Blurred Boundaries

Continuing with lacquered walls...

Something that never ceases to capture my attention are rooms in which the walls, trim, and ceiling are all painted in the same color and the same finish. The effect is one which is often likened to a "jewel box", an apt description that unfortunately has become hackneyed as of late. Still, rooms painted in this manner do have a dramatic flair to them, don't you think? The planes of the room seemed to become blurred so that you feel like you're wrapped in a cocoon of color.

For me, the most memorable jewel box rooms are those that have been painted in dark, saturated color. Just look at the Los Angeles living room of designer Helen Partello, above. Wow, is that a room or what?? But, those rooms that have been bathed in lighter shades of yellow or pink are certainly just as charming. And I believe that I prefer for the walls and ceiling to have a high gloss or lacquered finish. All of that light bouncing around the room helps to soften the look. A matte finish, at least to me, seems to make a room feel like a dead zone. But that's just me.


It looks like Jan Showers chose a sang de boeuf color for this richly appointed library. The walls and ceiling really have a sheen, don't they?


Yes, the color may be a bit pale (it's corn-yellow), but the lacquered finish is what packs a punch in this room. The ceiling looks wet. This 1930s room was decorated by Jack Killick.


According to the book from which this photo came, the "deep flesh pink" walls and ceiling are a matte finish. Drawing room decorated by John Hill for Messrs. Green & Abbott, Ltd.


I know that this room is far more contemporary than anything I usually show, but it's a great example of not really being able to tell where the walls end and the ceiling begins. (New York apartment of Arthur Ferber.)

(Image #1 from Architectural Digest California Interiors; #2 from Glamorous Rooms by Jan Showers, Jeff McNamara photographer; #3 and #4 from Colour Schemes for the Modern Home by Derek Patmore; #5 from Architectural Digest New York Interiors)