Paris’ ‘new marquetry’ murals

Paulin Paris recently added a new mural technique to his repertoire that he calls “the new marquetry.” The technique, inspired by a project for a client in London, involves cutting pieces of wood-print paper into intricate shapes and pasting the various grain patterns into a decorative design, much like pieces of real wood veneer are assembled in traditional marquetry.

“Marquetry used to be found only on small objects or a piece of furniture,” Paris says of the art that originated in Europe centuries ago. “But now, instead of having to cut down more trees, I can use paper instead and get the same effect on entire rooms. Doing it this way takes less time and less labor, so suddenly, the design possibilities are completely different.”

At roughly $200 to $275 per square foot, which is slightly more than the cost of a painted mural, a new marquetry mural isn’t for the faint of pocketbook. Still, Paris has finished a few of the elaborate backdrops for homes in the Los Angeles area, including a spiral stairwell featuring Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, beside a wine cellar in Beverly Park.

— Emily Young