Color Buzz is one of my fave blogs. Sponsored by Valspar, their team of artisans really do an outstanding job of writing posts full of color inspiration, history and best of all, provide specific swatch names and numbers. A recent fave opened the door to this blog nibbler: The Shades and Colors of Parisian Doors. (Yes, that was my attempt at a pun. I know…)

Beautiful Parisian Door

We’ve profiled Ann McGuire before on our Blog Beat series, in case you’d like to read more about her artistry and the Color Buzz blog. The Parisian doors post was inspired by a few rainy days spent in Paris. I think that would be a beautiful experience, non? Oui!

Linda Banning, the owner of a new Orlando, FL workshop studio, La Murabella, recently introduced me to a few products in the market. One of these was Perfetto Wood Gels. Now, I’ve been using another water-based woodstain system to color and use within glazes to great success. However, that product is not exterior-rated (ask me how I know) and although we love the wood color options, we’ve been searching for another product that would allow us to use them outside with no fear. Enter Perfetto Wood Gels.

The stains are water-based, can be combined with other products such as glazes, are exterior-rated and are comparably priced at about $20 per quart, give or take. We took a leap of faith and used them recently to woodgrain a set of garage doors — a technique we do a lot here in Florida. The color held and although not as strongly tinted as other products on the market (you will use a bit more), they are much more liquid and therefore easier to stir and blend than other products. So for us, it was a great result.

(above) Before ~ (below) After

They have an array of 20 colors in addition to 3 metallics (Gold, Silver & Copper) which can be added to the stains as well as a Black Concentrate to deepen the available colors at will. One of my fave colors is Gilded Walnut, which gives a subtle rich sheen to the stain — very nice. You can check out the other colors available here. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Linda at La Murabella. She’ll lead you down the right path. Let me know if you’ve used this product and what your results were, if so.  Have a wonderful day!

Late last week, we received our hot-off-the-press copy of Modello by Design, Volume 2.

Cover featuring the artistry of Dallas, Texas artisan Gracie Reed

Melanie Royals of Modello Designs, applicable decorative pattern designs, includes the work of 68 artisans and presents more than 175 ornamental finish images for artisans to use as inspiration for both themselves and their clients. If you recall, we profiled Volume 1 when it came out as well. At this time, Volume 2 is only available as a limited edition, so act quickly if you’d like to own one — or give out to designers and clients. I don’t want to spoil too much with a lot of images since all of the pre-ordered books go out this week and there should be an element of surprise for everyone. So here are just a few of my fave images:

Gorgeous ceiling by Anna & Scott Sadler of Phoenix, Arizona

Jennifer Reichert & Melissa Wagner of Canada’s Interiors to Inspire

Bill Bigler of Quality Custom Painting in Ventura, CA — amazing detail work on the ceiling!

Love Transitional Modellos! This beauty is by Julie Young of Vista, CA.

The design on the ceiling is just so striking. Artistry by Bill Borselli of Phoenix, Arizona.

A very cool feature of this volume is the Pattern Reference Guide that is included with the book. That was an extra effort that I’m sure will be very appreciated all around. If you are so inclined, you can see our work featured as well. [Funny story. My brother was showing the book to another artisan and couldn't find our images and so he says "Hey, I can't find our pics!" I quickly said "Pages 90 and 108." They both laughed and he says "Of course you would know that right off the bat." I gave them a big grin -- I can't help it. Proud we made it into this volume as well. ]  Talk soon!

I heard rumblings of the introduction of new Faux Effects products, particularly ones called Luna and Sharkskin Metallics. I read that Luna is a textural product that sparkles and Faux Effects instructor, Caridad Schaeffer, explained to me that Sharkskin Metallics are so named because after application, it’s exactly what the finish feels like. Curiouser and curiouser.

