Rustic Vase | Antique Brass Trinket Boxes | Dried Pampas Grass | Wool Throw | Marble Lotus Bowl | Icelandic Wool Blanket | Red Tortoiseshell Finish | Black Chinoiserie Table| Colorwash Glaze

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, so when you click the links and make a purchase, Billet Collins receives a commission.

The black and red accents in the guest room are so inviting! I’m ready unpack my suitcase! Can’t you just imagine cozying up with a cup of tea and a good book?

Cheers!

The post RED ACCENTS appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

Ginger Jar Lamps | Monkey Knots | Blue Tray | Seashell Bowl | Pillow 1 | Pillow 2 | Painted Woodgrain | Troweled Finish | Painted Gold Metallic

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, so when you click the links and make a purchase, Billet Collins receives a commission.

So many of our clients have recently moved or purchased a second home in Delaware. I’m keeping an eye out for that great seaside style that is relaxed and stylish, with hints of the big city and world traveler. Who is your favorite interior designer that I should look out for? Click over to Megan’s website to take a peek at her energetic mix of seaside and city design!

Cheers!

The post Naturally Classic Coastal Blues appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

[This article has affiliate links to some of our favorite books and inspiration. Clicking them helps give our studio a boost and earn a commission.]

We find inspiration in historic homes like those found in one of our favorite books you can purchase right here, The Swedish Room by Ursula Sjoberg.

FURNITURE

Painted furniture is essential to Gustavian style design. Dragged with soft antiqued colors, furniture, trim or cabinetry benefit from a hand painted finish. Add a pinstripe in an accent color or a metallic for some sparkle. Keep sheens to a minimum – no high gloss here. Seal furniture with a dead flat urethane, or apply a waxed finish. Find more ideas in our painted furniture portfolio.

Think about adding a gesso patina like on this monogrammed desk and the bedframe.

Take a look at this hall table for Marika Meyer Interiors. The top is painted with a faux mabre, the base has a sage green, gesso finish with silver leaf accents. Gustavian design celebrates hand painted finishes and faux finishes with exquisite style. You’ll find very painterly versions of faux marbre and faux bois (faux marble and faux wood). So, instead of a very literal style, Gustavian hand painting has a more poetic or artistic style. Painted marble can be more creative or dramatic than a real marble. 

FLOORING

Include painted floors or floorcloths in your Gustavian design. Patterns can be in natural wood tones and simplified designs, like this Octagonal Key floor. Here is a guide to help you get ready for painted floors, and to care for your floors after they’re painted, Guide To Spectacular Painted Floors.

Showcase your natural fiber rug with a border, like this gilded Greek Key painted for a Mary Douglas Drysdale project. You can see a peek of the Gustavian style flower in the field area of the floor.

Or make it more painterly like this 10′ floorcloth, above, in a soft red color designed to go under a formal dining room table. Floorcloths are easy to care for, find more here: How To Care For Your Canvas Floorcloth.

MURALS

A beautiful mural or hand painted walls will give your design real Swedish style. A botanical mural would be lovely with trailing branches and leaves, maybe a few birds.

Or paint the walls with a boiserie technique, by panelling the walls with hand painted borders. These accent walls are painted with pumped up colors for a more contemporary impact.

Add artistry to the architecture with a painted border like these doors or around a chandelier.

What do you have planned for your Gustavian design project? We’d love to see!

About Billet Collins

Hello and welcome to our studio! Billet Collins is a family owned and operated decorative painting studio located outside of metro Washington DC. We serve local interior designers as well as nationally. A lot of our work can be shipped. Our portfolio includes custom painted furniture, murals, hardwood floors, canvas floorcloths, gilding, fine art, and limited edition place settings.

You may have seen our work in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens, Veranda, Luxe, Home and Design Magazine, and even on HGTV. 

We are proud of our awards that not only point to our talents and skill as artists, but also to our professionalism. Best of Interior Design, ASID Grand Prize, Home & Design, and Gold List Luxe Magazine.

Subscribe to our newsletter for interior design spotlights, DIY tips, our favorite recipes, and ideas for creating a beautiful home that is uniquely your own.

The post How To Create The Perfect Gustavian Style Design For A Decluttered Home appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

Earthy Textures of Fall

Maybe you’ve enjoyed your blue dishes all summer long and wonder how to gracefully move into fall? No problem!

Take Kismet’s summery blue place setting and let it flex it’s jewel-colored muscles. The interior designer in you probably knows that blue and orange are opposite on the color wheel. That dynamic tension really delivers in this table scape set for fall.

