Mural In A Morning Room

Make a statement

A mural can make a statement, and that’s exactly what my client wanted to do in an absolutely stunning room in a recent project.

Mural in a Morning room – a recent project

With windows to the front and back of the room which overlooks the garden, allowing plenty of light, both in the morning and later in the day and superb ceiling height and architectural features at both ends of the room, this was going to be a magical space. My client had claimed this room as herspace where she would enjoy entertaining her friends. She had specific ideas about what kind of atmosphere she wished the room to convey. 

Stylistically, she wanted a colonial-veranda-feel to the space and had an image in her mind similar to a cocktail lounge, such as those found at Raffles hotel in Singapore, or perhaps an art-deco suite similar to those at Claridge’s in London

Photo Credit Image Left : Claridge’s Hotel

Photo Credit Image Right : Raffles Hotel Singapore

I went through huge amounts of murals and drawings, etchings and historical building references, to find the right look and feel for the mural style, and interior décor including Eltham Palace for their Deco styling

Photo Credit: Eltham Palace

It became clear that my client’s original idea for jungle/palm tree-themed wallpaper was not compatible architecturally, and after dismissing other mural wallpapers as they would not fit around the arched windows for a variety of reasons, we decided that a bespoke, hand-painted mural would be the best option.

‘Painterly’ feel

We were looking for somebody to produce something with an etched, ‘painterly’ feel.  

We commissioned Nancy Daniell. After seeing some of her previous work, it was clear that her style was perfectly suited to our needs, and it seemed almost serendipitous that she was also based in the South of England.

Attention to detail

To give Nancy the best possible frame of reference for the space where she was to be working, I gave her an accurate elevation of the wall with the arched windows, which she could then print off to scale, allowing her to experiment with layout. She was also given the colour palette and references for the chair fabrics. 

Attention to detail is everything in interior design, so the more detailed the brief we were able to provide, the more likely the outcome would be exactly what we wanted. 

And Nancy was very much on the ball here too, drawing up a full-size section of a small area of the design, which allowed the clients to see the quality of paint and brushstrokes. 

Photo Credit: Nancy Daniell

This paid real dividends for us, as it was at this point that we decided that the mural should be entirely in sepia.  This took the artwork in a different direction than originally conceived, but the client loved the idea and gave it a big ‘thumbs up’.

The completed mural is now proudly displayed on Nancy’s website and you can see her journey here.

Photo credit @Matt Gamble

Other wonderful muralists

But whilst Nancy was the artist we selected as being the most suitable for this particular project, there are some other wonderful muralists whose work would be well worth a look if you are considering a mural for your own redesign project. 

My dear friend, Langton Green-based artist Louise Dean can be found here and if you are looking for a muralist who is equally happy working in both residential and commercial spaces, it might be worth considering Joanna Perry.  See some of her work at Joanna Perry Murals.

Nothing more striking

One thing I can say with certainty.  Whatever period, or style, of property you live in, if you are embarking on an interior design project and you have a large wall space which you think would make a perfect ‘showcase’, there is nothing more striking and eye-catching than a beautiful, hand-painted mural.

A well-conceived and executed mural will add visual interest and a sense of personality to a space. It can also create a specific atmosphere or mood, such as a serene or playful feeling, or be used to tell a story and/or highlight an interest in a particular theme, such as a location, a period in history or a favourite myth.

In this case, the mural and whole concept for the room was personally led by my client who is the perfect sociable country lady – who works tirelessly in her garden, is involved in local charities and needs the perfect space to entertain friends and colleagues.

I love creating homes that truly reflect the personality of those living in them. So, if you would like a hand creating your dream home or just want a second opinion, give me a call on 07773 372 158 or send me an email via nicky@nickypercival.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.

Nicky

For full project brief and design click here