Sweet Suites - Faux Effects and D Home = Nokia Theatre Renovation

Creating fascinating fauix finishes from a small pallet of colors, Eva Gallant transforms walls and rooms into personalized masterpieces. Adding depth and warmth, people seeing for the first time are compelled to touch the wall expecting it to have a multi-dimensional surface.

In addition to her own unique collection, Eva has been trained in many of the popular Faux Effect® techniques.

As a member of the International Decorative Artisans League she has had the opportunity to receive instruction from George Zaffle and Pierre Finkelstein, acclaimed masters of their profession, as well as Gary Lord and Jacek Prowinski.

Her own unique line of walls was inspired by real life events, people and places. Whether it is the sunset in the Montana Mountains (Remains of the Day), the art deco interior of a famous restaurant in Paris (Bofinger), or the rainforest in South America (Mission, a dedication to her late father), Eva has found inspiration and been able to artfully extract from those places the impressions that she incorporates into her works.

As an American raised in Europe, Eva knew at a young age that she had talent for expressing herself, bringing color together in unique ways. Her art is a culmination of a lifetime of travel and experiences in Europe, North America, South America, North Africa, Australia and New Zealand. All have provided profound inspiration to her through both vistas as well as native peoples. These unique experiences can be seen in her finishes.

In her spare time, Eva enjoys working on her decorative pieces inspired by tribal art. While traveling, she enjoys interacting with the native peoples and is a fierce fly fisherman.

Eva's excitement in working with the transition of the Nokia Theatre was immediate upon receiving the call from Faux Effects Dallas. After an initial meeting and discussion, Eva's assignment proved more challenging that originally thought. The designer, Luis Carmona of IO-Metro, had a vision of a glossy black custom stencil on matte black wall that would tease the eye to the illusion of a pattern in the indirect lighting of the room. The decorative finish would be opposite the viewing area to the stage and be the back drop of the Clear Channel logo; a subtle yet inviting wall, understated and complex at the same time.

Faux Effects® custom cut four stencils for the project from the complicated and detailed stencil design Luis had created. The stencil paint needed to match the desired effect while also taking into account the application process and the life of the stencils. After many different variations were tested (LusterStone®, Pallet Deco™, Venetian Gem® Black Onyx) and seeking the advice of her IDAL colleagues, the formulation was settled on a Venetian Gem® Clear Gloss custom tinted with FauxCreme Color™ Black. Eva started the project with a base of SetCoat® Black. The application of the stencil design was accomplished with a small foam roller after setting the stencil on the wall with a light spray of stencil glue.

The wall exceeded Luis' expectations and Eva was grateful and delighted by the support she received by her IDAL family and wants to convey a special thanks to Nancy Jones, Jennifer Ferguson, Mindy Harrell, and Robyn Gailey.