Sylvia T. Designs is the premier native New Orleans decorative arts firm. We have been honoring tradition and progress and delivering our clients’ vision for 25 years!
We’re a New Orleans-based firm with extensive experience in commercial, residential, and historical projects, both small and large-scale around the Gulf Coast region.
“Sylvia T. Designs has been honoring tradition and progress for over 25 years in the New Orleans and Gulf Coast areas. We’re dedicated to respecting and perpetuating the craftsmanship and artistry that built the city. We celebrate NOLA’s history and culture through our work on every single project, every single day!”
~ Sylvia Thompson-Dias, Owner & Artist, Sylvia T. Designs
@SylviaTDesigns | #YourSpaceasaWorkofArt | #HonoringTraditionandProgress
Phone: (504) 435-8081 | Email: Contact “at” SylviaTDesigns.com
Claret Opens in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans
Pictured above - Claret Wine and Cocktail Bar in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. Photo courtesy of Sam Hanna. Sylvia T Designs Delivers Another Great New Orleans Space! Claret, the new wine and cocktail bar by Latter Hospitality,...
The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Seignouret-Brulatour House
We recently had the great privilege of working on a centerpiece project for the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC). Now that the museum is open, we can share this exciting job with you! This was a multi-million-dollar project that was...
Restoring and Hand-Painting Historic Signage Four Stories Up!
After spending a lot of time four stories up, we’re back on the ground! We’ve completed the job for the Odyssey House, located in the former Bohn Bros. Ford building in New Orleans. It’s an historical spot where the original steel frame and much of the...
Custom and Classic Stencils and a Brief History of Stenciling
Hand-painting our custom stencil design at Longway Tavern in the French Quarter of New Orleans.One might argue that stencils and stenciling are the original form of the decorative arts. Dating back over 37 thousand years, Neanderthal cave art...
What is Today’s Decorative Artist?
Pictured above - Upstairs bar at Cavan Restaurant, Uptown, New Orleans. “You still doing ‘the’ faux finishes?” It’s something we hear a lot at Sylvia T Designs, having been in business for nearly 25 years. For many, faux finishing...
Here's the last round of the work we did in this special historic French Quarter Creole Cottage – the parlors! See our previous posts for more of what we did throughout the residence as part of its total renovation. The owners and designer were inspired by painter Agnes Martin’s work. On the walls, pulling from Martin’s style, we emphasized lines, grids, and subtle fields of color.
We created a soft pink custom color for the lime-based Marmorino plaster that we applied to the walls and ceilings in both parlors, creating a cohesive look between the two rooms. We then added the horizontal grid lines and applied darker shades of lime washes. We finished up by painting golden lines on the border of the horizontal stripes. Lastly, we glazed the original ceiling medallions giving them floral and vegetative hints complementing the stunning spaces!
To achieve a look like this takes great skill, special products, and an attention to detail and process that is second-to-none. Sylvia T Designs is the region’s premier decorative arts firm. We’re known for our expertise, dedication to our trade, and how we honor tradition and progress on every job we do. Let us know how we can make your space a work of art!
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Here are a few shots from the primary and guest bedrooms we did as part of French Quarter Creole Cottage project (see our previous posts for more.) We were honored to work in this special historic space where we delivered finishes and more in every interior space! In the bedrooms, the owner and designer wanted a cool, soothing look to the plaster but also to have it be a bit joyful at the same time. As we did in much of the rest of the residence, we did a custom color mix that shows a soft, earthy, and mellow pink tone that takes advantage of the nice natural light that shines in during the day. We applied a lime-based Marmorino plaster to the walls and ceilings in both rooms, making a cohesive connection between the two living spaces.
Sylvia T Designs is the premier New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Gulf Coast decorative artisan and plaster firm. Our full-time, highly skilled team uses artisan level products that you just can’t find in a big box store or at your local paint shop. Trusted in everything from historic spaces to new construction, let us know how we can make your space a work of art!
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Here’s more from our recent total French Quarter Creole Cottage renovation (see our previous posts for more) and this was one of the most fun and cool things we did in this historic residence – the powder room! There were a handful of original antique tiles left on the floor and the owners, the designer, and us all loved them! We worked with the designer to hatch a plan for a unique way to integrate them into the space. We wanted a “beautiful decay” vibe. So, we took the remaining tiles (including deliberately breaking some of them to achieve the look!) and laid them out in partial areas on the walls. Since there were so few in number, we also handpainted additional ones matching the original pattern!
To add more beauty to the room, we also painted flowers, plants, and insects. Of course, we gave the walls some special treatment, too! We glazed them to further enhance the aged antique look. We custom color-mixed a lovely soft blue Marmorino plaster that we applied to the ceiling to top everything off.
Sylvia T Designs is the premier New Orleans and North Gulf Coast decorative arts firm, honoring tradition and progress for more than 25 years. Let us know how we can make your space a work of art!
