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.
Recently, I became aware of a trip to Lebanon that was undertaken by artisan Rima Bechara, of Massachusett’s Walls & More. Of course, I was completely intrigued and was elated when she agreed to share some of her story and pictures. Yay for us!
Lebanon is in Western Asia and bordered by Syria, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea. It’s capital is Beirut and the official languages are both Arabic and French. Rima explains her background, “I was born in Beirut but because of political and religious unrest my father moved my family to England when I was 8 years old. We used to visit most summers since we still had family there. I met my husband at school in Manchester, England, and he, too, was born in Beirut. We go back every few years with our girls, because we want them to remember their culture and the rich heritage that Lebanon has. Unfortunately, the media shows only the extremes of Lebanese fighting or in the alternate, its place as one of the world’s party places. The Lebanese are very hospitable and kind people. If it were not for the political and religious problems, Lebanon would be a paradise.“
She continues, “As far as design, almost every space seems to be made from stone and marble. The buildings and high rises are all steel and concrete. The internal walls are very thick with absolutely no wallpaper. Most homes are still into white walls because the furniture in those rooms is very ornate. There are no wooden floors and the ceilings are plaster. The rooms are huge and there are lots of balconies.”
Here’s the lovely Rima and her family…
Rima was particularly fascinated by the Palace of Beiteddine. She explains, “It took about 30 years to complete and the best craftsmen from Damascus, Aleppo and Italy were invited and given the freedom to create. It’s style is a cross between traditional Arab and Italian baroque. The walls and ceilings are covered in intricately carved and painted wood, embellished with Arab calligraphy. The palace is the summer residence of the President.”
Baalbek, one of Lebanon’s greatest treasures, can be counted among the wonders of the ancient world. It is one of the largest and best preserved Roman temples ever built.
A bit more of the architecture and artworks around Lebanon.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our virtual trip to the beautiful country of Lebanon. Thank you, Rima, for sharing all your wonderful information, insights and photographs! Please do visit her website if you have a moment. Until next time, dear Reader!
Debra Campbell, of both Wallartistry and the Midwest School of Italian Plasters, was chosen to take part in ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to air this Sunday, November 8th at 8 pm, EST. Although no pictures were allowed to be taken of the project (since it has yet to air), the following is a pic of Debra’s team at the lucky home.
(Above) L to R: Jill Scherer, Lori Polumbo, Diane Hanson, and Debra Campbell
For the Extreme Makeover shows, the previous home is knocked down and a new one built and decorated in its place in less than a week. All labor is voluntary or donated and all the materials are paid for with donated funds or given directly to the project. Everything is done well with several hundred people working together to help one family. Although no details can be given out before the show, Debra did share how she came to be involved and a bit of her experience. Lucky for us! Here it is in her own words:
I fell into the Extreme Makeover Home Edition show. The builder is a close friend of my brother, who owns a local business called Hanson Audio Video. When the producers came to town ahead of the show to go over the details, my brother mentioned that he had a sister who did faux finishing. They took a look at my Wallartistry website and proclaimed, “We LOVE your sister!” Next thing I know I’m getting a phone call asking me if I would volunteer — of course I said “YES!” We had a work trip scheduled to Nashville for around the time they would be needing us, so I asked my client if we could move our trip up to accommodate the EMHE taping schedule. They were thrilled for us and said “No problem!”. We ended up leaving for our job in Nashville on Thursday afternoon to start work first thing Friday morning and working all weekend to drive home again LATE Sunday night in order to report to EMHE set first thing Monday morning. Who needs sleep?!?
Details about the show have to be kept under wraps until the airing, but I can tell you that we did several projects that you can keep an eye out for: a desk/hutch in the master bedroom with a cool and very trendy taupe-gray lime finish, all the wall surfaces in the bedroom with the home theater screen that feature Espresso Chocolate LusterStone and aged metallics, and a large feature wall in the dining area with irregular stripes featuring both LusterStone and Calcenova Venetian Plaster, a 100% pure lime Venetian plaster by Safra.
The filming of a Kellie Pickler music video set us back 4 hours because they filmed it right when we needed to work! (Us four girls in the photo were used as “extras” so we might just embarrass ourselves with some cheesy dance moves on national television!) We were there until almost 5 in the morning on the day of the reveal. We went home, took a cat nap, showered and came back to help with any last minute details. It was really fun to see how the behind the scenes work on these shows. Everyone is genuine and truly caring about the generous work that goes on for each of these families. The sheer number of local volunteers in staggering and everyone had a great attitude. It really does give you a feeling of hope and that there is true goodness in life. I am thankful to have been a part of it. Everyone that helped me did so generously and willingly asking for no compensation. They were just happy to be a part of it, too. I hope the family likes what we did. I’m looking forward to seeing their reaction when I watch the show Sunday night!
