Today is Superbowl Sunday — they day where it’s all about super bowls in interior design. I found some beautiful “bowl” images for us to look at and of course, they feature decor that might inspire the artisan in each of us. Enjoy!
Let’s start with beautiful mosaics.
A bit of distressing, both elegant and whimsical…
Beautiful blues…
Cozy jewel tones…
All along the walls…
…and finally, some gorgeous neutrals.
Images culled from Harrison Mann, The Complete Book of Paint, Painted House’s Kitchens & Baths, Tile Style Pattern Guide, Phoenix Home & Garden, Modern Glamour and Paris Interiors.
Now, what’s this I hear about some big game?
I’ve talked about the Faux Retreat before. It’s a whole new take on a European idea — the artisans live together in one house and share the costs of both the instructors and the living expenses. To get more of an idea on this beautiful week of workshops held in the Spring and Fall, please visit their comprehensive site. The next course, the Spring Faux Retreat, will be held the week of May 1 – 5, 2010 in Spooner, Wisconsin. The class instructors will be Dean Sickler and Laine Discepoli, with special mini-classes on Aurastone and business upselling techniques.
(Here’s the artisans from the Fall 2009 Faux Retreat. I heard the bear just kinda showed up but fit right in — even made some great boards!)
The reason for my post? The Faux Retreat founders are searching for a class monitor for the Spring workshop– a “not for monetary position awarded to an artist who has been chosen by a group of instructors and others in the decorative finishing community.” Although not compensated, the artisan will receive the following; lodging, food, class notes and techniques, fellowship with other students and bonus mini classes. I’m on the Retreat Monitor Selection Committee and I think it’s an amazing opportunity for the right person. Think it’s something for you? Click here to read more about the program, duties and fill out the application. The deadline for submission is February 28th. Much luck! :)
It’s that time of year again — finding out what the major color associations are predicting will be the biggest colors of the year in home merchandising and design! This year, I reported on the 2010 Color Trends for the Home Workshop blog. This past December, I did quickly post about Pantone’s choice but make sure you click on over to Home Workshop for the full report, which includes additional color predictions by the Paint Quality Institute and the Color Marketing Group. BTW, how did last year’s Color Trends prove for you? Mimosa, the beautiful bright yellow, was supposed to be a big color…
The Faux Finish School is a studio I’ve always wanted to travel to and take a class. It is run by Martin Alan Hirsch and one of my fave artisans, Florida-based Krista Vind, has taught at the school for the last five years. A founding member of Sisters Hands, she’s currently teaching the RS-Crete and Rock-Kote course with co-instructor Cindy Everett, featuring finishes for two of the hottest surfaces for finishers today: countertops and floors. Of these products she says, “What is so cool about them is that they have expanded my business so much. In a difficult economy the more types of surfaces you can offer finishes for, the better your chances of making a sale or for upselling.” I thought we’d have a chat with Krista and see what she thinks is coming up in our industry, a bit about her classes and experiences.
Q: Where do you see our industry heading?
A: Right now there is a movement toward online classes, which is great for the industry professional, but I still believe in the hands-on approach to training, especially for beginner to intermediate students. There is nothing like having an instructor give you one-on-one attention, help your technique and give you advice on color and procedure. I know many people are branching out, offering faux finishes for non-traditional surfaces as well as incorporating faux finish materials into canvas art and other things such as patina mirrors. I have been doing quite a bit of those things myself.
Q: What are some of your favorite design styles?
A: I love retro, contemporary, modern and transitional. I have found that designers often don’t visualize faux finishing in some of those types of interiors so it has been very fun and challenging to create finishes that will work with those styles.
Some of the finishes taught in the workshops (Contemporary – top row, RS Crete – 2nd row)
Be sure to click on the pics for a zoom close-up
Q: What inventions make your job easier?
A: The Keurig coffee maker (best invention EVER), my hot tub, the cabinet drying rack from Marti Carroll, U-line plastic bags for lining my paint trays (thanks to Melanie Royals for that trick). I also love my new Dodge truck. After 23 years of driving my beloved Bronco, having a new open bed truck with A/C is a dream! I also really want to purchase a Pro Easy drying cabinet from Steve Wallis. I’m sure this will save me time and stress when making customer samples.
I realized that I’d forgotten to share some of the projects we’ve done. Bad blogger!!! Well, in the past few months, we have been working on quite a few restaurants. I will spotlight a few of them in the coming weeks but we’ll start with Marie Livingston’s Steakhouse in Tallahassee, FL. The restaurant has been voted Tallahassee’s best steakhouse for the past several years and yet even with these accolades, Mrs. Livingston decided to not only build a new location but also create a cozier, more sophisticated atmosphere.