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Here's another look at our fantastic major renovation project in the French Quarter (see our recent posts for more). This is the lovely kitchen and dining area in this historic Creole Cottage where we delivered a beautiful plaster finish on the walls and ceiling. We used a lime-based Marmorino plaster and applied it using extensive hand troweling to achieve the desired motion. Showing lovely shades of flinty blue and grey, the custom color we mixed along with the overall look of the plaster terrifically complements the custom-made cabinetry. It also really shines in the abundant natural light the room gets each day.
Sylvia T Designs is the New Orleans and Gulf Coast region’s premier decorative arts firm. We use only artisan-level products that require the skilled hands of our highly trained team to apply. If you want the best, reach out to us and let us know how we can make your space a work of art!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftsperson #craftswoman #decorativeartist #fauxfinish #artist #interiordesigner #interiordesign #kitchen #kitchendesign #plaster #plasterfinish #plasterfinishes #limeplaster #marmorino #decorativeplaster #neworleanshistory #residential #renovation #restoration #historicpreservation #neworleanspreservation #nolaarchitecture #preservenola #FrenchQuarter #NOLA
More from our amazing French Quarter Creole Cottage project (please see our previous two posts for more)! Here’s a shot of the stunning custom mural we delivered in the historic home’s foyer. The owners wanted a flamingo theme depicting them in their natural habitat. It completely surrounds the room and makes the foyer seem a bit larger. It was a joy to paint the birds, the water, and the vegetation in such vivid detail! It certainly makes for a striking entrance into the residence!
We also applied Marmorino lime plaster to the walls and ceiling using a custom color we mixed. The plaster makes for a terrific base for the mural. The paint becomes integrated into it and that allowed us to achieve more of an Old-World look and feel with the imagery. Lastly, you can make out a bit of the ceiling medallion that we painted to match the mural’s vibrant color scheme.
Interested in a mural? If you can dream it up, we can paint it! Let us know your inspiration and how we can make your space a hand-painted work of art!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftsperson #craftswoman #decorativeartist #fauxfinish #artist #interiordesigner #interiordesign #mural #handpainted #plaster #plasterfinish #plasterfinishes #limeplaster #marmorino #decorativeplaster #neworleanshistory #residential #renovation #restoration #historicpreservation #neworleanspreservation #nolaarchitecture #preservenola #FrenchQuarter #NOLA
Here is more from our extensive work in this French Quarter Creole Cottage (please see our previous post and stay tuned for more to come). It was a total renovation of this historic residence where we delivered top-notch work in every interior space! Here is the stunning primary bathroom. It features a whole lot of tadelakt plaster, and it proved to be a highly rewarding challenge!
We did a dry application on the walls and vanity, including on a significant number of curved areas. What’s more? A custom tub/shower was built with a surround. This was a wet application of tadelakt and is a fabulous showstopper in the space. The entire space boasts a seamless, uniform application across both the wet and dry applications of the plaster as well as on all the varying surfaces. The plaster color is also a custom mix we provided. We capped it off with a custom stencil on the archway that complements the pattern found on the antique floor tile.
We are the only true tadelakt artisan in the New Orleans and broader Gulf Coast North region. If you are looking to adorn your room with this special traditional Moroccan plaster technique, look no further than Sylvia T Designs! Let us know how we can make your space a tadelakt work of art!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftsperson #craftswoman #decorativeartist #fauxfinish #artist #interiordesigner #interiordesign #plaster #plasterfinish #plasterfinishes #limeplaster #tadelakt #venetianplaster #decorativeplaster #neworleanshistory #handpainted #residential #renovation #restoration #historicpreservation #neworleanspreservation #nolaarchitecture #preservenola #FrenchQuarter #NOLA
We are off and running here in 2023 with lots of great stuff happening – it’s been hard to find time to share! Here is a look at the extensive French Quarter Creole Cottage project that we worked on going back to 2022. We delivered work in every interior space in the historic home. So, be on the lookout for a lot more from this project and many others!
Pictured here is the TV Room. The homeowners had an antique tapestry set to adorn one of the walls that they wanted to highlight. They also selected vibrantly colored furniture. We applied a custom color-mixed Marmorino lime-based plaster to the walls and ceiling. We then added a soft strié lime wash giving a lovely warmth that perfectly complements the cool tones of the plaster and the rooms overall décor. Additionally, we glazed the original plaster ceiling medallion allowing it to pop a bit more but still keeping it as a nice harmonic element in the room.
Sylvia T Designs is the region’s premier artisan plaster firm. Trusted to deliver our clients’ vision in everything from new construction to historic spaces. Let us know how we can make your space a work of art!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftsperson #craftswoman #decorativeartist #fauxfinish #artist #interiordesigner #interiordesign #plaster #plasterfinish #plasterfinishes #limeplaster #marmorino #venetianplaster #decorativeplaster #neworleanshistory #handpainted #residential #renovation #restoration #historicpreservation #neworleanspreservation #nolaarchitecture #preservenola #FrenchQuarter #NOLA
Here is a glimpse (with more to come) from a cool project we’re on in a residence, an historic shotgun home, in the Marigny of New Orleans. One of the elements we’re delivering is plaster in the bathroom on the walls and ceiling. The homeowners and architect wanted a subtle look, so we went with a gorgeous Marmorino plaster. It perfectly complements the bright tile and tub, allowing them to pop in this contemporary feeling space.