Set the fall table with rich textures like a rattan placemat. Top it with Kismet dishes in traditional blue and white. Add a centerpiece with orange pumpkins, fall leaves and greenery, and sparkling metallic votives.

Enjoy an Indian summer by setting the table on your covered porch or patio.

Around The World Party Fall Party

How about hosting a party to reminisce about your travels? Or better yet, to plan your next adventure!

Set the table with shimmery gold chargers and linen napkins. The Kismet dishes are set off by my husband’s grandmother’s silver server. You probably noticed the artistic beaded edge on the dishes repeats the traditional bead pattern on the charger and silver server!

Include your travel mementos like a passport, or travel maps. I love flipping through my passport to see the national stamps from each country. Sometimes that border experience contains a few fun stories. We’re still laughing about the time my then 9 year old son Ian was renamed Jan when we entered Bolivia!

Now is a great time to pull out those souvenirs that you have collected. Use them in a beautiful centerpiece or at each place setting to get the conversation flowing.

Setting a fall table and hosting a travel theme is perfect for a book club party. Think about where the story took place and see if you can find a few travel tokens that will sweep you into the story!

The post 3 Ways To Set The Table For Fall appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

Landscape art is a classic style full of natural scenery like trees, streams, mountains, valleys and sometimes birds or animals. It is usually a wide view of the scene with possibly a vista that draws your eye.

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.”

Pablo Picasso

Barbara used a wide, horizontal canvas to paint this winter landscape. The subject matter of snow, a pathway wandering next to a stream and evergreens are part of the painting. There is a spiritual quality to the misty hills in the background that makes you pause and reflect on the scene. 

Landscape tradition like this work of art goes back a thousand years in Western painting. To give it a more contemporary vibe, Barbara used a simple palette of colors. 

In the decorative arts, we usually mix our colors by hand. The same is true here using artists paints, but to give you a rough idea how this piece would look in your house, pull out your Benjamin Moore fandeck.

Benjamin Moore Paint Colors

You can see the colors online on the Benjamin Moore website.

2135-40 Province Blue
2140-50 Gray Horse
2148-40 Light Khaki
2020-40 Yellow Rain Coat

It hangs over the fireplace in a formal living room on a paneled wall designed to fit the artwork perfectly.

Landscape Painting Dimensions

17.75” high x 41.75” wide.

What Is Custom Art?

The beauty of a custom fine art piece means the colors will match perfectly, the size will be just right. Online orders for custom fine art are available as well as high quality, giclee fine art prints. Send us a message to get started! 

What Is Live At 1:00?

While we’re practicing social distancing, we’ll be hopping online live every day to share delicious recipes and table settings to show you how to make your house party more beautiful! Join us at 1:00 on IGTV!

Stop over to say hello, ask a question or find out fun ways to elevate your interior design project! We’re showing you how to embrace #livingmybestlife #entertainingathome host a #houseparty and #surroundyourselfwithart

The post Live at 1:00 #2 | Landscape Painting appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

We’re at a weird time right now for parties. Many states have started to reopen after the quarantine, but everyone is still recommending social distancing.

How do you host a party with social distancing? Or even virtually? Here are some outdoor party ideas to get you started on a safe and fun party with friends, or for just the family!

Invitations

No matter what size of party you’re planning, sending an invite gives everyone something to look forward to, and sets expectations. Make sure to include a few details so guests know how to participate. If this is a zoom party, send the link to the party. If you are asking guests to come in person, remind them of any social distancing. Let them know this is an outdoor party. Invite guests to wear their holiday themed masks and clothes to make it feel even more festive.

Go Ahead And Decorate

Nothing says party more than a well designed table setting. Pull out your red, white and blue for Memorial Day. Here we’ve paired Kismet dishes in classic blue and white porcelain with brilliant red cotton napkins. The fine china is made more casual by adding bamboo trays, rustic iron utensils, and hand blown glasses.

Red, white and blue is perfect for today, Independence Day or Veterans Day celebrations. We set the table with a simple white tablecloth and covered with with butcher paper. We made sure to give the kids crayons to play tic-tac-toe and doodle.

I’ve always wanted American Flag bunting on the porch railing, and this year I splurged! I think it just shouts Memorial Day and 4th of July!

Social Distance Porch Party

Social distancing is easier with more space. Set tables and chairs out in the yard or on a covered porch to help guests have a place to perch. Or throw open the garage doors and host your party there for shade or a drizzle.

Grab A Tray

Set the table with pretty, pre-set trays for a gracious table. Not only is it beautiful, it’s also makes serving easy. Guests can simply grab their tray without having to touch napkins or silverware. Let them know they can fill their plates and sit at the recommended distance by sitting at one of the stations you have set up in the yard or porch. Aren’t you clever!

