Faux bois and faux marbes became trendy interior design terms in the 1990’s, often referring to furniture, but the tradition is ancient and integral to the architectural arts. More than mere trend, these techniques have been mastered over centuries and allowed designers to play with materials and solve logistical problems with human ingenuity. Not every craftsman has access or financial means to acquire certain woods. Similarly, supply of marble types is finite and poses logistic troubles, but careful study of marble veins, wood grains, and their coloration and formulations can yield beautiful replicas accessible to all – even today.
Woodgraining
Woodgraining, rather than faux bois, is the traditional term for the art of using paints or stains on a non-wood material or less valuable wood species to simulate the grain, color, and depth of a valuable hardwood species like mahogany, cedar, or walnut. This craft dates back to classical times, when woodgraining was accomplished by application of pigments onto a board of less precious wood or stucco, then manipulated to resemble knots and grains, mimicking the desired species. This sounds relatively straightforward, but a well-trained wood-grainer can attest to the intricacies of the practice and how easy it is to do a poor job and break the illusion. All it takes is a misunderstanding of the wood you wish to replicate or a misplaced smudge of the finger to ruin a grain.
Left: John Canning creating the flame mahogany wood grain – Right: Detail of completed panel, done in 4 steps
For centuries, students of these techniques studied species and forms of wood and, like classically trained artists can paint the ideal bodies for their subjects, wood grainers can simulate the choicest forms within a wood species. Wood graining also aids budget and logistic constraints. As an example, crotch (or flame) mahogany is a very rare cut of wood, since it comes exclusively from the part of a mahogany tree at the junction where the tree has split into 2 separate trunks. Not every tree manages this self-duplication, making crotch mahogany an expensive, beautiful cut of wood that resembles fire. Mahogany of this type is often too rare and too costly for a typical project; but a convincing simulation can achieve the same beautiful results. Skillfully applied decorative paint of this kind is almost tragic, as the best work will go unrecognized as handiwork at all.
Marbleizing
Marbleizing, rather than faux marbes, has an equally rich heritage. Stone, unlike wood that can be regrown, is finite and unique to the region and raw materials from which it was made. Mountainous regions of Italy, Greece, China, and many parts of the United States yield stunning slabs of granite, marble, and onyx that were heated and compressed by geological movement over a span of millennia. This is not so easily replaced. To counter the cost and difficulties of quarrying, cutting, and shipping, decorators have opted for simulations for centuries by carefully layering paint and creating veins of color. Scagliola is a specific form of simulating marble; rather than paint, artists used pigmented plaster in equally masterful craftsmanship which can simulate anything from perfectly cut stones arranged in complex patterns to whole columns rising to the ceiling.
Since Pompeii, simulated marble was a popular form of illusionistic painting to add to murals. Renaissance artists developed the Italian and French schools, teaching apprentices for at least 10 years to master the art – a testament to its difficulty and intricacy. Scagliola flourished in 17th century Tuscany as a substitute for marble inlays in Medici residences.
Left: Giotto’s marbleized panels in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy – Right: Canning artisan Michael Nelson painting marble veins
As time went on and the craft was perfected, circa 1851 the greatest advocate for and practitioner of marbleizing was Thomas Kershaw. A London master, his skills were briefly questioned as people said he was simply using real marble to pass off as his work. But an exhibition in Paris and many more live demonstrations proved his talents and command of the materials. Such talents and skills could easily be lost, but craftsmen have kept the techniques alive and preserved not only the works of art using this craft, but the process itself.
Decorative Finishes Today
In our own day, it’s far too easy to write off these trades as obsolete or be unimpressed with this work. Why hand paint when you can print or laminate vaguely wooden or marbled patterns? Attempts to automate the process have yielded what we all recognize as cheap imitations of woods and stones that do not exist in nature– hardly holding a candle to the richness of the original trade.
To shed light on the work of these craftsmen, a few examples hiding in plain sight are the University of Virginia Pavilion IV doors, the wooden and stone elements of St. Patrick in Lowell, MA, and Immaculate Conception Church in Omaha, NE. Each of these buildings enshrine this persistent tradition, though you may not notice it upon a first glance.
University of Virginia Pavilion IV
The iconic UVA Pavilions frame the quad and provide historic homes for the professors living there in true academic village fashion. While this is not a religious example, it does provide an excellent window into the possibilities for woodgraining and what a well-executed design looks like. Each pavilion has a beautiful set of entry doors which Canning craftsmen have, over any years, wood grained as crotch mahogany or another precious wood.
Canning craftsmen create a flame mahogany wood grain on oak doors by layering paints.
The door panels are meant to look one-of-a-kind, as each mahogany tree would be if these were truly mahogany. A craftsman begins by preparing the surface with a ground layer of paint, then applying a layer of beer to create the dark wood markings. Next, 3 to 5 layers of paint are applied to create depth in the grain pattern and retain the water-soluble beer markings. If needed, a glaze is added over top to change the color, then the whole work is then sealed.
One of many completed door pairs on the UVA Pavilions
Once fully complete, if all went well, the piece appears to be a beautiful piece of rare wood. This process separates woodgraining from mere printing or copying – it is an art form that reveals itself only to a trained eye.
St. Patrick Catholic Church
At St. Patrick’s church in Lowell, MA, there is far more than meets the eye in this serene church. Columns stretch overhead like pillars of marble taken straight from the earth and the mahogany choir loft towers above the nave and steadfastly supports the organ. But these beautiful elements are far more attainable than they appear: the columns are carefully crafted scagliola plaster and the choir loft is simple oak with a mahogany faux finish.
Left: Woodgraining the choir loft – Right: Restored scagliola columns and completed wood graining on the choir loft and cry room in St. Patrick’s church
But these finishes complete the interior and give it the appearance of strength and beauty, and when Canning restored these columns and completed the woodgraining, they proved their utility as it was far more cost-effective to restore and conserve plaster and oak than marble and mahogany.
The completed interior of St. Patrick’s church in Lowell, MA
Immaculate Conception Church
One of our most recent completed projects, Immaculate Conception Church in Omaha, NE, is a testament to the ongoing old-world craft Canning practices. The interior finishes were in dire need of repair when we entered the project. Plaster was missing from the columns, paint was peeling, and the color scheme was disharmonious and failed to support the building’s beautiful classical features. Drawing inspiration from 15th century Florentine styles like that of the Duomo di Firenze and San Trinita, designer Eric Bootsma rendered an interior of stone with new side shrines that seem to have always belonged.
The completed side shrines, completely marbleized
This interior scheme relies on two techniques: marbleizing and simulated incised lettering. The cool tones of the nave are offset by warm giallo marble in the floor (real for maximum durability) that acts as a guide toward the sanctuary. Coming to rest in the sanctuary, the eye is welcomed by vibrant red marble pillars, gold-accented statues, burgundy marble accents, and a luminous gold-leafed baldacchino ceiling.
Left: Detail of marbleized high altar – Right: The completed interior of Immaculate Conception Church in Omaha, NE
These projects all seamlessly blend real and simulated materials in a way conducive to aging with grace, lasting for decades, and never going out of style.
