Bolstering up Comfort

Could a fool make you see Tuscany from a New York City penthouse? Yes, if that fool is trompe l’oeil. Literally meaning “fool the eye,” trompe l’oeil is accomplished with painting techniques that play on perspective and shadow to create three-dimensional illusions. These can include architectural details such as columns or scenic murals that depict landscapes, water or even Tuscany’s countryside. In the best examples of trompe l’oeil, the viewer may not be sure whether what they’re seeing is real or a representation.

For thousands of years, artists have used these techniques to transform flat, lifeless walls into rich landscapes, scenic murals and faux architectural embellishments. Early examples of trompe l’oeil were found in the ruins of Pompeii, however, it’s believed the style was abandoned after the fall of the Roman Empire. When this ancient technique returned in the Renaissance and Baroque eras, it was perfected by the masters of the Italian Renaissance.

Some things to keep in mind if you’re considering trompe l’oeil for your home:

Sitting Room in New York City Home with Tropical Mural Painting

• First impressions are everything and perspective is key. The mural or painting should be geared toward the point where people enter the room.
• The most successful uses of trompe l’oeil enhance the room’s feeling or mood.
• Consider trompe l’oeil for rooms big and small. Even a simple painting can breathe life into tiny spaces.
• Choose a scenic mural or faux columns, friezes or niches to complete your look.
• The artist should begin with a style or period in mind, sometimes inspired by furniture or fabric in the room.
• For elegant gardens or stately rooms, 18th century formality and symmetry provide the most favored trompe l’oeil motifs. If you’d like to be more innovative or contemporary, consider an outdoor marketplace or your favorite vista, whether scenic or urban.

These Italian Courtyard Panels, left and above, stand at opposite ends of a restaurant just outside Washington, D.C. The tiles were incorporated into the design to match the adjacent floor pattern, and demonstrate the artist’s ability to adapt a design to the environment.

Sofas, we all know, are facts of life. But unless you’re sitting at an arm end, they are not always the most relaxing place in the room: That middle seat just isn’t very grounding (although sometimes one does meet interesting people by rubbing elbows, literally, with strangers).

So try this solution from designer Vicente Wolf for clients in Bridgehampton, N.Y. The small floating bolster is a portable arm when set along the seat cushion seam; or set lengthwise, it’s a support for the small of the back. It can even make a sofa seem daybed dreamy for afternoon reclining with a good book.