Trompe I'oeil

Trompe l'oeil, or "Trick the Eye" gives you the impression that something exists, when it really doesn't.  There are many ways to trick the eye using interior design.  Some ways include painted finishes, interesting furniture, art, florals, lighting fixtures, etc.  When executed properly, it is a great way to make a unique statement, and have some fun with your space.



The Venetian Las Vegas, and it's famous Canal Rides, has a faux painted ceiling that gives you the impression that your not only in a building, but your really in Venice.  This is an excellent example of Trompe l'oeil, and tricking the eye into thinking your walking under a partly cloudy sky. 

 Murals and Painting Techniques are a great way to trick the eye. By painting a window and the scene beyond it, you can liven up an interior room and make it feel more open.  You can also paint faux items such as headboards or even chair rails.  Say you don't want to put molding on your walls, but want to have that appearance of a chair rail, just leave the strip white, and paint around it.  You see it often in current advertisements for various paint and paint accessories. 



This technique by 3M shows a nicely painted wall using unpainted white lines as a faux chair rail and frame around the various colors.  While standing back, it may look as though the treatment was framed using white molding, when really it is unpainted white stripes. 



This Mural, painted in a powder room, by Debbie Cerone, can take you out of the space your in, and transport you to anywhere you paint. 

  Faux Finishes using Various Sheen's of paint is another great way to not only make the room look as though it was wall papered, but also give it a unique touch of your own.  While yes you can create a striped look using different colors, using different sheen's gives the room a different look during different lights, angles, and time of day. 

 


This painted technique has matte and gloss stripes painted in the same color, which is a fun way to create a different look.