Tag Archives: Wall Mural

Lux Mid-Century Remodel at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea

930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Xeriscaping at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Great Room at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Dining Room at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Great Room at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Kitchen at  930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Original Mural at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Pool and Gazebo at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Outdoor Shower at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Pergola at  930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier

This lux mid century remodel at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea has been a labor of love for over a decade.  And if you’re a friend or client, then you know that this is also my personal weekend retreat away from Los Angeles, and my artist studio.

After selling my condo in L A, I was looking for a new place to call home.  Demuth Park in South Palm Springs became my new home away from home. I won’t lie to you, I’ve invested so much more money into this home than I ever imagined, but when you’re fresh out of design school at UCLA and obsessed with detail, you simply have no other choice.

I started by removing every piece of landscaping except  for the palm tree in the front yard. The fruit trees in the back yard were replaced with drought resistant Palo Verde trees. The front lawn was replaced with Ocotillos and Barrel Cactus. And that traditional sidewalk up to the front door was replaced with 36 x 36 concrete pavers placed on the diagonal from the driveway… who needs pesky salesmen walking right up to your front door so easily, right? The dilapidated wooden gates and walls were replaced with corrugated metal, or cinderblock, to better withstand the summer heat. And when I replaced the rickety pergola on the north side of the home, I expanded it to wrap down onto the cinderblock wall,  creating an additional private patio for outdoor dining or reading. I added a 12 x 12 concrete slab in the back yard for a gazebo, just steps away from the out door shower that I also added. Nothing better than jumping out of the pool from swimming laps, then rinsing off outdoors, clothing optional of course.

When it came to redoing the interior, my sledgehammer and I had so much fun. I opened up the wall leading into the kitchen, and while doing so, discovered that a dropped ceiling had been added in the 70’s to modernize the kitchen. In one afternoon I was able to completely pull it down, exposing the original ceiling,  still intact. I removed the hallway closet behind the kitchen, and closed up the odd pass through to the bedroom. Voila,  I doubled the size of the kitchen in one afternoon!

The guest bedroom had been equally chopped up, so I reconfigured it by removing a tiny closet and adding a new back door for patio access in it’s place. The old back door was walled off, and became the outdoor shower. The little tool room became the new walk-in closet complete with a washer and dryer.

The master suite bathroom had a very dated and non-functioning jacuzzi tub, remember those?  I replaced it with a large walk-in shower  made from tumbled travertine and chocolate frosted glass tiles... the contractor hated working with those materials, but it turned out stunningly well.

Some of the other boring, but expensive items I replace included: a new roof, new ac unit and duct work, energy efficient double-pane windows, and 18 x 18 tiles through out the home to unify the flow from room to room.

More recently I installed  ceiling fans and low voltage halogen lighting. The later was a must since I opened my home to the public for Modernism Week 2014 , showcasing all of my original oil paintings that you see in the photos above. I even created that butterfly wall mural as part of a youtube video to promote the event at my home.

All good things must come to an end, so this home will be put on the market shortly. It’s time for me to move onto to another project… maybe an Art Deco inspired pied-a-terre in the city?

I’m including a few images below  to show you some of the before and afters… after all, isn’t that always the best issue of Architectural Digest! Oh, and in case you’re wondering about the rock wall in front of the house painted high gloss white… I faux painted it to look like natural rock again.

930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Before and After at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Before and After at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Before and After at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Before and After at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Before and After at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Master Bathroom Remodel at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier
Master Bathroom Remodel at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier
930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
Before and After at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier

 NOW ON THE MARKET, VIEW THE LISTING HERE….

Coit Tower Murals in San Francisco

Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Mural at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Plack at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Plaque at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier

I discovered the Coit Tower Murals in San Francisco by accident… I know, sounds weird, right.