Congratulations, Debra! I’m looking forward to watching Sunday night as well — I hope you do as well, dear Readers! Remember that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition airs this Sunday, November 8th at 8 pm (est) on ABC. Until next week…
So, there I was, perusing through my Inc. magazine November issue when I came upon something unexpected. Their current Behind the Scenes section has a beautiful two-page profile on the Southern Theatre in Columbus, Ohio written by Alexandra Cheney. Behind the Scenes features “companies at the heart of everyday life”. Here’s both pages (I spliced them together) as photographed by Andrew Moore:
The Southern Theatre opened in 1896 and was one of the first theatres in Columbus to use electricity. It features gorgeous gold leafing and ornamental work. The plaster is done by Pymer Plastering, the decendants of the original plaster artisans. During the fourteen-month restoration that started in September 1998, they removed much of the original plaster, which was a mixture of horsehair and either lime or gypsum, and replaced it with plaster strengthened with nylon fibers. On the Southern Theatre website, you can read about its history and see further pictures with a virtual tour. It is definitely a stop for me the next time I’m in Ohio. BTW, the November Inc. issue also has other great articles — including ones on growing your company, balancing a family business and ideas for selling luxury in a recession. It’s a great magazine — hope you pick it up!
Artist: Maria Trimbell
The first time I saw the ethereal and beautiful work of Maria Trimbell, I was mesmerized. I literally loved each and every work of art in her portfolio gallery! It’s no wonder she works with some of the top designers in the country. I’m so happy she was kind enough to have a chat with us here at Fauxology.
Maria has been an artist her entire life and in addition to private lessons, earned her BFA from San Francisco State. Even with such wonderful education, decorative painting wasn’t a known option to her. “I didn’t know there was a profession painting decorative murals in homes until I was in my mid 20’s, when a designer friend asked me to do some painting. I was terrified, which is funny to me now because it didn’t take long for me to feel totally comfortable painting on people’s walls. I remember actually making a mental switch of ‘just use a bigger brush’. Now I love this work and the way a mural can magically transform a space and create atmosphere”, Maria says. She continues, “The comfort I feel on the job developed from doing a very intense 3+ years working for a San Diego high-end faux finisher as his Art Director, which meant I designed and painted the mural commissions he received. After that I qualified to get my contractor’s license and had, by then, acquired important technical knowledge.”
Some of this acquired knowledge can be seen in the magazines and books her work has been featured in, including Michael Smith’s Houses and Diane Dorrans Saeks’ Santa Barbara Living. Her work is also featured in the October 2009 issue of House Beautiful, wherein a Laguna Beach, CA home designed by Michael Smith is profiled. Here are some images (photographed by Lisa Romerein):
Q: You eventually moved to Los Angeles…
A: I did eventually move to LA where things were starting to happen — I had met some interesting people with an atmospheric antique store in Santa Monica and while painting “frescos” with milk paints there one day, a couple walked in and said to the proprietor “We just bought an apartment in Venice (Italy) and need a mural painted…do you know of a mural artist?” I got to spend a nice chunk of time in my now favorite city painting a whole room — not a bad job, to say the least!
Working in LA has been fun and I’ve had a few celebrity clients including Lionel Richie, Ray Liotta and Emilio Estevez. It had also been my dream to paint for Michael Smith, as I love his style, so another highlight in my career has been doing so many projects for his company, including a beautiful home in Montecito that’s been photographed for a magazine and a couple of books. They have commissioned me in other places, too — Paradise Valley, New York, Sea Island (near Savannah) and my new favorite place in the world besides Venice: Mallorca, Spain.
On the top is the garden fantasy room in Venice photographed by Andrea Wyner and on the bottom is the Santa Monica antique store…
Recently, Jason Lucas and Anthony Pinkston teamed up to bring professional artisans a complete resource website, Method Finishing. Their motto is “The Nuts and Bolts of Decorative Finishing”. It is a subscription-based website but even if you do not sign up, there are many complimentary resources available. As you enter each of their site’s areas, there is someone telling you exactly what that page contains. I’m not one to like hearing music when I enter a website, but that is a pretty cool feature.
