McLain Wiesand Custom Furniture

Holiday Promo with Downtown for the Holidays

2011-12-19T12:08:00.000-05:00

McLain Wiesand will be hosting a Holiday Promo Event on December 20th from 11:30 to 1pm. There will be prizes and giveaways from the Downtown Partnership. McLain Wiesand will also have a selection of smalls and ornaments along with a showroom full of merchandise.

Please join us for a lunch time event of fun and holiday spirit!

Designers Insiders' Weekly Finds: October 28 edition

2011-11-02T09:35:00.001-04:00

On elledecor.com, our good friend Meg Fairfax Fielding is quoted in the Designers Insiders' Weekly Finds: October 28 edition. She even made a shout out to McLain Wiesand. Thanks Meg!!

Design Insiders’ Weekly Finds: October 28

Bloggers, editors, and designers share their favorite links from around the Web

“I bought a 110-year-old farmhouse earlier this summer and have been obsessed with finding the right chairs. First, I bought two elegant white slipper chairs that remind me of Billy Baldwin, who grew up just a few blocks from where I am living. Then, my friend, David Wiesand, gave me a Chinoiserie/Gothic faux bamboo and leather chair, another friend gave me a Louis Ghost chair, and I found a down-filled armchair at a tag sale. I think it’s time to stop.”
—Meg Fairfax Fielding, Pigtown Design

New Lighting

2011-10-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

We are excited to introduce five new light fixtures to our line.

The Villa Chandelier

Inspired by the Villa Necchi Campiglio in Italy, the Villa Chandelier and Sconce are shown here in French Rubbed Steel.

The Villa Sconce

The Isabella Lantern

Also shown in French Rubbed Steel, this lantern was inspired by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

The 24 Sconce

An update on the double arm sconce, the 24 sconce has clean lines that easily lends itself to many interior designs. The finish is galvanized zinc and the sconce is meant to have two small lamp shades.

The Marguerite Sconce

A sconce version of the Marguerite Lantern, the Marguerite Sconce is in Galvanized Zinc and pairs nicely with the Lantern.

David Wiesand speaking at InSIGHT Symposium

2011-10-12T12:43:00.000-04:00

InSIGHT Symposium: Baltimore Painted Furniture

November 11, 2011 | 1:30pm - 5:00pm, David will be speaking 3:50pm - 4:40pm

Homewood Museum
The Johns Hopkins University
3400 N. Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21218

http://www.museums.jhu.edu

Painted furniture was the home-decorating craze of the young American nation, and nowhere more so than in Baltimore. Join Hampton National Historic Site curator Gregory Weidman, independent painting conservator Deborah Duerbeck Parr, and contemporary furniture craftsman David Wiesand for an afternoon exploration of the history and continuing tradition of painted furniture in Baltimore. The symposium will open with remarks by William Voss Elder III, curator emeritus of decorative arts at The Baltimore Museum of Art. A lightly catered reception with the speakers follows the talks, with viewing of the museum?s period rooms and collections. Participants are invited to spend the morning visiting the outstanding collection of American painted furniture at the Baltimore Museum of Art, within walking distance of Homewood Museum.

The Quintessential Console was featured in Veranda this month!

2011-09-26T13:39:00.000-04:00

Veranda

2011-06-22T09:57:00.001-04:00

Our San Nino tables are in Veranda July-August edition. Interior Designer, Andrew Raquet included them in the entrance of a beachfront residence on Lyford Cay in the Bahamas.

Runway Show in the Baltimore Sun

2011-06-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

Click to see the full article...Baltimore Sun

Blogged in The Peak of Chic

2011-06-09T10:38:00.001-04:00

A couple days ago the Peak of Chic blogger, Jennifer Boles, was in Ainsworth Noah Showroom in Atlanta, Georgia. She saw many of our items and liked them so much that she did a blog post. Click on the link to see what she said:

The Peak of Chic®: Shopping at Ainsworth-Noah: "A few weeks ago, I spent a blissful hour wandering through the Ainsworth-Noah showroom at ADAC while pining over most of what I saw. (I..."

Piranesi suspenders

2011-06-05T12:41:00.000-04:00

My Piranesi Suspenders complete

Drawn by hand with waterproof ink

3 of the actual Piranesi Plates...

For many years I have been a huge fan of Giovanni Battesti Piranesi, an 18th century mastermind of arts, draftsmanship, architecture and design. Luckily many of his works have been reprinted in affordable art book format (Dover Publications amongst others) so that his masterpieces can be readily enjoyed. For any fan of architecture, Italy, or ruins, I especially encourage you to become aware of this amazing artist. Because of my love of his "Prison Series"- a set of 16 etchings depicting fictitious, Escher-like interiors full of imaginary columns, staircases, machinery etc all presented in a graphic, moody drawing style, I created a pair of braces, or suspenders inspired by said images. Mens clothing, on the whole, is somewhat lackluster in its inspiration. I have, for the past year or two, been taking great pleasure in "enhancing" many of my store bought garments with paint, add-on fabrics and leather, studs, and now drawing. I concentrated on shoes at first, but see whole new possibilities in accessories and clothing. I am thinking of a nice white linen shirt for summer, done up in this same treatment I gave to the suspenders. Please let me know what you think!

Fashion Show 2011!

2011-05-27T12:27:00.000-04:00

Brian from Rita St. Clair in Hines

Dave Huber in Hines

Joe Lazzaro in Hines and Zoffany

Katie DeStefano from DeStefano & Graleski

Kelly Mathioudakis from Louis Mazor

Kimmie Wargo in Zoffany

Owen Jarvis in Hines

Polly Bartlett from Rita St. Clair

Rebecca Meredith in Zoffany

Sue Hart carrying a purse in Hines fabric

Skirt in Donghia fabric

Elizabeth Cross-Beard from Jenkins Baer

David acted as VJ for the event.

