When Sherry Ring bought her 5,800-square-foot home in Deerfield, the location was just what she wanted, but the modern style of decorating was not.

Loving the warmth of wood and the ambience created by antiques and vibrant colors, she set about making her home her castle with furnishings and decor that reflected her taste.

The shiny cabinets in the kitchen were first to go, replaced with knotty pine; then she worked to create warm, inviting spaces throughout the house.

With an artistic eye, she repainted the pale pink walls in brighter shades of Wedgwood blue and raspberry in different locales. "Those are colors that make me happy," she said. Raspberry walls set off whimsical art objects in a room she calls "the art room."

But little details are what add up to unique effect, and Ring wanted those special details. She called upon artist Greg Curvey of Gregorian Designs in Chicago who specializes in stenciling, trompe l'oeil ("fool-the-eye") effects and faux finishes to create memorable effects throughout the house.

"I was her Murphy Brown painter," said Curvey, who took about tWo months to do the work.

Ring wanted a ceiling "skylight," and Curvey created one in the art room, with blue sky and clouds and the illusion of depth. Whimsical animal figures ring the painting. The skylight effect pulls the eye up and creates a focal point for the room.

That same room, a repository of interesting antiques, has two arched windows facing front. Curvey created a third trompe l'oeil "window" with matching white arched frame and a painted doll sitting on it, dangling its feet, on the side wall.

A lovely accent for the kitchen pine cabinets is the navy blue soffit Curvey painted and stenciled in gold letters with a line from the Beatles' "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah."

The downstairs bath sports a glistening navy blue door. Over the door on the inside are two characters from one of children's author Shel Silverstein's books, peering down while a line of poetry from the book snakes down the door's surface.

In an upstairs bedroom, a delicate wallpaper effect in rose and white was stenciled by Curvey, creating a soft, individualized look and a backdrop for the mantel found at the Kane County Fair. Ring had a carpenter build out the mantel, which she blended in to the original and antiqued.

Curvey, a self-taught artist, has been plying his craft for the past 10 years on the North Shore, in Chicago and in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area.

It was while living in Kalamazoo in a condo with plain white walls that he visited Marshall, Mich., home to facinating architecture. In the Honolulu House there, with its airy island look, he saw something that influenced his career: "Every ceiling was detailed in trompe l'oeil fashion, some baroque, some stenciled," said Curvey.

It was love at first sight for the young artist. "I always wanted to do a trompe l'oeil ceiling," he said. The commision for a skylight project in the Ring home was his opportunity, and "a lot of fun," he said.

Curvey, formerly a graphic designer, eased out of that job as he spent more and more time doing one-man shows and painting in homes.

Greg Curvey can be reached at Gregorian Designs, (773)835-0843.

Other Articles and Publications:

• Betty Nicolai, “Business is looking up – Trompe l’oeil artist specializes in ceilings”, Pioneer Press (June 1, 2000): page A1
• Ray Dorsey, Interview with Par Crone, Chaos Realm No.36 (Winter 1998): page 6
• Phil McMullen, Review of Par Crone, by Par Crone, Ptolemaic Terrascope No.25 (Winter 1998): page 46
• Marty Behm, “The unorthodox moves of Par Crone’s Greg Curvey”,Chicago Tribune (1998)
• Marty Behm, Review of Par Crone, by Par Crone,Illinois Entertainer (Dec. 1998)
• Alan Papier, Review of Par Crone, by Par Crone,In The Mix (Oct. 1998): page 11
• Dave Chamberlain, Review of Par Crone, by Par Crone, New City (Jan. 15, 1998): page 15
• Jim Santo, Review of Under the sea, by The Luck of Eden Hall,Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Vol.7, No.59 (June 1993): page 86
• MJ, Review of Under the sea, by The Luck of Eden Hall,Free Fest Monthly (May 1993): page 14
• Ben Kim, “A glimpse of local color”,New City (Apr. 8, 1993): page 23
• James Lien, Review of Under the sea, by The Luck of Eden Hall,CMJ New Music Report, Vol.31, No.5, (July 10, 1992): page 11
• Mark Caro, Home front,Chicago Tribune, (1992)
• Jae-Ha Kim, “Waiting for their limo to come in”,Chicago Sun-Times, (Friday, June 19, 1992): page 5
• “Walrus Records releases Luck of Eden Hall EP”,Chicago Tribune, (Friday, May 15, 1992): section 7
• Jon Davis, Review of Hook, line and sinker/looking glass, by The Luck of Eden Hall, Seven Inchers, (1991)
• Review of Hook, line and sinker/looking glass, by The Luck of Eden Hall,Factsheet Five, (1991)
• Review of Hook, line and sinker/ looking glass, by The Luck of Eden Hall, Chicago Tribune,(1991)
• Review of Hook, line and sinker/ looking glass, by The Luck of Eden Hall,Boston fanzine, (1991)
• Bill Wyman, “Rock in a hard place”,Neon, (Feb\Mar 1990): page 28
• Brian Steele, “Fables of the post-modern psychedelic rock ‘n’ fab experience”, Illinois Entertainer, (Sept. 1990): page 34
• Mark Caro, “Local heroes”,Chicago Tribune, (Friday, Nov.9, 1990): section 7
• Bill Wyman, “Rock ‘n’ Roll: four days of clubs and schmoozing”,Reader, (Oct.6, 1989): page 6
• “Showcase: Luck of Eden Hall”,Reader, (June 30, 1989): page 27
• Marla Wax, “What’s in a name? A bit o’ elfin magic”,Skyline,(Jan.12, 1989): section 2, page 1

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