Palm Palm, Pittsburgh’s new East End eatery, blends swanky 70s glamor with delicious cuisine. The 1970s photographs of Slim Aarons help set a West Coast tone, along with some delicious photo murals derived from the work of Peter Thomas. But the most remarkable decorative details come from the hand of Daniel Bland, a British decorative painter and muralist who spent two months in Pittsburgh to complete his delicious contribution to Palm Palm.
Check out Kylie Thomas’s account of TABLE’s first meal at Palm Palm.
Working with fellow Brit artist Selina Grazia, Bland competed two glorious gilded ceilings and two immersive private dining rooms. These luscious chambers are glassed-off from the kitchen, giving them prime views of the wonderful behind-the-scenes dance of chefs and servers. The beauty of these spaces inspired us to get to know Daniel a bit better. Editor-in-Chief Keith Recker pops a few questions.
A Discussion with Palm Palm Muralist Daniel Bland
TABLE Magazine: Please tell us how you learned your craft as a decorative painter and muralist?
Daniel Bland: I discovered the craft of ‘gilding’ while experimenting with the interior design of my Victorian home in England. I’ve always preferred to paint on a larger scale compared to my peers in school, and my career as a mural artist really kicked off after I had a mural commission on the final of BBC Interior Design Masters, season 2, for Siobhan Murphy.
Tell us about at least one of your favorite commissions.
One (or should I say 2) of my favorite commissions were jungle murals for the Brazilian fashion brand Farm Rio for their store in Le Marais, Paris, and later for their private showroom in Paris. Both depict plants and animals native to Brazil, with gold leaf details and a soft colour palette to complement the vibrant prints and colors of their clothing.
At Palm Palm, particularly in their two private chef’s table dining rooms, you dove into the color green. Why?
Green has such a variety of shades, from fresh and calming, to moody and enchanting. All of these fitted perfectly with nature-based themes like the ones we chose for Palm Palm. The lighter green was perfect for the smaller private dining room to really lift the space, whereas the larger space, with its two glass walls, could take a deeper shade without it closing in the space.
The palm leaves come from the Palm Springs references of the Palm Palm concept, correct? Where did the lily pads come from? How did you settle into the patterns you painted?
The lily pad ceiling has been a motif I’ve wanted to execute for some time! They were inspired by my contemporary Henry Van der Vijver and reinforced by our exploratory trip to Phipps Conservatory. The idea initially started with part of the ceiling but quickly escalated to the entire ceiling and extending the silver gilding down the walls, drawing the guests to look at the walls but really wow them with the ceiling!
We were told that the style of Degournay’s very wonderful and very expensive hand painted wallpapers was a reference point. We can see that in the palms, though rendered in a more modern point of view. Can you speak to that?
I admire the work of Degournay and have discussed collaboration with them to bring some of my style into the more classic traditional collection. I’m really passionate about injecting some fun and whimsy into these rapidly dwindling/often inaccessible crafts.
I went to the Claude Monet/Joan Mitchell exhibit at the Vuitton Foundation in Paris a couple of years ago. One of Monet’s water lily paintings, a particularly large one with bronzy green overtones, revealed so much about how overpainting previous work sessions was part of his process. The water lily images you painted reminded me of the feeling of immersion I felt when standing in front of the painting. Can you comment on the immersive feeling of that private dining room…indeed of both of them.
I also studied Monet and other Impressionist artists, and also the painters of the Fauvist movement, for their expressive color work and how they bent and broke the ‘rules’ of art in their time. It was an amazing opportunity to view Monet’s lilies at Musée de l’Orangerie when working in Paris, and to experience the panoramic effect of them. Their immersiveness reinforced my connection to botanical artwork and to making full use of an entire room as my canvas. While some people treat paint and wallpaper as simple wall treatments, I see them as an opportunity to create an immersive experience for the viewer. I use the composition to lead the eye around the room, continually noticing new details.
How long did it take you? Did Herky and Lisa Pollock [owners of Palm Palm] collaborate?
Selina and I spent nearly a full month in Pittsburgh working on Palm Palm’s two gilded ceilings and two private dining rooms, hand applying several thousand sheets of Italian Dutch metal leaf. While we had several calls to discuss ideas prior to our arrival, there was already a mutual understand that we’d bounce ideas off of each other and collaborate with Herky and Lisa to create the perfect design and ambience. I often find that even the most well-planned design on paper will always benefit from flexibility and adaptation once we’re in the physical space, taking the scale and feel of the area into account as the artwork develops, and it was such a pleasure to work with like-minded people like Herky and Lisa!
Story by Keith Recker
Photography Courtesy of Rose Colored Creative
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