I love the community of artists that surround Fauxology. I’ve mentioned before how many readers will send over links, images and snippets of information as possible blog topics. I appreciate them all! Artist Anna Sadler of Arizona’s Surface Refinements sent over information on her friend, Linda Topel, who offers artists and designers a great service via Photoshop.

Linda Topel: My first memory of the Arts is when I was about 4 years old.  I was painting with wet concrete all over my Dad’s car…it seemed like a proper support to me .  He wasn’t too happy since he had to stop pouring the new patio and wash the car. Needless to say, I’ve tended to avoid concrete since then!  Every other medium has been fair game. I found my way to online art forums after years of practicing alone and  I discovered Faux.  What a world of beauty it is, too!

While doing that, I found and fell in love with Photo-Shop. After a few years of experience, I look forward to doing what I love for more people:  Helping your client see what you see for their home by Photoshopping  a picture of your sample board into a picture of their room.

How cool is it to see the finishes being considered around their furniture and decor?

Linda, how does this work?

Pictures are e-mailed to me — photoshopbylinda@gmail.com — with your instructions.  Hi-res images work best and they can also be sent to me via cellphone e-mail (not as a text).  The better the picture, the better the end result.  I then provide a quote, time frame and payment instructions. Soon, the artist and/or designer will have images to show their clients!

Can you change the color?  Sometimes my clients love a finish but have a different color scheme going on.

I can change the color!  For more accuracy, a swatch or another picture of the color to be used should be sent.  I do advise that lighting and different monitors can affect the outcome.

Can a mural be applied?

Yes, a mural could be applied by sending a sketch, better yet in full color.  I can also work on different surfaces, including cabinetry.

How much does this cost and do you have a website?

Prices start at $12 per finished image.  I have a Facebook page, Photoshop by Linda, where I post information and photos.

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Do you like the idea?  I think it will definitely be very helpful in certain client situations!  Please do feel free to leave comments and/or questions for Linda — or just e-mail her directly and/or visit her Facebook page.  Thank you, Linda, for your time in answering my questions and to Anna for letting me know of her services.  Have a wonderful day, Everyone!

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Whenever I think of New Orleans style, I always think of it as the Rebel marrying the Debutante — a bit of rule-breaking going hand in hand with refinement.  While you can easily walk the various districts, you rarely (if ever) get a peek into the interiors.  It’s why I always enjoy coming upon books which lushly feature the homes and their design.

I found Big, Easy Style by Bryan Batt while walking the French Quarter. It was nestled within an independent bookstore in Pirate’s Alley called Faulkner House Books.  They only had one copy left (MINE!) and while visiting my favorite independent bookstore in the Garden District, Garden District Book Shop, I snagged a few more.

The author and the book, Big Easy Style.

What I absolutely love about the book is that Mr. Batt, both a succesful actor and designer, features the work of several designers and artisans, not just his own work.  I think that brings a greater overview and understanding of the interiors of New Orleans.  He also lists his favorite wall colors by several paint manufacturers.  Please note that the spaces were photographed by Kerri McCaffety, Erik Johnson and David Ash.  The book is published by Clarkson Potter.

Peacock Blue Lacquer Walls

A wall of small colorful canvases and a close-up of the drawer itself.

Painted and Gilded Panels – please do click to enlarge!

Distressed Plaster Wall

The book is a fantastic read as well — there are sections entitled “Love Your Booty!”, “All in the Family Room…” and “Guy Walks into a Bar” to name a few.  Normally, I just look at the beautiful photographs but he injects his vibrant personality into the writing and in doing so, makes it easy and fun to fully absorb his take on design and the soulful city which is his muse.

Gorgeous yellow walls with a glazed finish (left) and the fun of Mardi Gras float decorations on the walls (right).  Here’s a float with similar flowers!

Bryan Batt calls this a "hand-marbled gilt ceiling". I call it fabulous!

