Like many of my design heroes, Jocasta Innes is no longer with us. Jocasta Innes was a British journalist who wrote many books on interior decoration and paint finishes. I would venture to say she started the paint finish revolution of the 1980s with her book Paint Magic first published in 1981. Jocasta wrote books that were informative, inspirational and a joy to read. While they were full of ideas and techniques they read like stories. When I first came upon Paint Magic I was still a young student studying interior decoration and design. We had covered, and even in our prac classes, tried out many of the paint techniques, like stencilling and sponging and glazing, but our teachers while great technicians were not very creative when it came to how we might apply these finishes. Jocasta's book showcased beautiful and subtle examples by companies like Colefax and Fowler and painters like Graeme Carr. The book was a revelation to me and as each new edition came out I bought another one. Jocasta also wrote other books on interior decoration and I bought those as well. Each was entertaining but practical as well. She brought out stencils and paint techniques books with Stewart Walton and these were added to my library. I still refer to these when I want to check a technique or get some new inspiration. I have continued to introduce paint techniques to most of my design commissions and my own homes as well. Some you would hardly notice and others are focal points to a room. I have Jocasta to thank for all this. I have being making some cards and bits and pieces and I have posted the photos below. The boxes are stamped and embossed and the card uses foil and stamping. A little bit of fun to send to friends.
After what seemed a long and cold winter we have Spring. I love the flowers from this season and include a photo of our home grown Daffodils and Freisias sitting in one of my favourite blue and white vases.
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AuthorHi I am Elizabeth an interior designer who lives in Melbourne, Australia in a little Californian Bungalow cottage with my partner, Max, who is also an Interior Designer, and our beloved furry children, Doris & Ernest. I believe that design can make our lives more rewarding and productive. I love, architecture and design theory but my everyday passion is fabrics and decoration, as I don't think we should get too serious but have fun with our homes and enjoy the process of creating our own environments. I am interested in classic cars, and collect Georgian and Mid Century furniture. Archives
July 2018
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