Behind an Illustration

As promised here is a peek at the process behind the Style at Home mural.

1. Margot Austin requests a fanciful image with a "Dorothy Draper-meets-Alice-in-Wonderland" vibe. The piece must be created using colours in the Style at Home Beautitone paint series. Suggests the Anthropologie catalogue for inspiration.



2. The Anthropologie catalogue is hugely inspiring. Filled with wonderous images which combine photographs of the models with Victorian toys, overscale props, whimsical chickens and sheep! Really amazing.
(FYI The Design cognescenti suspect that Tim Walker is behind the catalogue)

Am now inspired to combine my illustration with some Victorian Advertising cuts for an extra surreal dimension.

3. Research Dorothy Draper. This is one of the hotels she designed.
See this blog post.


4. After doing lots of sketches I scan my drawings plus some images from a catalogue of 19C Advertising cuts and put the image together in Photoshop.
Above is one of several sketches sent.
I liked the little Victorian man with the bowler hat chatting to the peacock. :-)


5. The team chooses this sketch but requests that I change the chandelier to a George Nelson bubble lamp and the old chair to an Arne Jacobson Egg Chair for a fun new + old mix.

6. I carry out the revisions plus also add a clock because I am a perfectionist.
This revision is approved. Ready to move onto colour.


7. I scan in all the paint chips. I then use the eye dropper in Photoshop to grab the hue and bring it into my illustration.

I chose to use a limited palette of blues + greens because this usually gives a more sophisticated look. The paint chip names are Wasabi, Pool, Trinity Blazer and Viburnum.

10. The team liked the 'colour family' but asked for me to switch around some colours.
Above is the Final approved image.

11. I then converted the file from RGB to CMYK and sent it off to the printer Pierre at Mural Unique where he did a great job of scaling it to 12.6 feet X 10 feet and then printing it out onto wallpaper strips.



12. Ta da.

Did anyone tape the IDS talks?

Um I am kinda miserable that I wasn't able to make it to the IDS talks on the weekend. Does anyone know if they were taped? I would really love to see the Q + A with Allegra Hicks + Amy Verner plus the talks by Arren Williams, Tommy Smythe, Suzanne Dimma ... well actually all of them! Please let me know. Thanks!

Press: A few more posts about the Style at Home booth

Michelle Carangi wrote a nice summary of the IDS for Poppytalk + Holley & Gill which included photos of the booth.

Here is the other side of the booth which featured by my Lime green slipper chair and Big Orange scissor prints on the salon wall + a very fun chandelier made out of paint cans!

In this pic you get a peek of the fabulous striped floor.

Web editor Lauren McPhillips also wrote a nice post which included some great photos of the whole booth.

Here is the fabulous round tufted bench (aka the Pouff!) which Margot had made by Whittington furniture and Robert Allen fabric. So delicious I could eat it.
Behind it is the very graphic Dorothy Draper Curio Cabinet from 1212 Decor.


This photo is terribly grainy but had to include as the stripey floor plus Arren Williams + Guest looked so cute.

IDS 11 Opening Night Party



Janet, Jennifer, and me


Me goofing around in front of my mural which I created for the Style at Home booth

More goofing with Margot Austin

The lovely Arren Williams with a fabulous orange pocket square
and one half of the talented Brothers Dressler duo.

John + Julie from Mjolk (what a gorgeous couple!)

Erin McLaughlin, Kevin Austin, and Vanessa Bottoni at the very colourful Style at Home Booth

and the wonderful + always dapper Tommy Smythe.
Just love those tortoise shell glasses.

The IDS Opening Night Party tonight was a complete blast.
Highlights included checking out the booths with pals Kim, Jenn, and Janet, enjoying the Thompson Hotel's mac and cheese, (yum) admiring Arren William's orange pocket square, goofing around with Margot + Kevin Austin and meeting Tommy Smythe.

ps. I will write a post on the process behind creating the mural in the next few days.