Casual Elegance

IMG_0539

As promised, here's the latest project I completed. First off, the ceiling in the family room had some great beams but felt cold left white. We decided to woodgrain them to match the other wood tones throughout the home.  The centers of the coffers were treated with a custom textural paint/plaster to create a more casual feel compared to the foyer, living, and dining rooms because this is where the family gathers.

2012-04-17_15-08-46_77

Progress...the beams were treated first.The area on the left has the second layer of woodgraining while the right only has the first layer.

2012-04-20_16-23-26_323

Here you can see the finished look at the top of the picture. The bottom three have the texture applied but haven't been glazed yet.

And...(drum roll please)......

IMG_0811

Tada!

Here's some closer shots taken from the balcony

IMG_0890

IMG_0892

And here are the other three ceilings completed while on the project.

IMG_0901

Living room

IMG_0905

Dining Room (Medallion treated also)

IMG_0803

Vestibule (This finish was really fun to do and would look great anywhere!)

IMG_0879

And finally here are the medallions painted in the foyer to enhance the space and pick up on the scroll designs on the chandeliers.

2012-04-24_14-21-17_268

Progress shot of setup and transfer of design

IMG_0869

IMG_0871

Completed space.

Thanks to the clients for a great opportunity!

On a Mission

IMG_0267

IMG_0029

Yesterday I was privileged to speak at the monthly meeting of the WCAA; the Window Covering Association of America, a group of designers and window covering artists; about the subject of how finishing can solve design challenges. It is part of my campaign to rid the world of the negative perception of faux finishing. (If you read my article about how "Faux is Dead" then you know that Faux is actually alive and well.  And from now on "Faux" will not be synonymous with "bleh.") After I discussed how to enhance architectural features and make the unwanted things disappear ...     

How to create the illusion of more space...

garden door

And how to be green by saving and repurposing what you have;

potomac cabs copy

I gave a demonstration on how to create the look of wood.  I talked about different basecoat colors (which often freak out the clients!) and the various layers and tools used to achieve the final effect.

me at wcaa

Members got in on the action..

Kris Ozgar and Me at WCAA

Hopefully the next time they're faced with a design challenge they will give faux a try. We had a blast and I hope to be invited back again.

Faux Finishing is Dead.

What do you think of when you hear the word “FAUX?” Does it give you thoughts of your friend “fauxing” her living room with a sponge and some pukey yellow paint? Does it remind you of that crusty brown “Tuscan Old World” mess on your neighbor’s wall?

How about if I told you that “faux” in today’s interior design is alive and well if you know where to look.

Since being in this business I have had people say to me “Oh, faux? My sister used to do that. Isn’t it called ragging?” or “I don’t like faux, its so passé.”  Then I get to show them my samples and they say “That’s faux?!  It looks like _____!” (Insert something like leather, wood, marble, fabric, etc.) Unfortunately many people I’ve met associate the term faux with ragging or sponging which are in fact foundation techniques that are used to create more complex finishes but have become synonymous with dated d-i-y walls. They are unaware of the magic a trained and experienced decorative painter is capable of with a can of paint and a few creative flips of the brush.

At last year’s BSA Decorator’s Showhouse in Baltimore, I had the pleasure of working with Paula Henry of Simply Put Interiors on the “Suite Retreat” master bedroom.  (This year's is in the works!) She and I came up with a finish for the walls that replicated the look of wallpaper.  One day when Paula was attending her room, a visitor came to her and asked about the “wallpaper.”  Paula told her that the walls were faux finished but the visitor insisted that it was paper.  Paula told the lady that she was there when they were being painted so they were in fact faux. The lady still didn’t believe her.  I laughed out loud when I heard that!

Suite Retreat

Good faux painting is undetectable. Unless you have a trained eye (and sometimes hand) to discern the surface, most people walk right by without a second thought.  Another example: I was at a home show a few years ago where I had a panel that I wood grained to look like mahogany. I literally had to stop people and say, “That’s not real, it’s painted.” And they would look at me like I had two heads.  I certainly got a kick out of their reaction.

door wood

Today’s “faux” is simply a reincarnation of ancient methods. If we look at the term “faux,” it translates from French meaning “false.” These techniques started as a form of replicating materials such as marble, wood, and other natural surfaces with paint; but in our age has come to encompass many other decorative finishes for walls, furniture, and other surfaces.  Faux finishing has been used for millennia, from cave paintings to ancient Egypt but what we generally think of as faux finishing in the decorative arts began with plaster finishes in Mesopotamia over 5000 years ago. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faux_painting)

my bathroom

Old finishes don’t die; they simply get updated with materials, color schemes, or chemistry.  Lately wallpaper is all the rage and rightly so.  There are beautiful colors, patterns, textures, and sheens, all which fly in the face of the now dated old world plasters, textures, and other faux finishes.  But what’s interesting is that most of the papers I see I say to myself, “I can do that with paint!” The best thing is that I can do that in the EXACT color and scale the client needs – i.e., the client is not limited to what’s on the wallpaper. The best decorative artist can see a surface and will be able to dissect the finish into its elements. Stencils, metallic paints, glass beads, or plasters; these are all just materials.  Its what the decorative artist does with these materials that develops into a timeless or trendy finish, whatever the client wishes.

IMG_0560

potomac cabs

So what does this mean for you? Well, let me give you some examples.  When you have a surface in your house that has seen better days you may think about replacing it rather than saving it.  Painting kitchen cabinets are much more economical than ripping out and replacing them when done correctly.

Glazes can transform an otherwise boring drywall and molding ceiling into a mahogany masterpiece.  A builder’s grade white fireplace mantle can be painted to look like carved marble. Grandma’s buffet can be updated to the 21st century. Want a tile backsplash but can’t find the perfect tile that matches your granite? Paint it.  Want to tie together two disparate rooms? A perfect artistic finish will do the trick.

IMG_0276

Part of being an artist is to show people how art can enhance their every day lives and environment. Faux is just one way of achieving that goal. It is not simply ragging or sponge painting either.  It’s a way to bring interest, or subtlety, or impact, or all of the above to your environment that you will love for years.

Faux isn’t dead, its hiding in plain sight.