It was Christmas Day of 2014 and I’d decided to have an anti-Christmas. Instead of spending time with my family, I opted for a road trip. It’s not that I don’t love my family, I do… no really, I do. It’s just that Christmas Day 2013 was spent in hospice caring for my mother who was losing her battle with lung cancer. It was a grueling holiday for all of us. So this year I decided not to put any pressure on myself, or my sisters, and simple travel where the wind took me. It was a day with absolutely no commitments to anyone, with the exception of dropping my boyfriend off at the San Francisco Airport at 6:30 a.m.  I know it may sound selfish, but I wasn’t sure how much I could handle emotionally, and driving the empty streets of San Francisco was just what I needed. There’s so much beautiful architecture in the city, and I had a complete blast driving, discovering, and photographing what I found.

Towards the later part of the afternoon I found myself near Fisherman’s Wharf. I looked up the hill and saw the Coit Tower. How could I have not seen this  before on previous visit’s to the City?  I turned my car towards the tower, and wound my way to the top of Telegraph Hill. I easily nabbed a parking space in their very small parking lot at the base of the tower. It was a stellar cold and clear day, and the views from the grounds were breathtaking.  I followed the other tourists towards the back of the building, snapping photos as I walked.  I stepped around two tourists who’d stopped to photograph something. Then, as I looked back over my shoulder, I saw what they were looking at.  It stopped me cold in my tracks. It was the most glorious orange and brown butterfly.  You see, as my sisters were cleaning out our mom’s belongings last year, they were  constantly discovering little glittery butterflies in her craft room  cabinets and drawers. Thus, whenever they see a butterfly, they’re reminded of our mom. And here I was, standing on top of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, with this exquisite butterfly.  Try as I may to escape the memories of my previous Christmas, I was faced with this elegant little  reminder of my mother.  I snapped a few pics and sent them to my sisters… mom was with me.

Once around the back of the building, I looked through the locked glass doors and discovered the Murals of the Coit Tower. As I researched the murals for this article, I discovered that there were several more that I wasn’t able to see… 27 in all. Each created by a different on-site artist under the auspices of the Public Works of Art Project in 1933.  The murals of the first floor (shown above) are about industry and commerce, depicting people grim with purpose  trying to make their way amid the struggle and strife of the Great Depression.

The second floor murals have been largely hidden from the public for nearly 80 years, until recently. Having undergone intensive restoration, every effort is being made to give scheduled docent tours of 4-8 people at a time. The viewing area is extremely tight due to the narrow stairway that is only as wide as the tower itself.  I hope that on my next visit to San Francisco, I can schedule one of these tours of the second floor murals. By the way, if you’re ever photographing something through a  window, press your phone or camera right up to the glass, and you’ll avoid getting the reflective glare from the glass… you’re welcome.

Tourists at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Tourists at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Butterfly at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier
Butterfly at Coit Tower, San Francisco, Photo Romi Cortier

Surrealist Inspired Wall Mural

Room Prior to Surrealist Wall Mural
Room Prior to Surrealist Wall Mural
Surrealist Mural, Creating the composition
Surrealist Mural, Creating the composition
Tracing the Branch before Painting the Surrealist Wall Mural
Tracing the Branch before Painting the Surrealist Wall Mural
Painting the Branches of the Surrealist Mural
Painting the Branches of the Surrealist Mural
Painting the Clouds of the Surrealist Wall Mural
Painting the Clouds of the Surrealist Wall Mural
Surrealist Wall Mural, Concept and Completion by Romi Cortier
Surrealist Wall Mural, Entry Hall Landing, Concept and Completion by Romi Cortier

This is the Surrealist Inspired Wall Mural that I painted in 2008, Inspired by LACMA’s 2006 Rene Magritte exhibit: Magritte and Contemporary Art: The Treachery of Images. 