Mr. Batt opened Hazelnut New Orleans, a popular home furnishings boutique, with his partner Tom Cianfichi.  It is located in the heart of the French Quarter and “combines the old-world charm of New Orleans with a chic metropolitan twist”.  Please check out Hazelnut’s website as well as the one for Big, Easy Style itself.

 Artist Gretchen Weller Howard stenciled these gray-washed wood floors. 

Unique decorative elements...

A fantastic artist in New Orleans, E. Lee Jahnke, recently wrote about Mr. Batt’s book as well in her cool blog Inspired. Paint. Repeat.  She advised that the designers, shops and artists he references would all be in her insider’s guide to NOLA.  Great to know — and I hope you enjoy the book recommendation.  Laissez les bon temps rouler!

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In the 18th century, women and men retired to different rooms after dinner — women left to the drawing room and men stayed in the dining room to enjoy their drinks. Nowadays, the rooms are used more equally but more often that not, only for special occasions.  We sometimes are running around so quickly, that we have meals in the kitchen or in the alternate, while lounging in the family room.  However, everyone mostly agrees that the Dining Room holds a very special place in the home and as such, is often decorated beautifully.  In this design, Sheri Zeman of Chicago’s Faux Design Studio shows us a space that definitely falls under that category.

THE POP OF STENCILING

Close-up of crushed glass

Sheri Zeman: I was requested by the Painters Union to design the space for the annual Dining by Design gala by the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) organization.  Dining by Design showcases spectacular displays of cuisine, glamour and creative design and is presented along with the Architectural Digest Home Show.  For this space, our theme was “Metropolitan” and we decided to use Faux Effects products on every possible surface.  Everything you see in the picture – the floor, walls, table base and table top were all “fauxed”.

The table was MDF board, woodgrained with Stain & Seal to appear as a beautiful walnut inlay. The base and floor were also particle board, and RSCrete™ was used to simulate a 2’ Limestone blocks. Troweled on the table base was RS Stone and troweled on the walls, a light LusterStone.  The overall stencil is the Loft 101 Hudston stencil and it was embedded with black crushed glass.  (The glass is decorative — completely safe to handle!) The project took about 2 weeks to complete and was executed by the apprentices from the JATC with the booth was sponsored by the FCAC.  The event — and our area — was an incredible success!

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Sheri Zeman creates some of the most innovative finishes and her Faux Design Studio is very well-respected. I recently took a class from her and could not be more pleased with the samples. (In fact, take a peek at a design board we created with one of them, Marcello.)  I love those glass beads — in every color.  Please be sure to visit and “like” her Facebook fan page to keep abreast of all the new samples and commissions her company produces.  Thank you, Sheri, for sharing this cool contemporary project!  And THANK YOU, dear Readers, for coming along with us during Dining Room Week — we hope you’ve enjoyed the projects, stories and above all, the exceptional creativity. Have a great weekend!

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The week-long series for Fauxology works like this: we feature one area with five amazing artists sharing their individual projects. Dining Room Week received so many beautiful submissions, we decided to select the best submission of each type of finish — and  are pleased to introduce five artists new to the series!  We kick things off with a wonderful mural project by Lisa McMillen of Pennsylvania’s Cica Lisa Designs.  We hope you enjoy the week!

THE ARTISTRY OF A MURAL

Lisa Cicalese McMillen: My unique point-of-view about painting has developed over 25 years of professional work and actually emerges from my background and formal education in fashion design.  I was trained to design for people– to consider how they live and move in space. For this project, I was chosen by interior designer Sharon Orr, whose experience includes being a decorative artist.  The initial inspiration was hand painted Asian wallpapers but the clients wanted more of a local Bucks County Pennsylvania feel by using dogwood trees for the flora.  Discussions included the details of which creatures would be included as well as how muted the design would be. My original plan was to paint birds and butterflies, which I love to paint.  The client was on board with the birds but she nixed the butterflies.

As the repeat of the trees around the room would be very time consuming if done completely free hand, we chose to have Modello Designs create a custom stencil of the outline of the trees from my scale drawings.

