Mantels and Wall Panels for a Chicago Showroom

Besides designing for clients’ homes, White River’s Design Services team also creates beautiful pieces for our dealers’ showrooms. Stan Rousonelos, owner of Highland Park Millwork in Chicago, was updating his showroom and had a vision of something unique and eye-catching. He wanted an ornamented focal point, that when lit at night, would continue to be a silent salesman on his busy avenue. The space he allocated was perfect for a petite traditional mantel with an overmantel and panelled walls to finish it. Coming from a background in trim carpentry, he was fearless about building it himself.

• The highlight of the space is the mantel, which features our new FR8981 medallion frieze to great effect.
• On the overmantel, our FR8920 fluted frieze forms a widely framed panel to complement the width of the frieze in the mantel below.
• A highly sculptural chairrail (CA8348, a running leaf and lamb’s tongue casing) set at the level of the top of the mantel surround demarcated the wainscoat area.
• Equally sculptural were the wall panels and base cap, being made from our PM8571 egg and dart bolection panel mould. The bolection shape has become a favorite in our Design Department for wall panels due to the strong shadow line that it creates.

After painting, the owner also applied a soft glazing to the mouldings and the millwork was stunning against the ruby colored wall. Lit at night, in this modern world, which at times seems devoid of the past, Stan’s mantel speaks volumes to the Interiors We Love! Great millwork and design, while often thought of as a domestic building component only, can greatly enhance any room. From traditional to contemporary, the right mouldings set the tone of the space.