Individual Serving Size Menu

Plan a menu with individual serving sizes. If you’re hosting a potluck, ask guests to bring individually wrapped or prepackaged items to the outdoor party.

• Skip the big bowl of chips and opt for the variety pack of individually sized chips.
• Allow each guest to go to the grill to get their burger instead of a big serving platter.
• Serve bottled water or drinks.
• Serve cupcakes instead of slices of cake.
• Have individual hand sanitizers available.

Party Games

What about entertaining these people, or just your selves? Well we have some outdoor party ideas for games and activities too!

• Create an outdoor mural with sidewalk chalk, or homemade chalk paint.
• Set the stage for an outdoor movie.
• Get the campfire roaring for a sing-along and toasting marshmallows.

More Party Ideas

Looking for more ideas for entertaining at home, or setting a beautiful table? Head over to our IGTV Channel for how-to ideas that will make your next party tons of fun!

The post Outdoor Party Ideas That Celebrate Summer! appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

Wait…What? Chickpeas?! Yes. Trust me.

The unusual ingredient list caught my eye first with this Joy Bauer recipe. Joy was sharing her remix recipe on the Today Show. She has the best remixes. I tried the blondies…so good! They are delightfully exotic and satisfying. Now it is firmly in our dessert rotation. Scroll down for the recipe.

House Party

The table setting today was set with the Kismet custom fine china dishes in Saffron to enhance that orange zest in the blondie recipe. Urban Country was kind enough to share a few decor elements with us to make our table setting more of a celebration. I love the modern lines of their gray wood tray and lemony scented candle is perfect for gifting.

Ingredients

• 1 15 1/2 oz can chick peas
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons dried chamomile tea flowers (about 5 tea bags)
• 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter 8″ x 8″ baking dish.
• Place all ingredients, except chocolate chips and pecans, in food processor.

• Blend until smooth and creamy.
• Fold in chocolate chips and chopped pecans.

• Pour into baking dish. The batter should be thick, so spread it and smooth top.
• Bake 30-35 minutes.
• Allow the blondies to cool for 20 minutes and cut into squares.

Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy a delicious Orange Chamomile Blondie that are just a little bit healthier for you than that box mix you’ve been avoiding.

Make your moment even more special with a pretty table setting and the good dishes. Go ahead and get the fresh flowers, or pick them from your garden. Every day is a little celebration.

What Is Live at 1:00?

While we’re practicing social distancing, we’ll be hopping online live every day to share delicious recipes and table settings to show you how to make your house party more beautiful! Join us at 1:00 on IGTV!

Stop over to say hello, ask a question or find out fun ways to elevate your interior design project! We’re showing you how to embrace #livingmybestlife #entertainingathome host a #houseparty and #surroundyourselfwithart

About Billet Collins

Hello and welcome to our studio! Billet Collins is a family owned and operated decorative painting studio located outside of metro Washington DC. We serve local interior designers as well as nationally. A lot of our work can be shipped. Our portfolio includes custom painted furniture, murals, hardwood floors, canvas floorcloths, gilding, fine art, and limited edition place settings.

You may have seen our work in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens, Veranda, Luxe, Home and Design Magazine, and even on HGTV. 

We are proud of our awards that not only point to our talents and skill as artists, but also to our professionalism. Best of Interior Design, ASID Grand Prize, Home & Design, and Gold List Luxe Magazine.

Subscribe to our newsletter for interior design spotlights, DIY tips, our favorite recipes, and ideas for creating a beautiful home that is uniquely your own.

The post Live at 1:00 #24 | Orange Chamomile Blondies appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

Wonderful airy spaces are so delightful. But they have their design challenges. Sometimes an open concept floorplan leaves a room feeling ungrounded. There are several ways to remedy that. How about an accent wall?

But not just any old accent wall. We collaborated with SLD Interiors to create this gorgeous botanical mural in beautiful warm hues. Click the SLD Interiors website to see the rest of the house.

The Accent Wall Mural

The dining room was just the right size. SLD used this generously sized dining room table that fits so nicely in here. Lots of space, but not a strong sense of place. We were called in to help out with the accent wall.

An accent wall mural leaves the rest of the open concept floorplan undisturbed. It gives the table a wonderful anchor that draws guests in to the room.

Personalized Interior Design

The mural was for a vacation home in Colorado. Why not include plants and animals that celebrate the state? We made sure to include the state bird (the lark bunting) and tree (blue spruce) to remind guests of their location, and as a unique conversation piece. Design like this creates the personalized interior design that our clients are looking for.

