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| PATINA INTRODUCES NEW POMPEII COLLECTION! |
June brings the much-anticipated introduction of a magnificent new line of fine, hand crafted furniture from Patina, Inc.
Designed by Ann Graham and inspired by antiques in her collection, Patina’s exciting new Pompeii line of furniture is made up of 12 pieces including the Palestrina Day Bed, Capri Mirror, Salerno Bench and Settee, Cicero Chair and the Frascati Coffee Table.
The clean, classical lines of the pieces reflect the sophisticated taste
and needs of residents of a seaside resort, such as Pompeii, in ancient Roman times.
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The Palestrina Day Bed is our 18th century equivalent of the sleeper sofa. It works as well against the wall, as it does ‘floating’ in a room.
The Cicero Chair is our version of the Bergere chair, a popular form of upholstered easy chair. The upholstered pieces with their loose down pillows are a dramatic
departure for Patina and are particularly complimented by our exclusive selection of beautiful Rubelli fabrics.
The Collection will be available for viewing in our showrooms later this summer and will soon be featured on our web site. |
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| CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
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USA
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EUROPE
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| May 14 - June 26 -- |
September 25 - 28 -- |
| Street of Dreams |
Decorex
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| Big Canoe, Georgia* |
London, England* |
| June 13 - 15 -- |
September 2005 -- |
| Neocon The Merchandise Mart |
Patina Italia Showroom Opening |
| Chicago* |
Dubai |
| June 8 -- |
October 2005 -- |
The Glamorous Home Design
Center of the Americas |
Grand Opening Reception |
| Dania Beach, Florida* |
Dubai |
| July 15 -- |
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Summer Market
San Francisco Design Center |
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| San Francisco* |
*Patina Exhibiting |
| Fall, 2005 -- |
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| Southern Accents: Show House* |
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| How to Resolve: |
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| COMPUTER IN AN ARMOIRE |
| High Tech Meets Custom Design... |
When designers Mark Hulsey and Scott Hall of Hulsey-Hall Interiors, Inc. began working on their design for the bedroom of their clients’ granddaughter they faced several challenges.
 They needed to combine the family’s love of modern technology with a princess themed design that would please a 5 year old. Add to that a lack of usable wall space in the room and you have the makings of a design nightmare.
A Patina advertisement featuring a Cellini bed brought the team to Patina’s Atlanta Showroom. The Cellini bed features a crown headboard perfectly suited for a princess and from there the design flowed.
“When we laid out the room there was only one big wall to put a piece of furniture on. Everything had to be integrated into one unit, bookshelves, computer area and television. So, that’s where we started,” recalled designer Scott Hall.
They selected a secretary unit as a starting point and chose the largest television set they could find that would fit within the constraints of the case.
After carefully measuring computer components, they reconfigured the design of the interior to monitor, keyboard, printer and tower but maintained the secretary drop"750"as a desktop.
Rather than have separate bookshelf units they designed bookcases attached to either side of the piece in a breakfront design with drawer storage below.
Measurements, sketches and fabric swatches traveled back and forth between the designers, the Patina showroom and the factory in Italy. |
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The entire design process was accomplished in a relatively short period, approximately 6 weeks.
“The uniqueness of Patina is that you have the ability to not just order a Patina piece, you have the ability, in effect, to order the Hulsey-Hall piece”, says designer Mark Hulsey. “You find the parameters in which you want to work and then you really develop your piece, a unique piece, one that you’re not going to see anywhere else. It’s truly custom”.
 “A lot of companies call some of their products custom, that means they’ll paint it pink or paint it green. With this you choose the color palette, all of those colors were adjusted to match perfectly the fabrics we were using. We actually changed the construction of the piece to suit the needs of the project and to me that is the mark of a truly design driven company”.
Mark Hulsey and Scott Hall are partners in the Atlanta based interior design firm Hulsey-Hall Interiors, Inc. They can be reached at 404-352-4792. |
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| News At PATINA ... |
| DESIGN ADAC 2005 |
 Design ADAC is the annual two-day product preview, educational and networking event organized by the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC), the Southeast’s largest resource for residential and contract furnishings.
Left: French artist Fabrice Alberti at work in the Patina showroom on a romantic scene of Venice. Fabrice’s work is available for purchase through the Atlanta showroom.
This year’s event attracted hundreds of interior designers from all over the southeast and Patina was well represented. Patina’s staff played host for two well received events and a luncheon at their showroom.
“I was delighted with the number of new designers coming into our showroom during the event” said Marylu Stevens, President of Patina, Inc., “It’s an opportunity for us to launch new designs, pieces, and collections, and to make some new friends."
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 Right: This year’s highlight was “Italian Painted Furniture: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” a presentation by Lee Ann McElderry, lecturer and former associate at Sotheby’s Auction House.
“Patina’s pieces are based on old world designs, but at the same time tweaked for the modern home. This tweaking process is exactly what would have occurred in the 18th and 19th century”, said Lee Ann McElderry, featured speaker at the Patina Showroom during the 2005 Design ADAC. “A home owner would approach a cabinet maker, look at his designs and then modify it to best suit their home and situation. Patina allows its clients the same freedom and restrictions that the cabinet maker of the 18th century would have allowed”.
Overall, this year’s Design ADAC was a great success for Patina and we look forward to seeing YOU at next year’s event.
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 By the way don't forget you have access to additional information on our website. You can:
• Check stock availability
• Check specifications on furniture pieces
• Download hi-resolution images
• Check the status of your orders
• See what’s on sale in the SALE NICHE
The site is intended to help make your work easier by providing you with quick, timely information. And you can use the contact form to ask questions or make comments. And, as always, our friendly staff is here at the showroom to serve you!
Patina staff (foreground) Marylu Stevens, President and CEO of Patina, Inc. with (L-R) Tina Marion, Jane Cumming, Darline Galloway, Lyndel Gliedman, Laurie Albers.
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Part 2: The Process |
| Overview of 18th Century Venetian Furniture |
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Last month we looked at the lifestyle of Venetian society and how it influenced the rise in popularity of hand painted furniture. This month we’ll take a closer look at the process of creating these exquisite pieces of furniture art and the craftsmen who developed it.
At first, when attempting to imitate the widely admired oriental lacquers, the Venetians were unable to achieve the same fine quality mastered by the French. However, after much trial and error an equivalent of the original Chinese process was achieved which involved numerous steps, meticulously carried out and resulted in the finest hand painted furniture of its day.
First, the assembled wooden furniture was sanded smooth and coated with gesso, a mixture of glue diluted with plaster of Paris. The gessoing process became a crucial part of Italian furniture production in the 18th century when different woods and grains were combined in the same piece. It acted as a primer and provided a uniform surface for the paint application.
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When the surface was dry, it was buffed with fine sandpaper and the artisan would begin the process of applying the decoration. First, the background color was applied, then the desired subject or decorative motif was painted in tempera, a mixture composed of color pigments extracted from minerals, egg yolk used as an adhesive, and water to liquefy the paint.
The image was often outlined in black or another dark color using a goose feather brush. Once the paint was completely dry, it was protected with several coats of varnish. The varnish base was first dissolved in alcohol or boiled linseed oil to help refine the finish.
Each craftsman had his own variation on this general technique. A carefully guarded secret method gleaned from their own experience and passed down from craftsman to apprentice throughout the 18th century.
Today, Patina keeps that tradition alive, carefully recreating the process and techniques developed by these fine Italian craftsmen.
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