If you go to their Video section, they have 30 second ads and hi-res pictures for each of their Methods (Recipes), which you can choose to purchase individually. An area that is quickly becoming a fave of mine is their Resources. It lists product manufacturers, colors and a resource glossary. (That colors link is a sample page and is an area for subscribers only.) I love how they list all the organizations, forums and online sites available for professional finishers. (I once thought to write a blog post about that but there it is all in one page. Nice!) I do have to say that it warms my heart to see the Fauxology blog listed as a resource under Blogs and Online Publications. (Thanks, fellas!) They also have cool Galleries to gain inspiration from.
The subscription runs $35/month and they have a Professional subscription which runs $105/quarter — namely, $26.25 per month. During the year, there will be roughly 56 finishes sent to each subscriber, so it averages out to about $7.50 per video recipe. The professional subscription actually receives more — about 64 new finishes per year. (Side note: I’m not ashamed to say I needed a calculator for that one. I’m an artist not a mathematician, folks. Ironically, I married a past state champion for Math. How’d that happen?!?) I hope you get a chance to review their site and access further information about the program. They even have a Facebook page. Let me know what you think!
Wanted to take a quick minute to tell you how awesome the latest PWC issue is. I just received it last week and the cover grabbed me – Decorative Finishing ‘09: The Art of Success.
If you are not subscribed to the magazine, they do provide the articles online. The Art of Access has wonderful profiles of five different artisans who showcased how they accessed difficult areas in order to finish them. It’s a cool read and features two of my fellow Talk Faux moderators, Jason Lucas and Bernadette Forese. It also has an article on ceilings as well as an informative piece on Venetian Plasters by Italian artisan Nicola Vigini called Deciphering “Plaster Speak”. The issue also covers digital murals and for those of us who like business articles, there’s also a fantastic one entitled Overcoming Underpricing: How to Price for Profit in a Lowball World. There is more to read so if you do not have the issue in hand, click on over to the PWC site to look over all they have to offer. If you’d like subscription information, here is their Contact info. Talk to you soon!
Chances are you are familiar with the book, The House that Faux Built by author and activist Adrienne Van Dooren. It’s one of the must-have books to own in your design library since it showcases the transformation of a 1940’s home with over 500 pictures of beautiful finishes by some of the best artisans of today. However, this is no ordinary decorative painting book – true to it’s title, the proceeds of its sale were going towards raising enough money to build a home in New Orleans, post-Katrina. The beauty of it all? After four years, it has proven a success and the funds to build the home have been raised! Here are some pics from the project, now under construction:
The home will be a sanctuary for a young family with two children and is being built from scratch from the proceeds. During the first week in November, the house will be worked on by various artists who have volunteered their time and resources for this second “House That Faux Built” project. The second phase of this project will be included in a re-printing of the original book and this round will benefit both Habitat for Humanity as well as the SPCA. There are also other good works coming in to play. Rebecca Parsons will be on hand during the two weeks to video the project, the dedication ceremony and the artisans who selflessly are donating their time for a mini-documentary of the process. The entire project will also be professionally photographed and will receive a well-deserved amount of press.
I spoke with Asheville artisan Lyna Dawn, the Chairperson of the project, to get a little more information on this worthy endeavor. There is more information to be had at the Faux House website but here’s some good ways to get involved in this second phase:
1) SPCA (Birdhouse Auction) – The SPCA will have their annual fundraising event on Saturday, November 14th, with a Hooray for Howlywood theme. During the event, there will be a charity auction involving gorgeous birdhouses handpainted by artisans – but hurry, the deadline to send one in is Thursday, October 29th. Send the birdhouses to:
Attention: Dean Howard
Howling for Success Auction
1700 Mardi Gras Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70114
2) Artisan Volunteers – The second phase will run the first two weeks of November. The first week is geared towards working on the actual Habitat home and both faux finishes and murals will take center stage here. The mural work will be geared towards helping the SPCA and its headquarters. Please note that great rates have been worked out to help with food and lodging costs (including the beautiful Degas House) and most materials will be donated. Jane Drew is the Project Coordinator in New Orleans and you can reach her by e-mailing Jane1478@aol.com or calling her directly at (504) 666-2609.
3) SPCA (Doghouse Challenge) – During the first week of November, doghouses will be built by an artist couple in Monroe, LA and will be painted by the volunteer artisans. These will also be auctioned off at the SPCA shindig, Hooray for Howlywood, and will be spotlighted by their special celebrity host.
