The History of Decoupage

The beautiful art of decoupage is one that is timeless and yet unrelentingly vintage at the same time in today’s traditional design. And it seems to be making its rounds in some of today’s most enchanted showrooms. According to out friends at Design Sponge, the craft is thought to have its roots in East Siberian tomb art and was later perfected in China where it was used as early as the 12th century for decorative objects. Throughout Europe in the 18^th century, Venetian artisans developed the technique of taking sheets of engravings which were hand-colored, and cutting and pasting them onto the surface of furniture. Several layers of varnish were applied to create the high-gloss sheen reminiscent of traditional lacquer work. The Venetians called this relatively inexpensive technique lacca povera and the French later renamed it decoupage.

“Magnolia” from the Mary Delany Collection at The British Museum

Spanish lacca povera box sold at Christies

Photo Credit: Design Sponge

Not Your Grandma’s Rocking Chair

If you’re like most, the image that comes to mind when you hear “rocking chair” is probably something involving a comfortable old wooden, creaky porch chair with a grandma not too far off in the distance gathering her knitting needles and yarn.

The creative individuals at Studiobility have set out on a mission to dispel rocking chairs’ associations with ho-hum docility and have created the “Rocking Beauty.” This modern chair is an extension of the inner beauty concept, a piece where masculine meets feminine, according to Interior Complex. Designed by Gudrun Lilja Gunnlaugsdottir, Rocking Beauty is made from water-jet cut aluminum, macralon and plywood.

The vertical stripes are a precise blend of creams, grays and whites of differing widths, which create a harmonious look. The floral decorations of the side of the rocking chair are quite unique and give the inside an open and airy look. It is these unique qualities which give a definitive appeal to this modern rocking chair.

The Wilton Playshop Presents: Italian American Reconciliation

Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer prize winning writer John Patrick Shanley’s Italian American Reconciliation is coming to The Wilton Playshop this spring with performances beginning Friday, April 30 and running through Saturday, May 8. The production is being sponsored by HSBC, The World’s Local Bank.

Directed by Jeanine DeFalco of Trumbull, the play is a romantic comedy set in downtown New York that captures the emotional ups and down of love, marriage, divorce, hot tempers, and torrid romance. The production includes a talented cast and crew from throughout Fairfield County including Michael Limone of Stamford as Aldo Scalicki, Glenn Packman of Norwalk as Huey Maximilian Bonfigliano, Dana Dicerto of Norwalk as Teresa, Jessie Gilbertof Weston as Aunt May and Nancy Anderson of Fairfield as Janice.

Tickets for The Italian American Reconciliation are available for performances Friday April 30^th and Saturday May 1^st at 8 pm, Sunday May 2nd, at 2 pm, with Open Captioning for the hearing impaired, and Friday and Saturday, May 7^th and 8^th at 8 pm.

Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors. For ticket information contact the Wilton Playshop atwww.tickets@wiltonplayshop.org and (203)762-7629.

For more information contact: Toni Lee, (203) 761-1268.

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