Scale Drawings

I don’t like to use stencils in a traditional straightforward fashion so duplicates were cut and used in reverse.  Mixing and matching the trees around the room rather than repeating them uniformly gave it both a more free hand look while keeping the style of the wallpaper.

Once the stencil outlines were filled in, Lisa went back and handpainted the actual body of the trees and flowers.

The birds painted were chosen with the homeowners as they were world travelers and the husband was a bird watcher. He chose those in their backyard and also from places they had traveled. I like to put details into a mural that have specific meaning to the homeowner. The client was very concerned the mural would be overwhelming if it was painted in strong tones so I painted it as softly as possible for my painting style and then I glazed it over all.

To top the room, we created a glazed tissue paper finish painted with Ronan metallic paint on the ceiling and in the Butler’s pantry.

Original plans were to gild the ceiling but it was decided the look of the squares might be too repetitive over a large area as the ceiling inset was approximately 10’ x 16’.

As the project progressed, timing became critical for a scheduled holiday party. Having a designer who isn’t afraid to put her hands in the mix was helpful.  Sharon got up on the scaffold with me and helped apply the tissue so we could all get out in time for the party. We made the deadline!  A funny ending to the story is that the homeowner couldn’t find my signature on the mural (I try to put it somewhere unobtrusively) and asked me to sign it again — leaving a post it where she wanted it. She also left instructions that it be large enough to read!

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Love that final tidbit!  Isn’t Lisa’s dining room incredible?  Be sure to click on the smaller images to enlarge them.  Lisa is based in New Hope, Pennsylvania and founded her company, Cica Lisa Designs, in 1993.  Please do visit her site to see more of her beautiful work and be sure to “Like” her Facebook fan page to keep updated on her projects.  Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your project with us!

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Hello Everyone!

Today I have for you a design board I did that was inspired by a beautiful finish created by Sheri Zeman of Chicago’s Faux Design Studio. The finish, with a linen background and raised flower foreground, is called Marcello. I love the way that name just rolls of the tongue. We should all know someone with that name just so we have a reason to say it on a regular basis.

Anyhow, back in November Regina wrote about Sheri and a class she was teaching at The Paint Factory here in Orlando. In her post, Regina showcased three different finishes she learned at the class. Though I thought they were all amazing, Marcello was easily my favorite. When I first saw this design, I immediately envisioned it as the statement wall in a stylish contemporary dining room.

I present to you the Marcello Dining Room:

This dining room had to be elegant, contemporary, sophisticated and inviting. With that in mind, I set out to find items that would deliver on each of those points.

• The farmhouse table was the first piece I selected. I saw it several weeks ago at ZGallerie and fell in love with it.  I knew it would be perfect here because the rustic look adds warmth to a room that has a lot of reflective surfaces and helps to ground things.
• The Marcello decorative finish has a lovely sheen to it. I wanted something to balance off of that, so I selected the antiqued mirror buffet, also from ZGallerie, to sit on the opposite side of the room. It’s substantial enough to be an anchor, but because of the mirrors it doesn’t feel too heavy.
• The green Fresca Accent chairs by Sandy Wilson for Luxury Bedding Solutions bring a pop of color from the wall treatment to the table. I used them only on each end of the table; otherwise it would have been overwhelming. The tufting on the back of the chairs and the overall shape also evoke a sophistication that plays well with the relaxed look of the linen slip-covered side chairs found at ZGallerie.
• The curved pattern in the pale purple area rug (Rug Stop) echoes the curved lines of the wall treatment as do the glass links in the West Elm chandelier. The chandelier was also chosen because of the shape and its contemporary vibe.
• In choosing the artwork, I was looking for something that would bring additional color to the room. The varying palette of purples and blues in this piece I discovered at ZGallerie accomplishes that beautifully. Too, I like the way the flowers in the painting repeat the flower shapes in the wall treatment.
• The choice of using mostly glass in the accessories* – lamp, vases, bowl, and even the napkin rings – was deliberate. I wanted them to be airy and light. The items I selected not only follow the colors in the artwork, but like jewelry, they finish off the room and help bring the look together. Did you notice that the shape of the glass bowl is similar to that of a flower?
• As for the gazelle head from Graham & Green, it just looks cool and makes for an interesting conversation piece!

