Painting Technique

Damask design, in style for hundreds of years, is a timeless classic -- interpreted in today's fashion-forward palette not as woven tone-on-tone threads, but as simply stenciled silk fabric with the same alluring effect.

Lavish painted-damask silk pillows radiate richness while conveying creativity in the simplest sense. Coordinating wall art and stenciled upholstery exhibit a look of fine distinction.

According to designer and decorative painter Vicki Nail, "This is a modern, clean-lined version of damask." Doing the projects is easy, she says. "You design your own fabric by stenciling it." Using purchased stencils, fabrics paints, and lustrous silk fabric -- available in dozens of colors -- the projects require only basic stenciling techniques.

 

A monochromatic scheme drives the upscale look, and Nail has developed a method of mixing paints that coordinate beautifully with silk fabrics (see "Mixing Magic" below). She unravels the silky strands of thread to reveal the combination of shades that creates the fabric color and uses the threads as guides for matching paints. "If you mix those colors," Nail says, "you will always end up with paint in that color family."

Damask-motif stencils add to the projects' versatility. Nail purchased stencil designs -- flowers, leaves, and a lattice pattern -- then adapted them to fit the projects. On pillows, for instance, she used a single large flower or repeated smaller flowers, considering the finished size and scale.

On the chair, she opted for repeating lattice intertwined with flowers and leaves. For both projects, she suggests working quickly to stencil the whole design in one coat so the fabric remains soft and pliable. "The less paint on the fabric, the better it absorbs into the fibers," she explains.

For the wall art, Nail recommends fringed silk edges to make these framed textile swatches look like fine art treasures. Whether you stencil a damask pillow grouping, a sensuous wall arrangement, or elegant furnishings, silk will bring a soft, rich sense to your decor. Created with ease and convenience, these projects are much like the fabric they showcase: truly irresistible.