Roman Shade – Missoni Fabric

As painting and decorating contractors in the Chicago area, we are regularly asked to execute decorative painting projects of all sorts. On occasion we are asked to reproduce a pattern from a picture or a fabric. We recently came across such a project. However, in this particular instance, we felt that a painted finish would not give the optimal result for our client. Read on for details and pictures.

Installed Upholstered Border

Detail of Missoni Upholstered Border

In her master bath, our client had a Roman shade made out of a most expensive Missoni fabric. She wanted to replicate the pattern in the upper part of the shade on the three other walls (about a foot in height and twenty feet in total length). She approached us with the idea of using paints to recreate this intricate pattern with about a dozen different colors. Considering the complexity of the pattern, this request was somewhat intimidating, because it would virtually impossible not to have imperfections in the execution of the work.

In the course of the conversation, she told me that she was a brain surgeon. Then the light bulb went off in my head! I said to myself: “As a brain surgeon, she has microscopic vision and will see any small imperfection in the color or pattern of this painted border”. This is when a brought up to my client the idea of creating an upholstered border using the same Missoni fabric and a cording to frame the edges. My client had never heard of upholstered walls, but thought this alternative to paint would give her the exactness she was looking for. So, she agreed to proceed.

Ten weeks later, the fabric finally came from Italy and our team proceeded with creating the upholstered border, and completed the installation within a week. The client was delighted. The border pattern matched perfectly with that of the Roman shade! Upholstered walls can at times be the best choice, if the budget permits.

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