4) Sponsorship – Some of the sponsors include Golden Paints, Royal Design Studio, Modern Masters and Jeff Raum Stencils. (Note to Readers: I’ll plug in more sponsors as I find out more about them.) If you’d like information on becoming a sponsor, please contact the Sponsorship Chair for the program, Laine Discepoli via e-mail Laine@misselaineous.net or via phone (513) 533-FAUX.
5) Donations – If you are not able to participate in any of the above but would love to help, please consider donating to the cause. All efforts are truly appreciated.
It’s amazing that such an incredible endeavor has come to fruition. It really is quite heartwarming that faux truly has built a home for a deserving family – and every one of us who owns the book helped make it happen. The original artisans must be so proud – as well as founder, Adrienne Van Dooren! Please tour the Faux House website, consider getting involved and by all means, purchase the book if you have not done so already. There is tons of eye candy, ideas and all for a wonderful cause! There is also a Facebook Fan Page for the originating non-for-profit organization, Artists4Others. Until next time!
Well, so much for “the goal is this week” (see previous post)! Thankfully, I can now get back to Fauxology and start writing again. :) I thought I would ease back into the posts by sharing something fun my sister, Suzanne, sent to me. Actually, this is what she said:
“I saw this video online and couldn’t resist sending it to you. It’s all about painting and it is FRIGGIN’ AMAZING!!! Holy cow. It’s long but worth the time to see it. Let me know your thoughts. I know you and J could appreciate the HARD work and time and commitment to this project. I personally would have been crying every step of the way.”
(Let me let you in on a little secret about our sibling-operated business. I have to say that our sister is a genius at the behind-the-scenes but definitely NOT the happiest of campers at a working jobsite. That’s more the domain of our brother, Jason, and I. So, her last sentence is most probably true, LOL!) The video is amazing and I’m so happy she sent it — thank you, Suzy! It’s a collaboration between BLU and David Ellis. It was produced by Studio Cromie with music by Roberto Carlos Lange. I do hope you enjoy it — the sheer creativity and (I think) superhuman effort is well worth it. Check out their sites for more cool artistry.
Today we continue with our Blog Beat series, wherein we profile bloggers around the World Wide Web. I’m very excited about our special guest today: Ann McGuire of the Color Buzz blog. Actually, Ann founded her company, Beehive Studios, in 1994 and she has since been joined by three other artisans, Michele Coppin, Megan Leblond and Veronique Habermann. Together they have worked with some of the best interior designers, traveled the world and had their work appear in Architectural Digest, Vogue, House Beautiful and Elle Decor, among others. On top of these amazing and deserved accomplishments, Beehive Studios is also color consultant for Valspar and its through their sponsorship that I found their blog, Color Buzz. I thoroughly enjoy Color Buzz since all four designers give amazing color guidance, beautifully researched design subjects plus a unique take on the decorative painting world. Another great feature is their expert color advice available to anyone with a design dilemma via their Ask the Experts. What’s not to love? Ann was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us — so sit back with a nice cup of coffee and let’s visit for a bit…
Q: Tell us a little about you and your blog.
A: Color is a huge part of our work. Sometimes the right color just falls into place; other times it takes hours of study and focus to get them right. But in the end, they have to harmonize. Color is important to so many aspects of life and it makes a huge difference when you get it right. Color Buzz explores various color palettes, color inspiration and painting techniques, and anything else we might be interested in when it comes to home décor and color! Personally, I have two amazing children and a great husband. We live in an old farmhouse in northeast Pennsylvania. I’ve painted since I was very young. I love what I do and having the opportunity to share this with others is absolutely wonderful.
Q: Who are some of your inspirations?
A: We work with some amazing designers like Victoria Hagan and William Sofield. They each bring both elegance and depth to all they do. I also really admire the work of Marietta Gomez because of the way she finds beauty in pairing things together, and also Rose Tarlow who reveals the essential beauty of a space by letting it be. I also really love the work of Dorothy Draper who’s daring imagination brought us iconoclastic designs from the thrilling dining room at the Metropolitan Museum to the sets of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movies.
Q: What sound would you miss if suddenly unable to hear it?
A: My children’s laughter.
Q: What photo or picture really moves you?
A: Vermeer’s painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. It’s beautiful, elegant and a great use of color. I could paint a whole house in the colors from that painting.