She brought in Orlando-based architectural firm The Evans Group for their professional expertise. We worked with their design team, Karen Guindi and A.J. Falbo, who picked unique finishes for many of the restaurant’s spaces. Karen Guindi describes the design as a “contemporary twist on a Charleston flavor”. Here’s our tour:
The exterior Courtyard shares its space with the Main Entrance. A faux marble was requested for the background of the restaurant’s large sign. To see a close-up, click here.
Once you walk in, you will see a small dome above the Reception. The designers liked the idea of a distressed silver leaf – they wanted the black base showing through the leaf and the squares not so perfectly set. To see the setting, here’s a Before pic.
Moving to the main Dining Area, there was a curved accent wall that was begging for a special finish. A two-toned Venetian Plaster with a pearl mica overlay was chosen. I believe they will be putting a piano in that area. Click on the pics for a larger version.
In the Ladies Room, a Luster Leaf finish was applied to the walls. This is a visual after we finished but before it was completed. Still to come were beautiful light fixtures, mirrors, a chandelier and other accents. To see a closeup of the finish, click here.
Finally, there was a faux Ostrich Skin designated for the three booth areas in the Bar. Although we do not have final pics, we do have a close-up of the finish. The colorations were chosen to blend with the fabrics of the custom-made curved booths.
We will be travelling back to take final photographs but I thought you’d enjoy the above in the meantime. Have a wonderful day!
Ahhh, New Year = New Outlook! When you hear the words “Antique Mirror” you think a beautifully aged looking glass — perhaps in a French chateau, perhaps in panels in an upscale hotel lobby. We LOVE those mirrors but also look forward to all the new patinas and designs you can do as well. This month, we premiere our Mirror of the Month: Mod Chic. It is not an antiqued miror per se, but it features one of many retro-forward designs available and can be done in any coloration and almost any size. Mmmm, now we’re talking!
Our studio produces creates these patinas and many more to ship world-wide. They can be cleaned and installed like a regular mirror and best of all, add a bit of visual oomph. What could be better? Please be sure to check out the rest of our gallery as well. We have a special newsletter for the Design trade and if you are interested in receiving it, please fill out our Contact Us form, send a Tweet to @Fauxology or simply e-mail a request to Info@GarayArtisans.com — we look forward to hearing from you!
I hope everyone is enjoying the New Year! There’s no better way to kick-off the posts for this year than to show you a video made for Big Sky Countries, the organization that donates murals to children’s centers around the world. Big Sky is the brainchild of artisan, Nichole Blackburn, whom we’ve profiled before. She recently had a Moroccan Fundraiser and had the footage of the event put together. Enjoy!
P.S. Please be sure to check out their gallery of donated murals from countries such as Thailand and the Philippines. If you’d like to consider donating to this worthy cause, click here.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful and prosperous New Year 2010!
I was strolling along the beautiful shops in Savannah, when I spied this gorgeous book in the Mercer House gift shop. Alas, it was their only copy and not for sale. Blasphemy! I wanted to review the book before I plunked down good monies, so I came home to Orlando and had an interlibrary loan set up via my local library. (The loan arrived all the way from the University of Alabama!)
Regency Redux focuses on one of the most sophisticated moments in design history: the Regency period in England. Written by design historian Emily Evans Eerdmans and published by Rizzoli, the book also delves into modern interpretations of the Regency style, including influences brought upon by French and American designers. It starts with an introduction to the original Regency period, moves into the Neoclassical timeline and then delves into the stylized interiors of the 1930’s and also into how Hollywood made use of the style in lavish movie sets. There are sumptuous photographs in both color and black & white. Additionally, there is a foreword by designer Kelly Wearstler, herself a lover of glamour, excitement and dramatic luxury. What’s not to love?
Please be sure to click on the pictures to get a larger zoom version.
(Below) On the left, the Music Room at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. It features 26,000 hand-gilded cockleshells applied to the domed ceiling. (Whoa…) On the right, The Platinum Room in Spain’s La Casita del Labrador.
(Below) On the left, a modern living space featuring what looks like an unusual plaster finish on the walls. (LOVE!) On the right, Eltham Palace with its strong Art Deco influence. BTW, if you’d like to read more about greek key origins, click here.
Who wouldn’t love to just be an extra alongside Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers in Roberta? Just the dresses alone…I think I’ll start posing like that daily…
(Below) On the left, Marble Hall at Kedleston Hall. Roman baths were the inspiration for the space. On the right, the inimitable work of Rex Whistler.
A peek into scenic wall drawings…
Needless to say, I’ve already ordered my own copy. (I also seriously think that the Rizzoli publishing house can just back up their trucks right to my front lawn. I just want all their books. Every single one. I’ll find space.) I hope I’ve inspired you to look into Regency Redux and plan a little glamour of your own for 2010. Also, be sure to check out the lovely design blog of the author, Emily Evans Eerdmans. Until next time!
Garay Artisans, through our Fauxology blog, would like to wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season! Thank you to our clients for an amazingly creative year and to our readers for your continued return and lovely comments.
Enjoy…and we’ll see you soon!