Trunk Show Photos

Thank you all to all the fabric vendors, models and designers!

McLain Wiesand Custom Furniture: Reminder: Mark your calendar!!

2011-05-21T16:57:00.000-04:00

McLain Wiesand Custom Furniture: Reminder: Mark your calendar!!

Reminder: Mark your calendar!!

2011-05-06T10:50:00.000-04:00

Come Join us Thursday, May 26th as we introduce you to leading vendors in Textile and Wall Covering Industries from around the world.

10am to 4pm representatives from Donghia, Hines, Thibaut, Scalamandre, Schumacher and Zoffany will be in our Baltimore Showroom displaying and discussing their new spring launches,

Be a part of the festivities, we will be serving light snacks and drinks throughout the day.

Be sure to be here at 12:30 so you don't miss the runway show featuring fashion created from the fabric lines.

McLain Wiesand

1013 Cathedral Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

David Wiesand's design odyssey in Mt. Vernon

2011-04-29T18:07:00.000-04:00

David Wiesand's design odyssey in Mt. Vernon

2011 Fabric Trunk Show

2011-04-27T11:29:00.001-04:00

Drop dead incredible house tour...

2011-04-15T07:58:00.001-04:00

It is an honor when I get to tour a home which I feel has more going on in it than my own. I say that because I sometimes feel my palace is overdone, too much stuff, too "decorated". But yesterday, because of my membership in Baltimore Heritage, an earnest organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the cities' architectural gems, homes, neighborhoods and commercial spaces included, I was able to see a work of art. Located in the lower part of Charles Village, this circa 1870's home, owned since the 1970's by one person, is a tour de force of architectural renovation, design and vision. The owner has a museum background, and it shows in the level of completion and detail that has been given to every space in this house. It boasts real gas light fixtures, pocket doors, original built in shutters, crown mouldings, dumb waiter, basement kitchen, period appliances, valances, radiators, and a few extras like a pump organ, loads of vintage victrolas, record players, stereo opticians, period furniture, art, accessories, a turkish room, vintage bathroom with a zinc tub, and an antique porcelain toilet with gravity flush. The kitchen has an incredible display of antique appliances like coffee makers, mixers, toasters, meat grinders, dishwasher, refrigerator, two stoves, lots of antique fans, vacuums and misc. electronics I have never seen. Great collection of wait staff bell systems to call maids or butlers to certain rooms, and 2 Latrobe stoves with Mica sheets to view the condition of the fire. This place just radiated a vibe of old, travel back in time style that is hard to achieve except by someone in the movie set business or someone intent on creating a "feeling" with their home, its interior and furnishings. The devil is definitely in the details. Please enjoy and comment on the pics.

Baltimore Painted Furniture: Costume jewelry for the elite 19th century

2011-04-12T13:57:00.001-04:00

Seeing a french example of high style empire design may have influenced the Findlays Sofa for Hampton House.

Design, carving, painting all unite to create a balance of unequaled excellence.

The decorative painting is a masterful mix of stenciling, hand painting, pen work and glazing.

Baltimore painted furniture of the 19th century holds a deep attraction for me both as an artist and furniture designer. It was a niche market, a subcultural aspect of home furnishings. Sure, England had produced some high style painted pieces, and in this country Philadelphia, New York and New England had their followers, but the pieces made in Baltimore were in my opinion, the best of the best. No where else was there such a fine blending of both the form and design of the furniture itself with the decorative painted work which was applied to the form. This splendid marriage of sculptural form and two dimensional painted work can be seen so clearly on the suite of furniture that the Findlay brothers, John and Hugh, created for the Ridgely family of Hampton, around the 1840's. One of the things I find so unique about Baltimore's painted furniture is that, from an artisans viewpoint, much of this work started out as a way to copy the most high style furniture which was being produced in England and France at the time, but was not readily available for import to Maryland. The next best thing? Someone with a creative bend and and entrepreneurial spirit could "imitate" the look of furniture mounted with fire gilded bronze ornaments, relief carving, exotic woods or brass inlays ALL WITH PAINT. One of the Findlay brothers made the trip across the ocean to England in the 19th century, probably was exposed to numerous examples of fine furniture and architecture that he would have never had the access to here in the states at the time. I believe he brought back source books of engraved designs which would have been like a gold mine of inspiration at the time, books being rare and expensive. This trip and the source books put the Findlays head and shoulders above the rest of the pack of artisans of the time. Traveling to Europe in those days was a life and death endeavor, but the risk paid off for the Findlays. They created furniture for the most wealthy and elite families of their day, as well as worked with the architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who I will describe more of the Findlays growth through the collaboration with this genius who helped shape the look of the presidency. Please join me for a trip back in time!

Maryland House and Garden Tours

2011-03-31T13:33:00.000-04:00

David's home will be on the tour this year, Sunday, May 1st 10-5.

Here is the lovely description the tour created:

CATHEDRAL STREET

There are many historic structures in Mt. Vernon but none that combine the architectural fantasy, creative detail and energy of this home. The 1855 residence originally included a large side yard. After changing hands between several residential uses, the property was converted in the 1920s into a Hupmobile Automotive Dealership and then a bottling plant. A highly successful Reliable Tire Company shop occupied the building starting in the 1940s. The furniture and decorative arts firm of McLain Wiesand began renovating the building in 1999. Previous use of the ground floor for automotive displays left an unusually tall storefront-which is now filled with antiques, painted furniture and whimsical sculptures and artifacts. The warehouse area now groans with a dizzying array of material, including plaster casts of historic fixtures, art works underway, gilt light fixtures, decorative furniture and production equipment. The display window on Cathedral Street is set up as an expressive stage for the artists working inside. Do not miss the apse-like library alcove on the first floor, the elaborate plaster paneling in the top floor Moroccan room, or the kitchen combining concrete counter tops with rustic faux finishes.

