Wonder Walls Faux Finishes - Featured Article

There must be something in the water. Or maybe it's in the air. Whatever the elemental source, there's something about living in the lowcountry that brings out the whimsy in new homeowners. People move here from other parts of the country, revel in the exterior beauty of this coastal paradise, and suddenly find themselves longing to expand their interior horizons.

"They fall in love with the marsh, the trees, the wide open spaces they find here, and they want to bring the outside in," says Aki Kato, who works for Camden Field at Home, in Beaufort, where he specializes in faux finishes, murals and trompe l'oeil.

On Hilton Head, Alison Fargione specializes in the same techniques. She agrees with Kato, but thinks there may be more to it than that.

"I find that a lot of my clients are starting over, in a sense, when they move here." she says. "So they may be more daring than they've been in the past. They're looking for a new life, and are willing to take some chances in their new home."

Fargione began working on walls almost fifteen years ago, in New York, where she attended The Finishing School, the celebrated interior design school for faux finishes and trompe l'oeil.

After graduating, she did a few projects for family and friends, but it wasn't long before the jobs started rolling in. With three children at home, Fargione had found the perfect career.

"There was no punching a clock. I could work around the kid's schedules. It was great!"

About Seven years ago - and one child later - Fargione moved her brood to Hilton Head Island, where she had to start from scratch, getting the word out, making new contacts, etc.

Wall with Balloon Mural
Aki Kato, Camden Field

"Things were a little slow taking off, but now I can honestly say that business is better here than it was in New York!"

While Fargione hails from an interior design background, Aki Kato of Camden Field is a highly trained fine artist; he has a degree in Oil Painting, with an emphasis on Eastern and Renaissance Art. Before landing at Camden Field, Kato worked for companies with glamorous names like Universal Studios and Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Almost a decade ago, he met artist Lynn Elam Bonge while working at Habersham Plantation, where he was doing design work and painting furniture. Aki joined Bonge's company, Camden Field at Home, where he did the hard work of teaching artists the difficult task of reproductive painting, and designed two successful lines of painted furniture. these days, Bonge concentrates mainly on the furniture line, while Kato focuses on walls.

"Natural murals are very popular here in the lowcountry," Kato says. "I tell my clients, `You see that big window with that beautiful view? That's the focal point of your home during the day. What will be the focal point after the sun goes down?"

"Many People want me to recreate that view on a wall - sometimes in the same room with the window, sometimes in a different room - so that it's with them always.