Tuesday, October 31, 2006

My Office

When we moved to our new house (and seeing all those HGTV/Extreme Makover:Home Edition shows), I decided that I wanted a Haunted Mansion themed office. So I drew up some concepts of what I wanted it to look like:





I'm not sure how to introduce this so I'll just say it..."Here it is!"







Now...people either say it is the coolest thing they've ever seen or I need professional help.

The green wallpaper with the Lily pattern is actually used in the foyer of the attraction. A company up north in Benicia, CA that makes authentic hand-printed Victorian wallpaper called Bradbury and Bradbury Art Wallpapers (www.bradbury.com) happens to sell it (Dresser Tradition 2-Ashes of Rose Code:LYW Pattern:550 ). The purple/blue wall is a stencil that I made. It is of the wallpaper pattern in the attraction as well. It took a few hours to paint-I still have to paint in all the little pupils in the eyes. The oval mirror is actually a two-way 50/50 mirror. Behind it is a relief sculpture of the Hatchet Goul (to be posted later with an update) that shows through via a light on a timer. The effect is an image that slowly appears and disappears much like the Cheshire Cat in the mirror at the Mad Hatter Shop at Disneyland.

I was looking in a lighting shop in Hollywood (LAMF 660 N. LaBrea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-932-6000) for a 5-light wall sconce and but by chance, I happened to find the wall sconce of a Griifin/gargoyle that is the exact same one that is in the attraction that is located by the staring statues, just before you get onto the Doombuggy.

(I'll post more pictures and details later).

30 comments:

Daveland said...

Incredible! What a great job of detail in the office, and also love the photo of the front of your house for Halloween. Keep up the great work, and thanks for sharing! - Dave

Kirsten said...

SO COOL! PLEASE keep posting pictures!
-Kirsten

Carrie said...

Your office is amazing!!! Only an animator would have the patience to stencil that wallpaper up! And you are going to paint all the eyes in??? Yikes!! If you ever decide to do a home tour you should let us all know ;) It's amazing!!!!!

Soozcat said...

Well, I'd say that is the coolest thing I've ever seen AND you need professional help! :)

Actually you clearly don't need help from professionals since you are one. And that office is truly amazing.

Grim-GrinNing-Gippos said...

AmAzing! Oh i love it!

dbaldwin3 said...

Oh, my gosh! I thought I was the only one in the world with a Haunted Mansion themed office! I started on it though, and like you said, everyone thought I was nuts! Anyway, then I found out I was pregnant....SURPRISE!.... then I had to give up my office. I hand painted the spooky face wallpaper and it took hours! I'm a little heart broken that I couldn't keep it, but baby needs to sleep somewhere. I considered keeping it as a nursery, but everyone thought that was really dimented! So Fantasyland nursery it is becoming! Oh, by the way, its a boy, and his name is going to be Walter Elias! (Due in March). Anyway, love the office! Great job! -Debbie

Bort said...

Could you post a close-up image of your stencil on the purple wall?

Unknown said...

Wow...oh wow...I want one. :-)

Well done!

Unknown said...

Fantastic! It took a lot of hard work, but it's definitely paid off.

Daniel Davis said...

Really, really nice. I think you did a fantastic job.

So cool, so Scoobie Doo!

AnimateTed said...

OMG.. .It's GENIUS!

May I suggest getting a Webcaster gun? It's sort of like a hot glue gun that you attach to an air compressor... the results are so much more authentic and durable... see below
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l229/AnimateTed/halloween1.jpg

Either way... you've just inspired my own home office make over!

ickymouse said...

Wow. Nice work, my friend. I work in the makeup effects business and you are a really good sculptor. It's nice to see someone do what I'd do if given the time and money. Good job! Very nice.

Unknown said...

Impressive work. I think it would be a worth-while time investment to stain the desks a deeper shade to match the rest of the furniture. The light brown / beige desks diminish the impact, to me.

-Jon

Shotgun_Mario said...

http://www.designyourwall.com/store/Freaky-eyes-custom-digital-wallpaper-pr-120.html

Thought you might like to know. ;)

But it looks really good anyway!!!

Bort said...

It's a shame that sample doesn't show the top half of the design, but much thanks to you shotgun.

Princess Sara said...

Hi there! I am doing my guest room Haunted Mansion and would love to know more about where you got your things.
Me and my husband are also disney freaks. Each room at our house is a land at disneyland and we also have a disney cruise line room. All the rooms are complete except haunted mansion and wow I want mine to look as good as yours!
Very nice

Susan said...

That is rad! I wish I had room to do it! I see some pictures of Miss April December to the left of your desk. Did you print up digital versions, or do you have prints of her? I'm in desperate need of a good picture of her, my tattoo artist is having trouble getting her face just right, and I can't seem to find a big picture! Can you help?

Dana said...

Now that is about the coolest office I have ever seen!

I worked at the Haunted Mansion at Disney World back in the late 80's and still have a soft spot for anything Mansion oriented.

Great work!

LiirThropp said...

Your office is awesome! BUT BEWARE - the purple "faces" wallpaper is an officially copyrighted Disney design, and they DO DUE people for unlicensed use of it - even if it is in the privacy of your home! My uncle was sued by Disney for painting Winnie the Pooh on his new baby's wall and posting a photo of it on the net, and the local day care center was literally sued right out of business by Disney for painting mickey and minnie on the wall of the building.

M.Gracey said...

Ok I REALLY need to know where you got the foyer wallpaper from!

disneyfreak said...

wow man, i am jealous. great job. you should try to make a changing portrait now! i am actually going to try and make one.

makeupbymary1 said...

you are an amazing person!!! Ypu are not a geek...but if you are, then I am a major geek!!!! BRAVO on all you do!!!! I'm your biggest fan!

MTLLD said...

James,

Simply fantastic but please tell me, how did you create or find the "gargoyle candelabra" and the "stretching portraits?" I'd be interested to hear those stories if I missed them somewhere in your posts.

-Vinny

DM said...

I came across your blog a couple of years ago and your Haunted Mansion office inspired me to turn one of our bedrooms into a dedicated Haunted Mansion room to display all of our HM collectibles. It has come along real well and I am finally able to look at all of these things that have been sitting in boxes for years and share them with friends. If you would like to see photos of what you inspired please PM @ donmck08@gmail.com Thanks, hope to hear from you.

Jonamor Decor said...

Your work is simply amazing. I would love to live in your neighborhood.I am an Interior Designer who loves Disneyland and finds inspiration from it as well. Check out my design blog at jonamordecor.blogspot.com. I think you will enjoy our work.

Nick Thorne said...

This is insanely old but I have to tell you how utterly beautiful this is. I am immensely jealous.

mikewashere said...

I love the haunted mansion!

Unknown said...

You're office is really an amazing one. And I must agree to Soozcat, you'll never ever need a professional who'll tell you what to do in your own office, because you can make it on your own. Thumbs up!

Ellie

office space ny

Unknown said...

Seriously, is this really a haunted place? Love it! Haha! I love creepy things. Really. Anyway, our office mess are all managed by the New York building maintenance 'coz we can't seem to find a little time to get rid of the papers piled up in the corner. It's better to call some commercial cleaning services (NY-based for us) than leaving the work to my colleagues. Oh by the way, I think you don't need professional help for your office! It's so classic, and I love it!

aricson said...

It looks like an antique style office, especially the furniture seems very old. But overall, it is great office to work in everyday.

New York Offices