Tickets are available online at http://www.mhgp.org/?p=baltimore-city-2011

Folie de bain

2011-03-30T09:56:00.000-04:00

Taking inspiration from the upcoming trip to Paris, David created a new window.

In approximately one week David will be traveling to England and Paris for two weeks. For years David has been talking about making this trip and decided about a month and a half ago to just go. He asked me to help him plan his trip since I had just spent two weeks in France in the fall with my Husband. Thinking about my trip has brought up some amazing memories and made me miss it a little.

A Cotswold Country Home in Annapolis

2011-03-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Baltimore Sun featured our client Gay Henriksen in the Dream Home section this week. Gay has decorated her fabulous home with many of our pieces.

Above is a Daybed we created from old factory wheels. The concrete column capital in the behind Gay was also purchased from our showroom.

This cabinet is one of two custom cabinets that we created based off of our Hecht Cabinet below.

Above is a bench that we designed and created.

David, Virginia, and Sharon handpainted the murals to resemble a chinoiserie botanical wall covering.

The center table David designed for the space. We have now included it in our line.

Above is a coffee table that was purchased from our showroom and refinished in taupe crackle finish.

The Scallop Mirror

2011-03-24T13:45:00.000-04:00

Our Scallop Mirror is in Veranda this month!

Inspired by an antique Italian mirrored sconce, the Scallop Mirror is updated in metal with perforated square holes to give it an industrial interpretation.

Our Chairs in Southern Living

2011-03-23T11:04:00.000-04:00

For the last month we have been in computer hiatus. We decided to take the plunge and switch over to all Macs. The transition has been bumpy but we are up and running now!

Our chairs are in Southern Living!

These chairs are in the dining room of an Interior Designer, Annie Werden, who works with us.

New Lighting!

2011-02-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

We are excited to introduce three new light fixtures.

The Lighthouse Chandelier

Combining the wonderful look of giant lenses and the mechanical parts you see in old light houses inspired the look of our new Lighthouse Chandelier.
French rubbed steel finish with hand antiqued convex mirrors.

The Yves Chandelier

Inspiration for the Yves Chandelier came from a love of industrial design. Mechanical pulleys, chain and circular frame are all finished in our Contrivance finish. Tubular Edison bulbs shed a soft glow.

The Carousel Chandelier

The attraction of early 19th century lighting with adjustable shades, gas cocks, and mixing fabric elements in with the metal frame. The finish is black bole gold with antique convex mirrors and upholsterers cord

Item of the Day: Seating

2011-02-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

The Jacob Chair

A simple shape combined with versatility make for a beautiful dining chair. Glossy black finish with distressed gold details. This chair can lend itself to many spaces and can be customized to any finish you can imagine.

The Deco Chair

True to its name, the Deco Chair is inspired by the "Golden Age" of Art Deco. A glossy black finish on a curved back chair frame.

We are creating some new chairs for our line this year and would love your input. Here is an antique that we are using for inspiration.

Please let us know if you have any suggestions of chairs that you feel are missing from the market.

Item of the Day...the Petal Mirror

2011-02-08T15:50:00.000-05:00

Item of the Day:

The Petal Mirror

This mirror was inspired by an antique Italian mirror from the 1940's. The mirror frame is made from poplar with a warm Dulce de Leche stain. Gold leaf accents under the petals add a touch of glamour.

Marie Lantern in California Home and Design

2011-02-07T13:04:00.000-05:00

The Marie Lantern was used in a room designed by Napa Valley Linens

Room # 6

Cherry Pegged Mirror in Veranda

2011-01-20T10:10:00.000-05:00

We're excited to announce that our Cherry Pegged Mirror is in Veranda this month!

A special thank you to Suzanne Kasler.

Our Cherry Pegged Mirror is one of the most popular mirrors in our line. Inspired by an antique mirror, this simplistic shape has a wonderful balance of a circular mirror in a slightly rectangular frame. Made from solid wide cherry boards, the Cherry Pegged Mirror is finished to look like its been well worn over time. This is achieved by the technique of French polishing.

Above are other finishes that are available.

New Year, New Designs

2011-01-17T14:36:00.000-05:00

Its a new year and with that we are introducing some new designs.

The Henriksen Table

The design was inspired by an antique.

We are also introducing Four more Lights.

Here is one of the new chandeliers named the Lighthouse Chandelier. It is in the raw but will house four distressed convex mirrors.

The second light fixture is the Yves Chandelier which was inspired by the light fixture hanging in the Grand Palais in Paris. This Chandelier will have sixteen 9" long tungsten filament bulbs.

I will add more photos once we complete the chandeliers!

David's New Years Resolution in The Baltimore Sun

2010-12-31T15:04:00.000-05:00

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/home-garden/bs-hm-hockman-resolutions-20101227,0,3399988.story

Check us out in Chesapeake Home this month!

