The Wonderful World of Fornasetti!

Piero Fornasetti was an Italian painter, sculptor and interior decorator.  He was born in 1913 and passed in 1988.  In the 1940's he created more than 11,000 items, many featuring the face of a woman, operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri, as his main motif.  He heavily used black and white colors, the sun and time as his main frame.  His style is reminiscent of Greek and Roman architecture.

Today it is most common to see Fornasetti's style in fashion and room accessories; such as scarves, lamps, furniture and china plates.  His unique wallcovering designs are bold, timeless and inspiring.

Here is a small sample of his work.

Here is a colorful example of his use of faces.  Notice the focus on the eyes. Stunning!

We just used this wallcovering for a fabulous oceanfront property, in a powder room.  Fab!

Look at this stunning depiction of the opera house. Notice the extensive use of black and white.



  These and other fine wallcoverings are available from Cole and Son, fine wallcoverings.
The Four Walls Wallcoverings and design carries a full line of Cole and Son products.
Happy decorating!

Best, Robin

INEXPENSIVE FALL DECORATING IDEAS

Decorating for fall means rich colors, warm, printed throws and a welcome feeling of coziness. No other season can boast this feeling.


Bring the outdoors in by filling unused and decorative jars with colorful branches from your back yard, or even your local florist.

Hello fall!  Add a festive welcome mat to your front door step, with wonderful fall color tones. Fab!  Don't forget to add pumpkins to the entry way as well.  Pumpkins always say... FALL!  The kids will have fun decorating them too!

Decorate your entryway with topiaries, pumpkins and fresh fall foliage.  This example shows an evenly distributed blast of fall colors on both sides of the door. Stunning!

Inside decorating is a snap with some candles, dried fall flowers and a few pumpkins. Remember, don't be afraid to decorate, AND bring in the kids and have some family fun!


    HAPPY FALL DECORATING!




                                                              Best,  

                                                                       Robin

What about that contractor??? They did what????

Welcome blog readers!

We've all heard that question before.  have we not?  Picking a contractor can be one of the most daunting and nerve wracking tasks facing interior designers and clients alike.

Over the past 31 years of being in the industry, many of my clients have come in with horrifying war stories about their experiences with contractors.  In addition, many designers have also told me some good ones!  When my mother Sheila founded The Four Walls 48 years ago, she instilled upon me the importance of affiliating with reliable, honest contractors, who would represent the store well.  Over the years, since I have owned the store, I have maintained that axiom.

Although I'm not saying that every contractor is without a flaw or two, The Four Walls is committed to the outright satisfaction of the client's needs.  The prerequisites of a good recommendation from The Four Walls are skilled technical capabilities, fabulous communication skills between client and contractor, reliability, punctuality, cleanliness, respect for the client's property and dedication to fair-pricing.  These are some of the requirements needed for a successful design project.

In addition to the contractor prerequisites, the client must also have some responsibility.  They must openly and clearly communicate their needs to the contractor BEFORE the project begins.  Deadlines, any possible issues and/or concerns are just some examples.

Keep in mind that contractors will be in your home for a period of time and preparation and trust are paramount to the success of any good design project!!!

Keep in mind, you can always call me with questions or concerns about YOUR project.  Have fun decorating!


Best,

Robin

Not Done With Summer Yet Folks!!!

Hello Blog readers.  

We have just transitioned our display window for you.  Look closely at our photo.  You'll notice that our beach coral is sporting fall colors.  After your boat has docked and your beach house is closed for the season, come to The Four Walls and allow us to show you our new fall collections!

As you know, we carry a full line of wallcoverings, upholstery, fabrics and window treatment concepts.  We look forward to seeing you soon!  


Best,

      Robin

Wallcovering courtesy of Sanderson &Son.

Chinoiserie design by Sanderson

Coral and bird patterns by Sanderson

Weathervanes Not Just For The Outside Anymore!

Hello blog readers!  

The following is from New England Home Magazine:

Weathervanes, move them into the home:

Ah, the weathervane. Traditionally known for predicting weather on barns, churches and homes, since the 1800's, these iconic pieces of art are now being used as interior design elements. Think a cow on the kitchen table instead of flowers. Use a rooster on the mantle in place of that painting of Great Aunt Matilda. Try the dresser, the hallway, even the bathroom. New England Weathervane Shop has the largest collection of working antique weathervane molds in the country. From historic to custom, traditional to modern, our 100% copper weathervanes are crafted by hand, the old fashioned way: First hammered into molds, hand trimmed and soldered. So, if you're looking for a new piece of art, think outside the cupola!

I found these beautiful and classic weathervanes featured in New England Home Magazine. They are the product of New England Weathervane CO.  They may be contacted by either;

TEL:     978-815-6189     or     Email:     news1853@gmail.com

Are We Vain?

Hi blog readers!

Hope you are enjoying your summer thus far! Today let's talk about one of my favorite items: mirrors for the home. Not that we are vain and like to look at ourselves, but I find decorative mirrors have always made a great statement in room design. One of my faves is a company called Carvers Guild. These wonderful mirrors are made in the United States and are available through interior designers. They are simply unique and a matter of fact, I have used them in my own home, and my client's as well. These hand made gilded mirrors are great for any space. For a recent design project a Carvers Guild mirror was the added touch in a powder room!

With that said, hang a fabulous mirror in your home and, oh by the way, being a little "design vain" is a good thing!!

Happy decorating and enjoy you summer folks!
Best,
Robin

Not a lost room!!

Hi blog readers!

Hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July holiday.

This post is about my favorite room to decorate, the dining room! It is the room in the home where family gathers for holidays or just for an informal dinner. When designing client's dining areas I really like it to be informal not over done or too fussy. It shouldn't feel like a place that is unused in every day life. If you feel like making it more formal take out your fine china and silver.

I personally have china that I use every day. Having a dining room that never gets used is a wasted space, so put out some nice china, silverware and informal table linens and invite some family and friends over for dinner!  Oh, don't forget candles!

Happy decorating!
With all the best,
Robin

Client dining room which features Farrow and Ball Wallcovering