Most conventional paints contained high levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that released a noxious element into the room when applied. The VOCs diminish air quality, and may be detrimental to your health. Today, alternative manufacturing techniques have allowed the development of low- and no-VOC paints that release no, or minimal VOC pollutants, and are virtually odor free.