2010-12-15T15:01:00.003-05:00

We are in two articles. One for the Fabric Show we hosted in the spring.....

http://www.chesapeakehome.com/2010/12/14/home-decorating-trends/

And we are in a Custom Furniture Article.

http://www.chesapeakehome.com/2010/12/15/custom-furniture-and-cabinetry/

restoring a greek orthodox Kouvouklion

2010-12-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

top dome section of the Kouvouklion, some of the beading is coming off

Detail of the canopy section, very interesting openwork carving

one of the two areas where an "alpha" symbol is missing and will be repaired by adding a new one

in progress of replacing missing

canopy middle section

new star and replaced carving in surrounding weave

mold being made of missing alpha symbol

Running a furniture design and manufacturing company is not all fun and games. We were recently commissioned by the Greek Orthodox church here in downtown Baltimore to build two pieces of furniture for them, both for use in the main church area designated for services. The church elders asked us if we would also be willing to restore an existing piece that the church uses for some of its rituals, a Kouvouklion. It is an amazing piece of wood work, all intricately carved wood, composed of three pieces, a sort of canopied table, symbolizing a bed or resting place. Over the years it had suffered some damages and losses to the delicate open work carving, which I agreed to restore for them. As I like to say, no good deed goes unpunished, as it is a very time consuming and exacting job, which I will attempt to explain with words and pictures. At this moment it is about half completed, and some of the pictures show the before damages, some are in progress. One element of the design was completely missing: the carving of the alpha symbol, for some reason the 2 areas of the apron where they were got damaged in the same place, and the alpha symbol had to be based on a sketch provided by one of the church elders, which I am replicating in 3 dimensions to reattach to the missing places. Also a star and some of the complex woven banding around the central medallions is missing, and has to be replicated.

Holiday Gifts

2010-12-02T09:34:00.000-05:00

Every year I struggle to find unique gifts to give my friends and family for the holidays. Most products on the market are mass produced and lack individuality. This year we have a nice selection of items that you will find no where else. Imagine tucking warm wool blankets in this great old steamer trunk....

Or maybe you know a collector that would love to display their finds on this:

We also have castings that make excellent stocking stuffers...

Our very own Lex Wiesand has a collection of jewelry for sale:

Happy Holidays!

JHU Gazette highlights David's Dollhouse

2010-11-29T13:35:00.000-05:00

JHU Gazette

Dollhouse for the Evergreen House Silent Auction

2010-11-21T23:19:00.002-05:00

shot showing the corrugated card board roof tiles and faux limestone bleocking.

looking into the dollhouse between the middle two columns.

using some molds we have on hand, as well as making several new molds to cast some original new pices.

My dear friend Jim Abbott asked me if I would be willing to take on a project for the Evergreen House and Museum, a fantastic place here in Baltimore, located on Charles street between the Notre Dame and Loyola colleges. Jim is the curator there, overseeing an incredible gilded age mansion built by the Garrett family, who made their money from the railroad industry. The mansion has 48 rooms, has one amazing library, is on 28 acres, and is filled with many of the Garrett families' original belongings. Jim provided me (along with several other artists, designers and talented people) with a stock, plywood dollhouse from a local craft store, with the idea that we each decorate the supplied house in our own taste. The completed dollhouses will be on display at Evergreen, and will be sold at a silent auction to raise money for renovation projects at the museum. When I received my stock dollhouse, my mind immediately went racing around all things neoclassical, as it is one of my favorite styles, and seemed fitting for a project destined to be in Evergreen, a wonderful neoclassic structure in its own right. Thinking classical architecture, I next thought of one of my favorite architects, Sir John Soane, whose home in London, which he turned into a museum, still operating as one today. Soane made famous the concept of collecting and displaying artifacts, fragments, architectural bits and pieces on walls, tables, ceilings and floors, creating still-lives, if you will, of all these wonderful scraps of stuff. I didn't want to do a strict copy of Soanes' museum, but instead use his ideas as a springboard to come up with my own version of a classical structure, filled floor to ceiling with examples of classical art, sculpture, and architecture. I rebuilt the stock house to have a more classical profile, tore out all the interior walls and floors, deciding to make it one large space inside. I turned one column on my lathe, then made a mold of it so I could cast the other 3 I needed more quickly. The roof tiles are fashioned from corrugated cardboard, to simulate terra cotta tiles. The limestone block construction look on the outside was made from a thick card stock, cut and glued down individually. Turning to the interior, I used photoshop to create my mosaic floor, then did a crackled glaze overtop of the printed paper to carry the mosaic look even further. The interior walls were also done on the computer, finding images of carrera marble, making it look bookmatched, and laminating it to the inner walls. All the interior furnishings and decorations I cast, lathe turned or cut out of raw stock. Lucky for me I collect lots of small objects relating to architecture, making my job a bit easier. The best part was the arranging of all the reliefs, bust, miniature buildings and fragments in the dollhouse interior, building a still life of objects to delight the eye. If you'd like to see all the wonderful dollhouses together, please call The Evergreen Museum for times.

"What's in Store: McLain Wiesand in the Baltimore Sun

2010-11-19T08:32:00.000-05:00

The Baltimore Sun: What's in Store, Mount Vernon

Update: Evergreen Dollhouses

2010-11-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

Virginia and David have been feverishly working on their dollhouses. The deadline is Thanksgiving.

David, the amazing artist that he is, will of course complete it the night before it is due. He has always been amazing at working under pressure. This was once again tested when he created his Halloween costume this year in under 5 hours on Halloween. This includes a trip to the dollar store and target for supplies.

Over the years I have learned to never doubt his ability to make anything amazing with limited time and resources.

Virginia's Dollhouse:

Virginia's Dollhouse is complete except for a few finishing touches.

The whole house is full of fabulous details.

A wood stove that lights up!

The best part of all is the dark room.

