algarvearticles

by Ian Bevan

There is a vast array of decorative products and services available to
transform the home into a true reflection of personal style.
Whether searching for the right furniture or a piece of art or fabric to complete the look, there is plenty out there to satisfy a kaleidoscope
of tastes.

There are, however, other avenues for the decorative process to take which can add a highly original aspect to any home and transform the dullest of rooms into an unusual blend of colour and form.

Mural or fresco paintings provide an exiting new dimension to house decoration utilising images directly from the imagination for personal delectation -and can add a splash of humour to serious, formal, interior design. They have the added advantages of disguising unsightly imperfections in building design and brightening up dingy corners.

After working in the world of fashion and furnishing fabric design in London until the late 80´s I decided to exchange the busy streets of the metropolis for the rolling hills of the Eastern Algarve, an area at that time was something of a “design desert”. My Algarve interior design projects opened my eyes to the dearth of interest in most of the houses I visited, evident in their flatness and lack of colour. Designing furniture and taking painting commissions for a variety of homes soon gave way to a much more artistically rewarding interior design work: mural painting.

A boring flat wall can be turned into a burst of interest and colour by painting a highly effective trompe lòeil which in turn adds great character to a location. Narrow hallways can suddenly become talking points, with Roman statues effectively painted on the walls, giving an impression of depth and greater space. Indoor swimming pools can suddenly be lapping at the edge of the African savannah, watched over by a host of exotic plants and animals. Bathrooms can look out onto colourful seascapes, populated with pirates and palm trees if you wish. Plain ceilings can be made to come alive as tropical rainforests tumble lavishly down the walls. Dull dead-ends can be miraculously given stunning views out to sea, or over hills and beyond if you so desire. Monkeys could sit idly, as if observing. Birds could flutter above your head and grapevines can twist their way around the contours of rooms.

 With mural art everything is possible. You can let your imagination run wild. Mural art varies considerably in its complexity. From colour washes, where plain walls can be made into marble or given coloured texture to make them infinitely more interesting, to the creation of swathes of fake stone masonry, where intricate stone carvings, columns and designs appear on walls made of imaginary blocks.

By using mural art, fake windows can disguise a dull corner, and clever designs can hide ugly fittings,and plain concrete posts can become plant pots oozing with colour. Mural art can be almost magical and as a result many of my clients entrust their whole house to artistic whimsy. A décor can be created that is not only exclusive, but which panders to expatriates´ desires to experiment with more daring decoration ideas than they ever would have considered back home. Mural Art adds that special something to any home, bringing the”design desert”  to life and addind an elevating element of style and humour.

Ian Bevan studied interior design and printed textiles at Bradford School of Art, worked in fashion and furnishing fabric design in London and has been happily settled in the Algarve since the late 80`s. Examples of his latest Mural Art commissions with
explanatory photographs can be found at www.ianbevanart.com

Article Source :   www.algarvearticles.com/?p=325