Expression of Grandeur in North Carolina

Harmony & Rapport in Design
March 2022

“Harmony and rapport,” says JP Weaver Senior Designer Stephanie Croce. “When I experience this with a client in our first meeting, I know we’re bound to end up with something special.” This accord was palpable when Stephanie did her initial project walk-through with her latest client from Raleigh North Carolina. Well traveled and an avid Francophile, Stephanie’s client has always been enamored with history. Testament of this is his purchase of the interiors of one of Eisenhower’s palatial war rooms from Reims France where Germany’s ultimate surrender was negotiated.

The exquisite wall panels were meticulously dissembled and shipped, later to be restored and installed in what would become the library of the estate home in Raleigh. There was only one snag; what to do about the ceilings. The gentleman reached out to Stephanie and their collaboration yielded a magnificent room (to be featured in a later Design Insights), where the client has procured several historical oil canvases of former US Presidents; Eisenhower of course featured prominently.

The vestibule just off this library was to serve as something of a preamble room to segue into this historical design motif. The collaboration with Stephanie commenced again, except this time she was given something of a blank canvas. “I would like this to be a complete expression of your artistry”, he says to her smiling in a tone tinged with southern gentility. The only caveat being the ceiling was to be a reproduced interpretation of the Hercules Drawing Room, or Salon d'Hercule on the first floor of the Château de Versailles that connects the Royal Chapel in the North Wing of the château.

Stephanie went to work right off with the ceiling and wall designs. With an intimate knowledge and feel for Louis’ Palace, her eye led her to a dimensional Rinceau cornice with elegant coved corners flanked by cherubs, all from the JP Weaver Signature Plaster Collection.

The colonnaded gallery features wall panels where Stephanie composed magnificent oeil-de-boeuf inspired ornament balanced with a crowning dimensional shell and surrounded with beautifully flowing botanical elements. Keystone corbels sit majestically atop the apex of superbly ornamented bookended arch entrances.

For the gold leaf and fresco finishes, Stephanie brought her a long-time friend and colleague Kim Delaney of the eponymous Kim Delaney Fine Finishes. Kim had been working recently with a classically trained finisher in the art of gold leaf who had recently served as restorer to much of the gilding at Versailles. It’s remarkable to note that all of the gilding done for this project is pure 24 kt.

For the ceiling fresco Kim reached out to a wonderful muralist whom she had collaborated with on several projects. The allegorical work features the prominent of the pantheon including Hercules, Zeus, Athena and Hera and was wonderfully executed on a par with masterpieces by Italian fresco painters.

Yes, harmony and rapport have always served as welcome guests in many design triumphs; and here is certainly no exception. It’s beneficial to examine this collaboration amongst JP Weaver and client as the dynamic narrated here is for the most part exclusively unique in the area of architectural ornament design. It’s something that somewhat transcends pride in one’s work, and falls more into passion, as is the case for the entire JP Weaver staff. “It helps when you love what you do”, says Stephanie.