Botanical murals like these usually start with a color rendering like the one above. It gives us a chance to see the whole project at once and make any adjustments before we move on to the full scale sample. Below is a pic of Roberta painting in the finishing touches right before the mural got shipped to its new home!

What Is Live at 1:00?

While we’re practicing social distancing, we’ll be hopping online live every day to open our portfolio to a new theme. Join us weekdays at 1:00 on IGTV!

Stop over to say hello, ask a question or find out fun ways to elevate your interior design project! We’re showing you how to embrace #livingmybestlife #entertainingathome and #surroundyourselfwithart

The post Live at 1:00 #14 | Accent Walls, Murals and Open Floorplans appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

In case you missed it, Architectural Digest posted a very cool article, The Fine Art Of Painted Furniture. We were psyched to jump on board with some of our hand painted samples to help designers bring a pop of personality to a space.

We love seeing the flatlay photos of designer story boards and thought it would be fun to pull out our samples and show them off. Follow the links to the designer pages to see the final rooms.

This is how we used some of those samples as finished (or almost finished) projects. Each piece is like a blank canvas for designers to add the fine art of painted furniture.

Art Of Painted Furniture Finishes

These unusual mirror frames were designed by Iantha Carley. She asked for a pretty shagreen faux finish in gray-green. You have to imagine the sparkle of the mirror against the leather-like shagreen finish. It was fun to see something other than the expected wood graining on the frames.

The mirrors were hung as a group which gave them an even stronger impact. Check out Iantha’s Great Falls project to see the mirrors installed.

Color Crush

A beautifully painted piece of furniture can really be the artwork in a room. Malachite is a particularly beautiful finish that we’ve tried in many different colors. But this traditional green malachite for a DC Design House fundraiser was pretty spectacular. The room colors were subtle except for this pop of color that pulled guests into the room. Head over to Marika Meyer Interiors to see the finished dining room.

Modern Art

The fine art of furniture can be as hip and funky as your tattoo or a tag of graffiti art. Danziger Design took a step in that direction with this dining room sideboard. Instead of following convention and painting the sideboard with an expected finish with detailing just on the architecture of the piece, Wendy agreed to whomp up the pattern scale and splash it across the entire piece for an elegant modern style. Check out more of Danziger Design dining rooms here.

Add Patina with Gesso

Gesso is like a chalk texture that adds interest and age to the art of painted furniture. You’ll see it a lot in traditional fine art. It’s a great way to take a brand new piece and give it the luster of an antique. Gesso is the perfect meium to imply layers of paint for a Swedish or Gustavian finish, like these pieces for Marika Meyer Interiors. Click here to see them installed.

What Is Live At 1:00?

While we’re practicing social distancing, we’ll be hopping online live every day to open our portfolio to a new theme. Join us weekdays at 1:00 on IGTV!

Stop over to say hello, ask a question or find out fun ways to elevate your interior design project! We’re showing you how to embrace #livingmybestlife #entertainingathome and #surroundyourselfwithart

Get more ideas for Architectural Digest.

The post Live At 1:00 #22 | The Fine Art Of Painted Furniture appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.

Historic Finishes

Chinoiserie is an historic method of painting Chinese style designs on Western furniture. It was particularly popular in the 18th century. Now it’s a classic.

Chinoiserie can be painted in any color, but you’ll probably recognize the traditional palettes of blue and white, red and white, green and gold or this black and gold.

Chinoiserie Furniture

This sample in black and gold was for a built in bar for JD Ireland. The bar was a simple hall of cabinets. A little uninteresting. JD Ireland had big plans for this space! He sent us the elevations of the bar for us to create a custom sample board which got quickly approved.

The cabinets were first painted a satin black which was pretty and sophisticated, but missing something on it’s own.

By adding the Chinoiserie style gold lining and figures, we added so much character to the built in bar. Each cabinet door was painted with a different vignette to make it even more interesting and complex. The bar became quite stunning and more a piece of art than a utilitarian space.

Accent Pieces

Chinoiserie pieces are nice to sprinkle around in the interior design. It adds a sense of history and character. If you don’t have a built in bar or large piece of furniture to try it out on, start with little boxes, a bowl or on an accent table.

What is Live at 1:00?

While we’re practicing social distancing, we’ll be hopping online live every day to open our portfolio to a new theme. Join us weekdays at 1:00 on IGTV!

Stop over to say hello, ask a question or find out fun ways to elevate your interior design project! We’re showing you how to embrace #livingmybestlife #entertainingathome and #surroundyourselfwithart

The post Live at 1:00 #21 | Chinoiserie Furniture appeared first on Billet Collins Decorative Painting Studio.