Gracie Wallpaper Creates Hand-Painted Murals Depicting Elsa Maxwell for Tribeca Members' Club

Gracie Wallpaper, a New York-based wallcovering studio, has produced a series of hand-painted wallpaper murals for Maxwell Social, a members' club located in a historic Tribeca building. The murals illustrate significant moments from the life of Elsa Maxwell, a renowned author and socialite known for her extravagant parties. Each mural required between 60 and 120 hours of painting, using casein paints on gold leaf backgrounds with metallic details. Jennifer Gracie, the studio's creative director, explained that the project involved researching period-specific patterns and capturing the social atmosphere of Maxwell's era. The scenes include depictions of Maxwell dining with Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstein, as well as her interests in can-can dancing, scavenger hunts, and trained seals. Installation was handled by JM Shea, with careful alignment needed to create seamless panoramic views. Jacob Brown, creative director of Maxwell Social, noted that the murals encourage conversation among members, contrasting with typical hotel lobby aesthetics. Founder David Litwak emphasized that the club's design reflects Maxwell's sophisticated and entertaining approach to high society. The murals are compared to Ludwig Bemelmans' works at The Carlyle Hotel for their evocative quality.