Mural project in Annapolis, Maryland

2010-11-10T22:41:00.002-05:00

Sharon and Virginia trying to make sense of the inspirational images

hand stamped and re-touched flowers

No fear of heights allowed at this project

part of the antique wall painting in my families' building

We recently got a commission to do a wonderful project for a designer's own home in the Annapolis area. One of the beautiful things about doing work for someone in the design field is that they usually have a strong direction for what it is they are looking for, and are willing to push the envelope in a creative way to get the best product available. They become willing participants in the design process, and are good at giving us direction, inspiration and guidance during the project. This mural was in a newly constructed homes' front entrance, stairways and landing walls. We hand painted a chinoiserie inspired landscape of branches, leaves, flowers, and birds over top of a beautiful blue linen woven painted finish which was applied by another decorative painting company. Sharon Haefner, Virginia Jarvis and myself worked freely and directly on the walls, without any preliminary drawing. It was a bit nerve racking at first, but as we progressed from first doing the branches, then to the flowers, then the leaves and finally the intricately painted birds, it slowly came together with the pale, grey, monochromatic colour pallete to create a most etherial and atmospheric feeling I was most pleased with. I can usually be my own worse critic, but this job simply came together as smooth as any I can remember doing. I had the benefit of being able to refer to and photograph some late 19th/early 20th century hand painted wall coverings that are in a great building my family owns, directly on Mt. Vernon Place in Baltimore. The paintings were there when we acquired the property in 1976. I will include some images of these early paintings as well for your comparison. To make the job go a bit faster I had 3 custom made stamps created to apply the fine linear structure of the leaves onto a pre-stenciled shape which became the flower portion of the mural. We still went back over the flowers with fine liner brushes to finish off the line work within them. This project took 5 days, 6 hours each day, with 3 people working together. The collaboration between myself and the other 2 artists was pleasant, and I feel very successful. Please give your feed back on our work! Best, David Wiesand

Project of the Day: The Transom Mirror

2010-11-09T10:49:00.000-05:00

In progress shots of the Transom Mirror.

Cherry wood frame with two mirrors. The transom houses a piece of 303 Restoration glass and is attached with barrel hinges and operated by brass hardware. The center mirror is 302 glass.

Project of the Day: Update on the Sprocket Table

2010-11-08T16:29:00.000-05:00

New Faux Concrete top on Sprocket Table.

Stried Espresso Finish:

Blog Awards

2010-11-03T12:39:00.000-04:00

McLain Wiesand Blog is nominated for the Mobbies 2010!

Mobbies=Maryland's Outstanding Blogs

Please click on the link below and vote for us. You can vote everyday November 2nd through the 12th.

Mobbies 2010

Dollhouse's for the Evergreen House Auction

2010-10-25T13:23:00.000-04:00

David and Virginia are decorating dollhouses to be auctioned off at the Evergreen House. The proceeds will go towards the restoration of the museums kitchen.

Here are some in progress shots....

This is Virginia's Dollhouse. The exterior is fashioned after a dilapidated English Manor House. The interior will explore the idea of "domestic voyeurism". The dollhouse will be completely closed except for a peep hole in each window.

David's Dollhouse is still in the planning stages. The house will be inspired by John Soane, an English Architect.

Here is the Evergreen Museums website:
museums.jhu.edu

More Photos to come!

An Industrial Halloween

2010-10-12T11:02:00.000-04:00

Antique velvet curtain panels were found in the attic along with sheer panels which have been beautifully bleached by the sun to a purple hombre create a colorful backdrop. Back-lighting provides a dramatic light for the industrial found objects.

Originally off of commercial sewing machines, this reel is mounted on old ceiling timbers.

"Factory Wheel Daybed" and "Chandelier Shade Mirror"

We found this wonderful 51" diameter chandelier frame that was unrepairable as a chandelier. We rebuilt the structure, replaced four of the fifteen mirror tiles around the perimeter, then added a convex mirror glass. Then distressed the mirror to match the original mirror tiles.

We re-purposed hardware intended for holding grill work in cabinet doors as a unique way of anchoring the convex mirror in place.

A part from an old light fixture mounted on a reclaimed ceiling timber.

Katie's Wedding

2010-09-28T08:44:00.000-04:00

I am so lucky to have such a talented and wonderful father like David. Not only is he a constant inspiration to me but he agreed a couple of months ago to act as stylist for my wedding reception.

My wedding took place at the Patapsco Female Institute in Ellicott City. The setting was a historic ruin of a beautiful stone building on top of a hill. The entire building is open to the sky and I imagined a candlelight evening of celebrating under the stars.

After unloading around a hundred candles and glass containers to McLain Wiesand, I was completely confident that David and his girlfriend, Sue, would pull together something amazing.

My wedding day was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. As the sun went down it became a magical setting.

Mr. and Mrs. Laughlin

More Converse....

2010-08-12T09:28:00.000-04:00

David came up with an idea for his own converse. He modeled them after the Painted Baltimore chairs that we re-produce here at McLain Wiesand. Here is the shoe in progress with our Baltimore Chair.

Love them!!!

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

2010-08-10T14:39:00.000-04:00

Our very own Virginia Jarvis was mentioned in Chesapeake Home this month. Virginia painted a mural for a McLain Wiesand client who owns a home in the Baltimore Ritz Carlton Residences. The mural is of the Sgt. Pepper's Album and spans from floor to ceiling in the entrance.

We also created a coffee table for the home.

McLain Wiesand in the Baltimore Sun

2010-08-10T14:11:00.000-04:00

McLain Wiesand Trunk Show

We enjoyed hosting this event and look forward to colaborating on events in the future.

We are so happy to see our company in the Baltimore Sun last week. A special thanks to Dennis Hockman.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition....

