June 1st, 2013

Stencil Showcase Showoff!

The Saint Paul Bed and Breakfast

It’s Showcase season! That time of year when local houses of interest all over the country are transformed by teams of designers and talented artisans for a brief run of walkthroughs by local interior design enthusiasts. Showcase Houses are always so fun to tour, not only because the designers pull out all the stops to impress you, but there is generally a deserving charity involved, and often the chosen homes feature fabulous architecture and features that have seen better days. Artist Crista Maree Bartholomew, based in Minneapolis, MN,  recently became involved in a Showcase project near and dear to her own heart.  A historic building in her hometown, the Frank P. and Anna Shepard House, was in danger of being destroyed. The home is located in the Historic Hill Heritage Preservation District, which is characterized by the largest concentration of nineteenth-century architectural examples in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the last minute, the home was rescued by a couple who planned to convert it into both a private residence and a warm and comforting destination, The Saint Paul Bed & Breakfast.

The home has now been thankfully transformed by various designers for a premier interior design event, the ASID Showcase Home.  This historic 15,000 square foot brick Queen Anne Victorian mansion boasts 22 spaces, including four public suites.  Prior to the renovations, the home included 13 bedrooms, 14 baths and 6 fireplaces! This building has been an icon in St. Paul and Crista was honored to be chosen to work with designers in two separate projects and we are SO THRILLED that in both areas, she incorporated stencil patterns from both Royal Design Studio and Modello® Designs. Let’s take a little tour of our own through Crista’s painted spaces….

Chevron Stencil Pattern on Floor | Royal Design Studio Stencils | Project by Crista Maree

CRAFT ROOM & LAUNDRY FLOOR

Interior designer Kristen Sheikh of Bruit de la Mode, envisioned a fresh, youthful space with a little bit of quirkiness to help inspire creativity. She designed separate “zones”: the Laundry Room, Craft and Sewing space and a special area with access to the roof.  Challenged by the small room with three angled walls, Sheikh embraced the uniqueness of the space and its fantastic window feature. Crista was able to connect the spaces visually (and dramatically!) by stenciling the floor with a bold black and white chevron pattern.

Chevron Pattern Stenciled on Staircase Flooring | Royal Design Studio Stencil | Artist: Crista Maree

She used the large Modern Chevron Wall Stencil from the Allover Modern Stencils Collection in a two-tone finish. The floor is original to the home and was very uneven with wavy boards so when so after completing the bulk of the pattern with the stencil, she cut in to the edges using tape, and finished the work by hand. Now, who wouldn’t love to have a craft room like this?!

Fabulous Chevron Zig Zag Pattern on Flooring | Modern Chevron Wall Stencil by Royal Design Studio | Project by Crista Maree

PARLOR

The Parlor is a comfortable space where guests of the Bed & Breakfast can relax in multiple seating areas near the fireplace.  The designer, Karen Soojian of KSID Studio, LLC, selected a fresh, modern palette of white and off-whites with splashes of aqua to infuse the room with light, while warm cognac and sienna tones retain the elegance and honor the storied history of the home.

Contempo-Trellis-Stencil-on-Feature-Wall

The parlor walls are treated with Crista’s hand-tied Linen Plaster finish, which creates a subtle yet stunning backdrop for the Contempo Trellis Stencil from Royal Design Studio which she stenciled over the plaster in a subtle two-color palette.

Modello-Stencil-on-Ceiling

The gorgeous paneled ceiling becomes even MORE gorgeous with the addition of a large-scale decorative pattern. This is a Modello® Designs masking stencil, designed especially for this special space. It features five colors with metallic influences that coordinate beautifully with the wall stenciling, drapery and up0holstery fabrics.

Stenciled-Walls-and-Ceiling

The seemingly effortless mix of old, historic architecture and contemporary stencil patterns and design details works so beautifully here, it makes me long to see the rest of the house! This ASID Showcase Home will be open to the public in St. Paul, Minnesota, through June 9th, 2013 with The Saint Paul Bed & Breakfast officially opening on August 1, 2013.

You can find more of Crista’s beautiful work on her company website, Crista Maree, as well as her Facebook fan page.  We hope you’ve been inspired by her incredible use of stencils, finishes and color combinations! If you’d like even more inspiration, be sure to stop by our Royal Design Studio/Modello Designs Facebook fan page, Pinterest boards and Twitter stream for daily doses of pattern and design ideas!