*Accessories Shopping Guide: Placemats, Napkin Rings, Candlesticks and Vases from ZGallerie; Lamp and Glass Bowl from Lamps Plus; Plate from Crate & Barrel

After completing this board, I was ready to redo a wall, any wall, in my house with the Marcello finish. Okay, maybe not any wall. Not so sure it would work in the Husband’s den…

I think what makes this treatment so special for me is the synergy that is created between the decorative painting techniques that are used in the Marcello design. The silver-pewter background with the look of linen, created with a twine roller, is the perfect backdrop for the raised green flowers created with stencils. The intricate detailing of the flowers is another beautiful feature. (Both the Loft 101 stencils and the twine roller are available via the Faux Design Studio.)  Finally, there is the color choice that keeps it all so fresh.

In this post, I used the finish on an accent wall. How do you think it would look on a ceiling? Do you have any other ideas on where this could be used? I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time! Be creative and have fun!

Cheers to all,
Peggy
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We had a fantastic Giveaway by author Jennifer Duchene during our recent interview on her book, Le Chic Cocoon, which provides that in order for a woman to be her best self, she needs a space of her own in which to focus, dream, and be selfish — in the most positive sense of the word.  Among a few other options, readers were asked to share where they would create their own cocoon and each comment automatically entered them in the giveaway.  One Reader was picked via Random to receive their own complimentary copy of her book. Without further ado, the Winner is…

Based on number of eligible entries. Winning entry generated by Random.org

Melanie Royals!

San Diego, CA-based Melanie Royals started her dynamic stenciling company, Royal Design Studio, in 1991 and has since written many books on decorative painting as well as appeared on numerous television shows.  In 2003, she introduced a new form of transferring patterns with the launch of Modello Designs.  You can keep up with her and her company via her blog, Design Amour, and her company Facebook fan page.  Ironically, Melanie shared that, even though she sponsors numerous giveaways with her own stencil line, this is the first giveaway she has entered.  We’re honored — and congratulations on being lucky on your first try, Melanie!

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I do want to say “Thank You!” to all who left a wonderful comment on the post and also to Jennifer Duchene for facilitating the wonderful Giveaway.  There will be more opportunities to win products and other great giveaways so be on the lookout — have a wonderful day!

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I met Jennifer Duchene on Twitter since we share similar tastes in books, travel and beautiful decor.  She is a re-designer and speaker who focuses on helping her clients “create delicious spaces with what they already own”.  This year, she released her debut book entitled Le Chic Cocoon: 7 Steps to Creating your Selfish Space, which became an Amazon.com #2 bestseller in the Do-It-Yourself and Decorating categories.  Le Chic Cocoon provides that in order for a woman to be her best self, she needs a space of her own in which to focus, dream, and be selfish — in the most positive sense of the word.  I thought to chat with Jennifer on her book and ideas — AND she has graciously agreed to give away a copy of Le Chic Cocoon to one lucky reader.  Excited? Let’s dig in…

Jennifer Duchene

Jennifer Duchene: That fateful weekend was when I decided I was going to write a book, I decided that if this life was a story, I was going to make it mine. Speak to my passions. Combine what I loved with my gifts. Create a marketing tool to move me out of being just another decorator in a sea of decorators, to a woman on a mission.  Own my space and give women a holding space to empower theirs.

I found a course through a friend to write my book in a weekend.  Actually it sounds crazy, but when I arrived at that weekend and started formulating ideas, things fell into place. I was inspired by Virginia Woolf and her book, A Room of One’s Own, and I use her quotes to begin every chapter.

I have been on a journey since [last] April that has changed my business. It has changed me.  After the weekend, I signed up to finish the book and publish by September and somehow I, with a little help of friends, family and mentor, made it happen.  I hit bestseller on Amazon and Le Chic Cocoon even trended on Twitter for a moment.  What a thrill and thanks to Twitter and Facebook friends and their invaluable support.  The book covers a couple of areas that I am passionate about. I believe every woman needs a space of her own.  A Le Chic Cocoon she can retreat to.  Women lead lives that are full of giving and doing, not so much for themselves. Surroundings play such an important role in how we live. I want to educate women about design and function and how spaces do shape us.

