Beth Scanlon and Scanlon Apparati

I have a real weakness for interior illustrations, so much so that I gave them their own entry in my book. Whereas most interior photographs are meant to capture a room as it actually appears, interior illustrations are prone to a bit of artistic license.  It's not that illustrations don't accurately reflect a room's appearance.  It's that they do so with flair and personality.  Depending on the illustrator's artistic style, interior renderings can be lively, moody, exuberant, and, above all, charming.  Few rooms can't benefit from being immortalized on paper.

I recently discovered the interior illustrations of the immensely talented Beth Scanlon.  Beth is the artist behind the wonderful cartonnage, decoupage, and diorama creations that are sold at Hollyhock and via her website, Scanlon Apparati.  Beth has recently branched out into interior watercolors, trying her hand at painting rooms such as the Glass Beaded Salon at Oranienbaum as well as contemporary interiors by designers like Suzanne Rheinstein and Nina Campbell.  In fact, Beth was kind enough to paint a rendering of my living room, which she based on a photograph that appeared in The New York Times.  You can see the painting above. I mustn't forget to add that Beth's watercolors are presented in elegant Italian paper-covered folders, which are handmade by Beth.  My folder was made of Italian blue marbled paper, which seems to perfectly match my blue living room.

Beth's paintings are available by commission through Hollyhock. If you wish to commission a watercolor or make inquiries, you can contact Hollyhock.  And I urge you to view Beth's work both on her website and that of Hollyhock.  If you're anything like me, you will want to place a mighty large order.


One of Beth's very first watercolors captured the Glass Beaded Salon at Oranienbaum.






You might recognize the room above; it was decorated by Suzanne Rheinstein.  Beth based her illustration on Pieter Estersohn's photograph of the room.





This illustration was based on a photograph by A. Branca.


A watercolor of a room that was decorated by Nina Campbell.




It was another room by Suzanne Rheinstein (and another photograph by Pieter Estersohn) that inspired this rendering.




This charming watercolor was inspired by a photo that Beth saw in Cote Est.  The room was photographed by Christophe Dugied.


The photo at top by Jennifer Boles for The Peak of Chic;  all other photos used with permission from Beth Scanlon.