My Days As A Decorator

My husband and I once owned a decorating business, Centre Decor Hudson, which we sold in 1993 and is still in operation today. This is how it looked in the walpaper section in 1990, flowery and flouncy. I was influenced at that time by the styles of Colefax and Fowler as well as by the trend toward decorative painting as promoted by Jocasta Innes and many others.











This wall divided the "pretty" section of our store from the paint-and -hardware supplies. I painted it as a rock wall using oil glazes and conte sticks. When the fancy frames were sold I added something else to the wall.


















Here's a custom-finished pedestal next to the wall. The tiny flowers remain my only attempt to paint detail at floor level. It was too uncomfortable to paint while sprawled on my stomach.


















Faux-marbre finishes were becoming popular then so I tried my hand at it on this Duncan Phyfe table. There are more than 12 coats of paint here, including primer, artist's oils and spar varnish with LOTS of sanding in between.


















Later I decided to paint a trompe-l'oeil scene on that wall. People would come in and touch it, amazed at how real it looked.













People began hiring me to paint on their walls and furniture.













And so began my career as a decorative painter...I painted this dresser top with roses and ribbon using artist's oil paints.