Some of the best moments have been when I got positive feedback for the first time and everytime since. When somebody tells me I have inspired them to create their own space or to rethink their life from reading Le Chic Cocoon, it is like a blossom opens in my heart.  Having the opportunity to go to Highpoint and meet Twitter friends and have them want to buy my book was an incredible high.  Winning the Excellence in Marketing Award and having the bestseller launch with friends coming from all over along with the support and love from the online community has been so powerful. Truly my book has transformed me for the better.

Whenever I go home to South Africa, I fall in love with the homes, restaurants and the shops I spy as I drift through the days soaking it all in.  There is a relaxed sophistication  that is both timeless and comfortable.  Charm in the unexpected and always clever use of materials and colors. A bold insouciance that is very sexy and individual.  Great flow of indoor and outdoor  space and a relationship to the people and culture. It is a very individualistic harmony that astonishes and delights.

Mosaic Wall in the Beverly Hills Hotel (South Africa)

I adore green in all its disguises.  Right now I am drawn to black greens.  Emerald, jade and poisonous shades. Bronzes, coppers and creamy chocolate browns.  I love shiny and matte, textured and smooth. A play with shape and textiles is very exciting to me.

I like natural items: wood or stone mixed with metal and perspex. Shells and bone and lace. Handmade, machine-made forged into new life. Beauty is in using the material to speak to our heart.

Actually I have an eclectic taste in art.  I love both quiet and vivid artworks.  I am drawn to art that is painted from the soul.  Those magic canvases that hold luminosity.  That portray the dawn or an exquisite landscape.

I am also drawn to the bright and happy works that vibrate with energy.  That swirl around us and gather us into the joy. That make our bodies vibrate to a silent music.  Art is so personal and so powerful.  Each piece to me is treated as a whole. A room should start with the art.

Tray of Beaded Artworks

I would love to be on the Nate Berkus show.  I admire and relate to what Nate brings to the public about design.  How much our lives are controlled by our environments. How important living in spaces that feed our souls is. That we can create our cocoons to live in and from, right now. Nate Berkus has appeared to me in dreams, on billboards and moving bus stop signs so many times I am just waiting for the phone to ring and a voice saying “Nate Berkus is expecting you!”.  I would also enjoy being on a women’s talk show like The View.  I love the diversity of opinion and conversation the women bring to the set. The thought of sharing my passion for women to be selfish and create their own space is very appealing.

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Thank you, Jennifer! I do find that most women find it hard to make time for themselves, much less carve a space out for themselves.  Imagine if we were selfish more often — truly gave ourselves the time we so freely give to others — how much we would discover about ourselves, our strengths, our potential?  I’m so glad Jennifer explored that theme and used the term “selfish” in a positive way.  You can read a few reviews of Le Chic Cocoon on Amazon or on blogs such as Brocante Home.  She recently spoke about book publishing on the Twitter #GetPublished chat — you can read the transcript here — along with a radio interview with Susan Davis of Good and Green radio show. You can also keep up with the lovely Jennifer via her YouTube channel and the Le Chic Cocoon Facebook fan page.  I hope you do check out her wonderful book.  Now, are you ready for your chance to win your own copy?

G  I  V  E  A  W  A  Y

One lucky Reader will receive their own copy of Le Chic Cocoon!  For your chance to win, please leave a comment on this post letting us know your answer to: “Where would you create your own Le Chic Cocoon right now?”  If you also become a Facebook fan of Le Chic Cocoon and/or Fauxology, let us know in the comments separately for two more extra chances to win.  The Giveaway is open to everyone and one Winner will be chosen at random from the comments.  Deadline: Midnight on Tuesday, December 27, 2011.  Good Luck!

All Images Courtesy of Jennifer Duchene

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