2010-07-19T13:49:00.000-04:00

Katie and Lex volunteered at the Extreme Makeover Home Edition house on Friday. We were invited as local artisans to faux finish. The project we helped with on Friday was a large light fixture made up of 7 doors that will be hanging in the Grand Entrance Hall. The doors were donated by Second Chance and each represents a different girl living in the house. Lex and I worked on faux finishing a door to look like stone. We were honored to have the opportunity to participate in this not only because Extreme Makeover Home Edition is an awesome show but also because we were helping a local organization.

McLain Wiesand in the Baltimore Sun today!

2010-07-16T09:29:00.000-04:00

Custom furniture provides the perfect fit for homeowners

Painted Shoes!

2010-07-12T11:39:00.001-04:00

It really is amazing how art comes out in all forms. Everything becomes inspiration for something else. David just added a new skill to his resume...shoe painting.

These are my favorite by far!

David's been "burling"!

2010-07-09T16:11:00.000-04:00

David working hard...completed photos to come!

It's been a hot week here at McLain Wiesand.

Gotta keep working! Sharon finishing an Estate Mirror.

One of our gold finishes...

2010-06-30T10:43:00.000-04:00

We take our gold leaf seriously here!

Showroom is spilling over!

2010-06-29T11:16:00.000-04:00

We set up a temporary showroom in our Warehouse. Come and check it out!

Seeing stripes......

2010-06-08T10:32:00.000-04:00

David and Lex have been working on lanterns for this years Zootini fundraising event for the Maryland Zoo.

Pinkie wants some stripes!

Alchemists' Chamber

2010-06-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

The Decorators' Showhouse is over and all the furniture is in our showroom. If you missed seeing our Alchemists' Chamber in person, please come by and check out the furniture in our showroom.

Our Showroom is open Monday through Friday, 9-5

Window Update....

2010-05-21T11:00:00.001-04:00

We're mixing it up here McLain Wiesand! New window featuring furniture with a modern edge. David was inspired by the 1940's mid century modern style.

The Louise Collection

2010-05-20T10:26:00.000-04:00

David created the Louise Collection after discovering a new material to work with, hammored steel bar. The Louise Collection is a play between the smooth gold leaf that McLain Wiesand utilizes often and the texture finish of the hammered steel.

Hand Sconce is getting a lot of attention

2010-05-12T13:42:00.000-04:00

McLain Wiesand's Hand Sconce made its debut in the Baltimore Symphony Decorators' Showhouse. The Hand Sconce features an articulated mannequin hand holding antiqued lighting components, including a hand blown Edison style bulb.

McLain Wiesand's furniture is featured in a movie!!!!

2010-05-11T10:54:00.000-04:00

American Experience: Dolley Madison

View it online at PBS.org

David re-created a suite of furniture that was originally created for the President Madison. The furniture was destroyed during the White House fire of 1812.

The Suite of Furniture was featured in the Power, Politics & Style: Art for the Presidents exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art September 24, 2000 through January 7, 2001. The exhibit tells the story of how American Presidents from George Washington to Bill Clinton have used everything from furnishings and fashion to portraits and china to carry their message to the nation.

The Baltimore Sun features McLain Wiesand's Alchemist Chamber in todays paper!

2010-05-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/home-garden/bs-st-bso-show-home-20100506,0,3150390.story

Introducing the Auger Collection

2010-05-05T13:06:00.002-04:00

The Auger Collection is the newest addition to McLain Wiesand's line. The design is mid-century blended with an industrial feel which lends itself well to other forms such as a dining or coffee table. A favorite of McLain Wiesand, the Auger Collection has already gained much interest.

Decorators' Showhouse Opening Saturday, May 8th

2010-05-04T09:12:00.000-04:00

Lafayette Unveiling in DC

2010-04-28T10:26:00.003-04:00

The Lafayette School in D.C. commissioned David to restore their badly damaged portrait bust of Lafayette by Houdon, and create a new pedestal for the completed statue.

David at the unveiling along with the Mayor of D.C., Adrian Fenty and the French Ambassador, H.E.M. Pierre Vimont.

To appear in the Northwest Current Newpaper!

Hunt Valley Antiques Show

2010-04-27T11:20:00.001-04:00

David is in the 2010 Hunt Valley Antiques Show catalog! Being in the Design and Antique world definitely has its benefits. Not only do you get to visit wonderful stores and auctions but you have the opportunity to meet amazing individuals. In fact, David met Antique Dealer, Norton Asner on such an occasion. Mr. Asner was "the dealer who had discovered what many believe to be the most striking examples of Baltimore furniture ever made", the Findlay klismos chair. Read more below....

http://www.huntvalleyantiquesshow.org/index.html

showhouse room, coming down the final stretch

2010-04-25T07:16:00.000-04:00

Fine tuning began this Saturday at the Alchemists Chamber. It's funny how it has taken on a life of its own-recent comments have been things like medieval, masculine, industrial, gothic, steampunk, and royal. The chandelier had to be repaired, it had fallen in our warehouse and was badly damaged, so we cut it down, reworked it and are using it in the showhouse room. Many crystals had to be replaced, ugh. One of the local news stations will be interviewing several of the designers there, and I will be one of them. More information to follow. The "hand sconce" is quite a hit as well, fashioned from an artists' wooden drafting model. Several people want them! The daybed is also getting rave reviews, I bet it will sell. Alan Ibello did an amazing job on the mattress, giving it a wonderful vintage look. Check it out and please comment!!