Surrealism can be defined as Contradictions of Dream and Reality, including the element of Surprise, Unexpected Juxtapositions and Non Sequitur. My objective with this mural was to turn a second floor indoor entry landing, into an area that felt like it might be outdoors, complete with tree branches and floating clouds. However, based on a few of the previous Youtube comments regarding this mural, some viewers felt that the mural wasn’t Surrealism at all, at least not in the way that they know it. Think Salvador Dali’s Melting Clocks, or Max Ernst‘s Les Hommes n’en Sauront, known as the first Surrealist Painting. Yes, those images are classic Surrealism. I simply wanted this little landing to feel like it might be floating in the palest of blue skies, with a few clouds and tree branches surrounding it. I believe that meets the definition of Surrealism.  It’s so easy for people to be ‘armchair activists’ or ‘arm chair art critics’ then to actually go out into the world and create something. To quote a friend of mine:  sometimes you have to consider which horses ass it’s coming from, and take it with a grain of salt. 

Therefore, let me tell you how I created this Surrealist Inspired Wall Mural. Notice how saturated the ecru or burnt carmel color is. Before I could traverse the color wheel and go to a pale blue based color for the wall, it was very important to prime the wall with two coats of primer. If I didn’t, the wall could look green. Color wheel basics that we hopefully learned in school: when you mix blue and yellow, you get green. So starting with a pure palette of white was key to making this mural successful. After the wall was primed, I used one of my favorite colors: Brains Song by Dunn Edwards. It has just enough violet in it to give the pale blue more life, with out looking lavender. I then traced a tree branch with a basic number 2 pencil, in various arrangements on the wall. I took another color by Dunn Edwards, Cavern, and diluted it with water to make it easier to paint within the lines of the pencil. I used a small tipped brush from the art store that was more firm than a paint brush you’d find at a traditional house paint store such as Dunn Edwards or Home Depot. Once that was finished, I started on the clouds at the top of the room. Again I took traditional white house paint and diluted it with water. Then I used one of those cheap ‘chip’ brushes from home depot (I like how airy and light the density of the bristols are) and used that to apply the paint in a very thin and diffused manner. Blending was key to make the clouds look soft.

After I finished the mural, I set the table with some of my favorite China by Bernardaud. Fine French porcelain always has a place in my home, and makes the simplest of meals look great… yes, I’ve even served my friends Pizza on my Fine China. They laugh, but they love it.  As far as I’m concerned, anytime a friend is over for dinner, it’s a special event.

Follow this link to learn more about Bernardaud‘s 150 year history and see more of their exquisite Fine China.

 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Wall Mural

 

DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Creating the Wainscot
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Framing the Flowers
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Painting the Flowers
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, The Big Reveal
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, The Big Reveal

I created this DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired wall mural for a client who was converting a second bedroom into a home office. The ‘Mackintosh Roses’ are the focal point of the mural, with added geometric patterning to balance the composition.  The white lines also feel a bit like a wainscot, which work to frame the chairs that I found at the GoodWill for $10. One of my favorite tricks in a small room is to paint one of the walls darker than the others. It seems to draw your eye to the outer corners of the room, making it feel larger that it really is. I was able to easily complete this mural in just a few hours.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret McDonald were hugely influential in creating a modern esthetic in Glasgow Scotland,  in a time when Victorianism was all the rage. Their rooms with clean white geometric lines were a stark contrast to the dark baroque inspired furniture of that era.  Some of their masterpieces include the  Willow Tearooms, the Hill House Residence and of course the Glasgow School of Art.

Art Deco Wall Mural

I created this Art Deco Wall Mural for a home in LA’s Miracle Mile, known as one of the premiere Art Deco areas of the city. The beautiful yellow and black tile already existed and my challenge was to find a way to embrace the vintage tile, while  also  accentuating the verticality of the space. My inspiration came from the Desmond’s Department store which could be viewed from the Dining Room Window of the home. I  chose shades of yellow, silver and gray to compliment the rooms existing palette and vintage mirror. This was one of my more complex murals, but the end product was quite stunning.