Ben Chandler Design

Ben Chandler Design has been in the Decorative Arts and Interior Design business since 1994.  Among other schools and teachers, owner Ben Junta trained under the world renowned decorative painter George Zaffle, through UC Berkeley.  Ben also studied color theory at one of the most historic art schools in the United States, The Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown, MA.  He also spent time studying at both the Santa Fe Art Institute, as well as the Vermont Studio Center.   He then took these years of training and offered his creative services to the design world.

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Those of us old enough to have gone through the first dot-com tech boom in the late 1990's know too well the boom of "faux finishes".  Initially, they were well used and were a great addition to the interior design scene.  But, as many of us know, they became cliched and lost their vitality.  It wasn't so much that they were overused as it was that the whole decorative paint business seemed to become synonymous with what the general public knew, which was basically a relatively small handful of hand done finishes.  It became very limiting, many were done by unskilled general painting contractors, and we all tired of it.   

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But this is an art form that truly stands the test of time, going back to the days of the Renaissance  (Renaissance Paint History).  Skilled craftsmen of that time trained for years under mentors until they were ready to go off on their own.  The traditions have been handed down through the years and it is truly the responsibility of true artists, artisans, interior designers, and architects to know how to bring these ancient arts into contemporary times.  It is an exciting time to see the resurgence of artisanal hand painted finishes.  They allow for a look and feel that no wall paper can truly ever completely capture.  They keep the soul of art alive in the home or the commercial space in which they are used.   Whether it is the new use of metallic paints or various plasters and modern stencils, the contemporary uses of decorative painting are truly endless.  They can be dramatic or subtle, and everything in between.  It truly is an exciting time again for this industry.  In this sense, as a designer and in the name of "specialties", along with his vast knowledge of art and art history, Ben deeply understands the history of the decorative arts, and how it is evolving in the current times, and how it may play a role in your home.  As part of the whole interior design package it is important to be looking both back in time and forward by helping better educate other designers, architects, and general contractors as to the infinite range of design possibilities offered with today's always evolving decorative finishes.