TROMP L'EOIL WINDOWS

Michael Holigan: The owners of this home built in the early '80's decided to update their kitchen recently with marble countertops, but the effects was not exactly what they were hoping for. The new addition in the same old kitchen was sticking out like a sore thumb. So to counterbalance the impact of the new marble, they commissioned artist Stacy Robinson to bring more interest and warmth to the rest of the room. First, she textured and painted walls, and then she began to create a new focal point. The scene Stacy is sketching here on the wall in the kitchen dining area will become the view we see through a Tromp L'oeil window. Tromp L'oeil is a French term meaning fool the eye. It's a technique being used more and more often to add dramatic accent to a room. Well, Stacy, you can see through most windows, so I guess you're putting our landscape back there in the back?

Stacy Robinson: Yes. This is going to be a scene reminiscent of the south of France.

M.H.: I'm artistically challenged, so what would I do, since I can't draw?

S.R.: Well, there are a lot of great stencils readily available, so that's one option, or a tapestry, or even some wallpaper books are offering murals, so that would be a nice option.

M.H.: So you don't have to be able to draw?

S.R.: No.

M.H.: Stacy repeated the texturing technique on the wall around the painting to help create an old world feel and tie the dining area in with the rest of the kitchen.

S.R.: I took a flat blade, use some sheetrock compound, and spread it lightly over the entire wall. After that, glazes of paint were put on. I've used three colors. All very similar, but enough of a difference that you get some depth.

M.H.: What type of paint are you using on this?

S.R.: I'm using an acrylic, artists acrylic paint.

M.H.: Why acrylics instead of oils or water?

S.R.: Fast drying. Oils are nice too. You get a little more blendability with an oil, but an acrylic is fast drying and then I don't worry about drying time.

M.H.: Do you need to seal it with anything?

S.R.: You could, but as long as you're not going to have people putting their hands on it, it shouldn't be a problem.

M.H.: And now that Stacy has finished the painting, Al and stone expert Gil Geisler are ready to complete the Tromp L'oeil effect with a stone border.

Gil Geisler: It is called Tenistete. It is used in France to repair our national monuments, or cathedrals. It is the same stone, more or less, which was used in the middle ages to build the cathedrals. And it is made out of limestone, we call it fossilized limestone.

M.H.: Using a hot glue gun and Liquid Nails, the light weight limestone is permanently attached to the wall in a matter of minutes.

Al Carrell: That will adhere to this stuff for how long?

G.G.: It will...you mean against the wall?

A.C.: Ah huh.

G.G.: Forever.

A.C.: Forever, okay. I wanted you to say that.

G.G.: It's actually very difficult, very difficult to take it off after.

M.H.: The stone is easy to work with. In fact, you can cut it with just an ordinary hand saw.

G.G.: It is not a piece of marble or a real heavy limestone. It doesn't have the density of a limestone.

A.C.: Right.

G.G.: That's the reason it doesn't have the weight of a limestone either. Here you see the imperfections of nature. Actually, you see the fossils.

M.H.: The Tenistete stone comes in several different sizes and shapes for creating window sills like this one, crown molding, columns, and smooth blocks for fireplaces and walls. For a project like this Tromp L'oeil window, you can expect to spend about $25 per linear foot on the stone. Around $20 for the wall paint and drywall compound. And the rest depends on whether you paint a scene, use a tapestry or wallpaper. The illusion you choose to create is limited only by your imagination.

For more information on Tenisete Stone you can contact Gill Geisler at 214-748-4811

Episode 40 1996 - 97 Season

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