Historical research and restoration have fascinated me for my whole life. Some of my first memories are beautiful afternoons spent toddling about museums with my father, listening to him explain the exhibits to me with enthusiasm to relive the tour guilds. As I grew, my love for history expanded into a passion for culture, anthropology, and research. Here, I used video documentation by a variety of YouTubers who specialize in abandoned home exploration to research color palettes and motifs used in 18th - 19th-century châteauxu in the South of France. When I found motifs that I believed could be modernized, I began to reconstruct them using the Pen Tool, color sampler, and pattern maker in Adobe Illustrator. I then wove these pieces of French history and culture into the French brand Chantal, which celebrates the beauty of Provence and the essence of luxury.
While watching the Bros of Decay YouTube video " Greatest Abandoned Fairytale Castle In The World ~ Millions Left Behind! (youtube.com) ". I was introduced to Chateau Milles Chambre, which is an abandoned Chateau hidden away somewhere near the heart of Provence. The flower motif that stars in the Chantal brand is directly inspired by wallpaper a study on the ground floor of Chateau Milles Chambre. In the original design, the flower is gray-blue on a vibrant orange background. Taking a bit of creative license, I chose to modernize the design by forgoing the orange and changing the flower's color to a teal inspired by paint sampling from other rooms in the Chateau.
The wreath motif, which serves as a background element for the Chantal brand, is also directly inspired by wallpaper from another abandoned Chateau in the South of France. To recreate the rough, organic nature of this element, I used the brush tools and the Distrot & Transform effects in Adobe Illustrator.
