apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

When we visited Icons of Design at the Millennium Tower, we were fortunate enough to have some one-on-one time with designer Charles de Lisle in the living room he created. We were immediately struck by the textured, one of a kind quality of the wall surfaces. Charles explained the process that the team from Willem Racke Studio used.

Using two different colors of plaster and automotive paint tape, Willem Rack Studio fabricated this wall treatment on site. First, the team applied a layer of lavender tinted plaster to the walls. After the plaster dried, a giant grid was created with tape that was then cut so that only small crosses remained. Next, another layer of a gray plaster was applied. Once that was dry, the tape was removed and voila!

The possibilities with this technique are endless as one could use a high gloss paint beneath to add more contrast or even use the same colored plasters to create a subtle, textured pattern.

(Image credits: top - Charles de Lisle Workshop; bottom - Jessica Watson)