more Alchemist Chamber shots

2010-04-22T21:27:00.002-04:00

Alchemists Chamber, additional photos

2010-04-22T21:20:00.000-04:00

Baltimore Symphony Showhouse progress: The Alchemists Chamber

2010-04-22T20:52:00.001-04:00

Today was furniture move in day at the showhouse. Childs express did an excellent job of bringing all the art, furniture and accessories to the location in one piece. Virginia Jarvis and I spent the day prepping and hanging the curtains Virginia made, finishing the nailhead trim on the faux crotch mahogany painted closet door, fixing the broken crystals on the chandelier, and placing the furnishings once they arrived. It is really an amazing thing to design a space from scratch, starting with nothing but photos and drawings of a room, apply a concept to what the room wants to be ( in our case I believe the room spoke to us to suggest a tone and theme that it wanted to be. The room sports an unusual loft area which is accessible only by ladder, which adds to the quirkyness of it all ) I have never before had the opportunity to scheme a space, create it based on the concept drawings and storyboard. My personal rooms have always evolved, developed over time, at my leisure. Acquiring new items and adding them to an existing interior is the way I have worked in the past. I have to say I enjoy the challenge of having to pull an entire room together, like making a film, or writing a story. Our rich violet satin curtains, next to the plum brown walls, makes for a very rich, royal setting, it is starting to develop a life of its own. I'm calling it medieval industrial today. It definitely projects a personna already. I can't wait to have it done, bring on the visitors!

Gerrit End Table -

2010-04-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

The inspiration for the Gerrit End Table came from an antique asian table. It has been updated with faux tortoise after the our Gerrit Mirror became so popular.

Sleletal Gueridon Table

2010-04-21T09:47:00.000-04:00

We are excited to announce the addition of the Sleletal Gueridon Table to McLain Wiesand! David Wiesand designed and created the table with the aesthetic influence of Summer Hill Showroom in mind. McLain Wiesand is represented in Summer Hill Showrooms in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Decorators Showhouse in progress...

2010-04-16T08:59:00.000-04:00

Two more weeks till opening!

The molding is up.

Trunk Show a great sucess!

2010-04-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all that made this event possible and to those who attended.

TRUNK SHOW TODAY AT OUR SHOWROOM!!!

2010-04-08T10:57:00.000-04:00

Six major lines will be represented, lots of local designers, food, peach sangria, and fun tour the showroom and David's living space above the shop...

2010-03-11T22:55:00.002-05:00

2010 Baltimore Symphony Showhouse-we're doing a room!

2010-03-11T22:50:00.000-05:00

Please cast your eyes upon the before pics of the room we "won" to decorate for this years' Showhouse. The proceeds of the event benefit the weekday concert series that the Baltimore symphony does for school kids every year (FYI) I have participated many times over the years by lending designers product for their rooms, and even collaborated by custom building pieces just for the showhouse. This is the first time we as a company have taken on the design and decoration of an entire room. Our room is called the Alchemists Chamber. It is on the second floor of the home, a 1920's stone, slate and stucco tudor located on Woodholme avenue, just off of Reisterstown Road north of the beltway. The house has not been lived in for several years and is in somewhat rough shape. I will update the blog from time to time with progress shots, work begins March 15th. It is my intention to create an atmosphere with our interior, and make it look like it has been there a long time, not just "done up" for a showhouse. The set of Sherlock Holmes' apartment in the new Guy Richie film, Tony Duquette, Linda Fargo's display windows and Renzo Mongiardino are some of the influences for our space, which will be made to look like the room/studio of an eccentric collector experimenter. We want to showcase our considerable combined talents of our own furnishings, mural work, faux finishing, building and design skills to possibly draw attention to the fact we are available to do interior work as well as building custom furniture. Stay tuned for more progress shots.

surround yourself with your creative inspirations

2010-03-01T19:48:00.000-05:00

I recently hung a shelf above my desk, I had run out of room for my toys, er, I mean my creative inspirations. The shelf idea came from my daughter Katie, a pic she sent me of some cool vintage industrial iron brackets that I replicated in an afternoon. My studio, desk and library are all within close proximity of each other. While I am drawing, designing, or scheming for a project, I love to have lots of objects handy for inspiration, finish samples, hardware, marble chunks, antique bits, colours, tiles, book bindings, drawings by others, anything that excites the eye, stimulates the mind, lubricates the creative juices to flow. And I love to collect. I have always loved to see other artists, designers, or architects work spaces. You can really just FEEL the energy in peoples workrooms. Mine is often messy, but I like to think that from all that confusion comes focused energy. The tools and equipment (books, pencils, compasses, squares and rulers, markers, french curves-I hand draw everything, no cad for me ) are the tactile aspect that makes me feel I am getting my hands dirty, even if I am not in the workshop using power tools or paint. Keep your favorite toys close at hand, and don't forget to rotate them occasionally.

My Kitchen=a little piece of heaven

2010-02-21T18:34:00.000-05:00

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. I think more like the stomach; It is the gathering place to be sure, guests must feel safe there, they usually congregate in kitchens. I had the great fortune to be able to design my kitchen from scratch. The space it occupies had probably been servants quarters in the 19th century when the house was built, and had been used to store tires in since the 1940's. I like to say it looked like post war London when I bought the building in 1999. I tore out a long wall which had created a hallway along one long wall of the space, and reused the framing members to build my kitchen table out of. I exposed some of the brick walls and tore out the ceiling, leaving the exposed framing joists and wood ceiling. The countertops are cast concete, perched atop Ikea cabinets. I hate "upper cabinets", and instead opted for simple stainless steel shelves, which forces me to keep them neat, since everything on them is in plain sight. The large painted cabinet was made in our shop, based on one that one of my favorite designer/clients, Frederike Hecht owns, hers is an antique french one, looks like it had been in some great old store or shop. Cremone bolts are the hardware that locks and operates the doors. Mine houses some family china, my favorite being dishes that once belonged to the Walters family of Baltimore, creators of the Walters Art Museum. The ceiling fixture is also McLain Wiesand, a custom piece I designed for the space but could easily be made again. The tumbled marble tile floor was laid by myself, my daughter Lex and my girlfriend Sue. I think of my kitchen as a laboratory, both visually and physically. the layout is so conducive to cooking, and the table layout makes is so comfy to watch tv, listen to music or just hang out. I strove for a balance of old and new. What do you think?

