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Wednesday, January 10, 2001 Local artist brings walls to life By MONROE
ROARK
Valerie Nelms paints a pretty picture on your ceiling, if you like. Homes all over Fayette and in other areas have been altered with the stroke of her brush, as everything from columns to fenceposts have appeared on walls to give an almost three-dimensional effect. Her company, Valerie Nelms Designs, has specialized in faux finishing and mural work for about five years. Before that, she spent 16 years designing costume jewelry and ladies accessories, but she has always been a painter. She also has a degree in textile design. Her business started as a result of her work in her own home, which friends would see and want for their homes. Through word of mouth, she has worked with several decorators on homes in Fayette as well as Newnan and even in Vinings, on the northern side of Atlanta. She loves her work because every home is different, making the architectural possibilities practically endless. She has also discovered a tremendous demand for this type of work, and she has heard of some local residents looking for a year or two before finding what they want. "People don't just want flat walls anymore," she said, noting that columns and arches simply painted on a wall can add a great deal to a home's overall look. One can even see her artwork directly overhead, in the form of clouds and cherubs surrounding a chandelier on a domed ceiling. A very popular area in many homes for customized designs is children's bedrooms, which can be tailored to the gender of the child and his or her interests. Nelms likes to combine the actual fixtures in a room with what can be designed on a wall, like painting flowers on a dresser that sits in front of an outdoor wall scene with a painted fence. Even the children themselves get involved on occasion, adding personal touches such as handprints or painted flowers to adorn their own living space. Most of her projects start with a single room and grow from there throughout the house. And while many of her clients are in higher-priced homes, often where she even works with the decorator during construction, she can work on any scale and tell a potential client what can be done within a specific budget. In addition to private homes, her work is on display in a couple of more public places in the county. Two recent examples are the Peeples Elementary School media center and the children's center at Fayetteville First United Methodist Church. These projects provide fresh challenges because of the amount of space. "I love to work big," she said. With three people who assist her on projects when needed, she has a full schedule for the next couple of months. A studio located right outside her house gives her space for some of her work not done in clients' homes. Valerie provides consulting on-site or at her studio in Fayetteville. To schedule an appointment call 770-461-4420 or 678-462-0412. She has no plans to stop doing the work she loves anytime soon. "Look at it this way," she said. "I get to draw on walls for a living."
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