Sylvia T Designs is the premier decorative arts firm and your expert plaster artisan in the region. We can help you find the right plaster bringing the perfect look and color. Let us know how we can make your space a work of art!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftsperson #craftswoman #decorativeartist #fauxfinisher #fauxfinish #artist #interiordesigner #interiordesign #limeplaster #plasterfinish #Marmorino #marmorinoplaster #nola #handpainted #historicrenovation #renovation #restoration #historicpreservation #neworleanspreservation #nolarchitecture #preservenola #NewOrleans #Marigny
A plastered stove hood is a great and cost-effective way to breathe new life into your kitchen! Here, the homeowner and interior designer wanted to change the look to something a bit more modern – a box stove hood fit the bill. The hood was redone in this fashion, and we applied a dry application of tadelakt (it is so versatile – not just for showers, tubs, and bathrooms!) The plaster’s beautiful, subtle, and organic movement makes for a terrific centerpiece in the room!
Sylvia T Designs is the region’s only tadelakt artisan and your experts in all-things kitchen redo, including hoods, of course! Want to change the look of yours? Let us know how we can make your kitchen space a work of art!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftswoman #decorativeartist #artist #interiordesigner #interiordesign #nola #neworleans #batonrouge #tadelakt #plasterfinish #decorativepaster #remodel #renovation #kitchendecor #kitchentransformation #interiors #kitchensofinstagram #moderndesign #kitchenremodel #kitchen #kitchenmakeover #homedecor #fixerupper #modernkitchen #kitchendesign
Hey, All! Twenty twenty-two was a great year at Sylvia T Designs! Thank you so much to our terrific clients, wonderful collaborators and suppliers, and our very special team! We hope you and yours are having a wonderful holiday season and we wish you all a joyous, healthy, and happy New Year!
We’re looking forward to many exciting things happening in 2023 – stay tuned! We have some great projects on the books, we will be introducing some new and exciting services, we’re growing, and we’ll continue to build careers for females in the decorative arts! All this while we continue to honor tradition and progress in everything that we do!
As always, let us know how we can make your space a work of art! Cheers!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftsperson #craftswoman #decorativeartist #fauxfinisher #artist #interiordesigner #interiordesign #nola #businesswoman #businesswomen #womeninbusiness #womenwhohustle #neworleans #batonrouge #gulfcoast #neworleanshistory #decorativeplaster #plaster #plasterfinish #handpainted #restoration #historicpreservation #neworleanspreservation #nolarchitecture #preservenola
Gold leaf ceilings are the thing these days! And Sylvia T Designs is the region’s gilding master! We just completed this striking (to say the least!) project in a residence in LaPlace. It is a gorgeous split-level space in the home that serves as a parlor. The leafed ceiling we delivered caps things off as a bold central feature of the room. As you can imagine, the job took tremendous teamwork, skill, and exceptional attention to not only detail but also safety and our team delivered!
If you’re looking for expert gilding work – gold, silver, or metal leaf – we’re your go-to for this specialized work. Whether it’s a ceiling, accenting, or simply a piece of furniture, mirror, or painting frame, Sylvia T Designs can make your space a gilded work of art!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #masterartisan #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftsperson #craftswoman #decorativeartist #fauxfinisher #artist #designer #interiordesigner #interiordesign #interiordecor #interiors #NOLA #LaPlace #goldleaf #gilding #gildingart #handpainted #parlor #ceiling #goldleafceiling #residential #remodel #southernliving #showmeyournola
Here is another shot of a significant project we recently completed in an historic home in the Bywater of New Orleans. We delivered several decorative finishes and other elements throughout the residence. Here, in one of the bathrooms, you can see the spectacular floor! We produced a custom stencil design and then aged the entire floor to give it an “old” look. You can also see some of the walls where we applied a dry application of tadelakt plaster (see our previous post to see the wet application of tadelakt in the shower!)
Sylvia T Designs is the premier New Orleans and Gulf Coast region decorative arts firm. Trusted in historic spaces, our skill, care, and experience are unmatched. Owner and master artisan, Sylvia Thompson-Dias, was recently recognized as the “Design Master” in the decorative arts by New Orleans Homes Magazine. If you want the best, reach out and let us know how we can make your space a work of art!
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#yourspaceasaworkofart #honoringtraditionandprogress #artisan #craftsman #craftsmanship #craftsperson #craftswoman #decorativeartist #fauxfinish #interiordesigner #interiordesign #plaster #plasterfinish #plasterfinishes #limeplaster #tadelakt #floor #customfloor #stencil #customestencil #handpainted #residential #renovation #restoration #historicpreservation #neworleanspreservation #nolarchitecture #preservenola #Bywater #NOLA