Baltimore Bar Library

2010-02-18T21:53:00.000-05:00

What jewels are hidden in and around Baltimore! Tonight I had the pleasure of seeing one amazing library, stashed within the Clarence Mitchell Courthouse on Calvert street downtown. When I hear anything about a library, my mouth waters. Being a book whore, I love libraries, especially old, architecturally significant ones. Built around 1900, the library was originally funded by Maryland law firms, who were the principal users. The ceiling in an incredible arched affair with with deep coffers, tons and tons of ornamental moldings, rosettes, dados, scrolls and foliated motifs. The woodwork is all quarter sawn oak, beautifully paneled, with some amazing carving, and well thought out design. I cannot imagine what it would cost today to replicate something like this. By the way, it can be rented out for receptions, events and the like. I am sure they could use all the financial help they can get. Homicide used it for filming, and several other movies have used it for a set. There are some great portraits of Maryland lawyers, judges and the like, all in great gilt frames. Two spiral staircases allow access to the lower areas. If you have any interest in classical architecture get yourself down there to check it out.

wandering thru the McLain Wiesand "kitchens"

2010-02-17T18:01:00.000-05:00

Our workroom is attached to the showroom, and office by a swinging door. It makes it so easy for clients and customers to view our finished product, as well as see where we create the confections of art and design, like chefs in a kitchen. I often joke about wanting a chef's coat to wear while working in the shop. There is a similarity in cooking and in making fine furnishings, they are both processes with many steps. The book where we keep all of the many formulas for our various finishes is even labeled the recipe book. Lots of things can go wrong along the way, and also happy accidents can occur as well which yield exciting, unexpected results. Almost nothing we do is by rote, or systematic. Most every project is a customized version, tweaked or changed each time which makes us always challenged, and keeps us on our guard. One person can interpret a finish slightly differently than another, so a product may vary slightly from job to job. We strive to be as consistent as possible, but I always think about the labels on fine handcrafted garments, where they state that "slight variations may result as this is a hand made and finished item, no two are alike" We make everything one at a time, with care, passion and with the attitude that we are finishing it as if it were to be used by us personally, a concept I learned from my father. That was how he treated the residential real estate properties he owned and managed. Anyone interested in seeing our workrooms has but to ask, and they can receive a tour of the "kitchen" where furniture is cooked to perfection.

2010-02-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

This custom outward curving breakfront was a project we did last year, for a beautiful home in Annapolis, Maryland. We offered to do it either two ways, with curved doors and curved glass, or flat front doors and glass. Because of budget constraints the job went forward with the latter. Composition mounts were applied to the architrave and doors, and the upper crown moulding was also a composite material, cast to fit the radius of the cabinet. The finish was a painted base colour with a chalky glaze scrubbed overtop, highlighting the moldings and decorative mounts. A template had to be made first so that the unit would fit as closely to the curve of the wall as possible, and when it was delivered, some of the sheetrock wall needed to be cut away so that the piece would look as "built in" as possible. It was a tremendously challenging project, but with great results!

2010-02-14T08:41:00.000-05:00

It is amazing to me how much more I can accomplish when I have someone in my life who supports me and believes in me 100 percent. Yes, in a perfect world we would all have great confidence and belief in ourselves all of the time, but to be blessed to find someone else who joins us in this endeavor and allows us to reciprocate the feeling is worth a mention, especially on Valentines Day. My Girlfriend Suedeebug is that person for me, a muse and source of strength. We share a passion for art, design, fashion, fitness, good food and for doing things as best as we are able. She is there always promoting me, something I find hard to do, but am slowly learning my her example. One of the many things she has taught me is that it is ok to show the world what you have done, and what you are capable of achieving. Happy V day to my Darling!

I want to hook your attention

2010-02-13T07:49:00.000-05:00

Why read my (or any) blog? Learn and be entertained. Stay ahead of the curve of trends and latest developments. Get ideas for things to do, see or experience. If you want to be bored go to wikipedia and read the definition of the word blog; I couldn't finish the entry myself. Am I so pompous as to think copious amounts of people are actually interested in my potential ramblings about me, my company, art, design, furniture and be business of running a small business? I will try to make it so. Things I'd like to explore on this blog are: Creativity, where does it come from; starting and growing a business; an intimate look into the world of my company, the people who occupy it and keep it moving forward, the humor that makes our small business work for us all there, the camaraderie that keeps people together, makes them enjoy what they do. Secrets of the trade: why read a blog if you're not going to get the inside scoop on how the magic happens (how DO they make paint imitate wood, marble, shagreen, ivory...) Isn't that what its all about really, enjoy our time here, whether at work or at play? Thank you for considering joining me on a new adventure, I hope you enjoy the ride!

Welcome

2010-02-12T19:08:00.003-05:00

McLain Wiesand is a Baltimore-based custom furniture maker, specializing in a "fine art" approach. This allows us to take on any variety projects, no matter how complex or challenging.

McLain Wiesand brings an artist's eye, a scholar's curiosity, and a collector's fervor to the tradition of creating decorative furnishings.

With this blog, we hope to show you what we do, how we create our works, some of the techniques we use, our inspirations, the craftsmen who are part of the McLain Wiesand family and much more.

If there are topics which you would like to see us explore, please e-mail us. We would love to hear your suggestions.