Hester Painting & Decorating Hand-Paints Luxury for Customers

SKOKIE, Ill. (March 13, 2008) – Hester Painting and Decorating now offers a unique technique for clients who desire the rich and elegant style of hand-painted wall coverings from all over the world. These exquisite, hand-painted wall coverings, such as Gracie paper from China, de Gournay paper from London or Zuber from France, are each considered the Rolls-Royce of wall décor. The experts at Hester Painting & Decorating, who also install this type of high-end paper, have developed a technique for painting the style directly on the wall.

“By hand-painting directly onto the wall we create the look and charm of Gracie paper, without the seams,” said Jeff Hester, vice president of Hester Painting & Decorating.

These delicate and expensive, hand-painted wall coverings are reminiscent of eighteenth-century style, with designs depicting landscapes and natural images.  Because the panels are hand-painted, each bird, tree or mountain is distinct from the others.  This style of paper comes in large rectilinear panels, which does not work well in rooms with moldings, textured walls or rounded corners. Due to its delicacy, the paper requires professional installation, but can lead to a lot of paper wasted as the imagery must fit around the architecture of the space.
 

Hester’s hand-painted technique, however, can be perfectly adapted to fit any room. Their technique, originally developed to accommodate walls with existing texture and rounded corners for the 2007 Lake Forest Showcase House, offers an alternative solution when the delicate, high-end wall covering is not an option for their clients’ walls.

“By hand-painting the style directly onto the walls, we can move a tree three inches to the right to hide or avoid outlets,” explains Hester. “We don’t have to cut off for a soffit or window opening. We make the images fit the room exactly without wasting any expensive paper.”

A key advantage of Hester’s faux-Gracie technique, in addition to perfect fit, is that colors can be matched specifically to customers’ homes.
 

“The wing of a butterfly or the leaf on a tree can be painted the exact shade of a client’s sofa or drapery,” said Hester.  “Our special technique allows our clients to achieve the drama and elegance of a design made specific to their taste and palette.”

 Another reason designers and homeowners consider the faux alternative to the actual wallpaper version is the cost.  On average, the papers typically run between $500 and $1000 per sheet, plus labor to install.  More labor is involved with the faux version, but the homeowner saves dramatically on materials. 

“A room might require 15 panels at approximately $800 per panel for the paper, plus about $3200 in labor, to line the walls and hang the paper,” said Hester. “The same room with hand-painted faux Gracie by the Hester experts is approximately $8,000 -- slightly more that half the cost of Gracie paper.”

          With forty years as an industry leader, Hester Painting & Decorating provides homes and high-profile commercial establishments with high-end painting and decorating services.  Widely regarded as a leader in the fields of painting, faux finishing, and exterior and interior maintenance, Hester Painting & Decorating utilizes an enormous repertoire of finishes and wall covering techniques to create unique environments for its clients.  More information about franchising opportunities and other services offered by Hester Painting & Decorating is available at (847) 677-5130 or http://www.hesterdecorating.com.

Contact:  

Cheryl McPhilimy
McPhilimy Associates 
(312) 988-1270
cheryl@mcphilimy.com