I then received an invitation to attend the Summer In-Faux Update and New Product Launch Party held at one of my fave local studios. The Sarasota School of Faux and Architectural Finishing is run by Donna Phelps, who produces some of the most creative finishes using Faux Effects products. Here’s the deets and to RSVP:

Friday, July 16th – 2:30 pm through 7:30 pm
Sarasota School of Faux and Architectural Finishing
5376 Catalyst Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34233
(888) 454-3289
www.SarasotaFauxFX.com

Although I cannot make the event (’cause you know I would have given you play-by-play coverage), Donna sent over images to share with the Fauxology readers of the materials in action along with the introduction of new metallic foil colors.

Walls and Ceilings

Some moldings too…

…countertops

New Foil Colors (the two-toned Iridium looks very interesting)…

…and finally, one of the display areas. (Does that turquoise cabinet door speak to you? Looks delicious.)

At the party, there will be demos, new technique boards, workshop sample displays and of course, the necessary wine, cheese and chocolate offerings. Hope you can attend and if you do, keep me posted! Be sure you keep checking their studio website for more info on upcoming workshops and information. Hope you enjoyed the images!

I’ve been seeing a few new products in the market and although I have not tried all of them, most look intriguing. One of these is U-Stripe It & Design, a tool created to help make vertical and horizontal striping easier. It can also be used to create diagonal designs and grids — or whatever you can dream up. It retails for $34.95 (domestic) and here is what it looks like…

…and here is how it works…

Apparently, the plastic is stretched out to your pre-determined width, placed against the wall and then you add your tape line. That looks like it would save a good amount of time — and make striping a great option for a DIYer or a more affordable option for those that want a professional to take care of it. Phil Menendez, owner of U-Stripe It & Design, provided much information for me and if his response time is any indication, their customer service is superb. [Sometimes when I try to get information for Fauxology readers, companies never call me back. I don't understand it.] Some areas created with the U-Stripe It & Design:

Mr. Menendez’ story is great — you can read how he took his father’s invention to new heights in the July 2010 issue of St. Louis At Home magazine. At the recent Hardware Show in Las Vegas, U-Stripe It & Design was one of ten companies chosen to be profiled on their network’s Cool Tools show. You can follow them on Twitter or check out their Facebook page. I’m looking forward to testing the tool. Let me know what you think of the possibilities — or your results, if you have used it. Until tomorrow!

Most of us get really excited when we see allover patterns in design. They are usually incorporated in fabrics, tiles and wallpaper. The ornamental patterns treat the surface as a whole and rely on repetition of the design to create great interest. Here are some images to inspire…

(above, left) Cole & Son wallpaper with a beautiful turquoise and gold combination in a room designed by Emma Jane Pilkington and on the right, an allover design that stops right at perfection.

(above) Not only do I love the black and white combination, but I adore the bird motif and the solid black border on all edges. The wallpaper is from the Gramercy line by Schumacher.

(above) On the left is a new pattern by Phillip Jeffries and on the right are silk walls by Watts of Westminster in Rhubarb, the dining room at Prestonfield House. Notice how the colors work well together — in the wrong hands, this scheme would have been a disaster. Great, daring design by Mark Rowley as featured in House and Garden (RIP).

(above) Oversized and striking. This image was in my morgue file, not sure of origin.

(above) I like the incorporation of natural elements — on the left, sharply colored butterflies on a strong grille motif by Phyllis Morris as featured in Interior Design. On the left, vertical palm leaves make quite the statement in a more sedate environment. The “tufted” fabric was featured in Phoenix Home & Garden.

If this has inspired you to tackle a painted allover design, there are some great stencil companies to consider: Wallovers, Stencil Library, Stencil Planet, Royal Design Studio and lines from Sheri Zeman and Jeff Raum. You can also find more in Stencil Search.

William Morris, an English artist and designer, was famous for designing repetitive patterns in tapestries, textiles and wallpaper. He has this to say: “Ornamental pattern work, to be raised above the contempt of reasonable men, must possess three qualities: Beauty, Imagination and Order.” I think he summed it up perfectly.

One of my fave blogs is Design Inspiration, as kept by Helen Morris. We interviewed her back in January 2009. On her blog, she mixes her love of stencilling, fashion, food (a bit of a sweet tooth, which I approve) and life in England. Here’s a pic from her How to Stencil a Chinoiserie Tree blog post. A bonus is that using the same stencil patterns, a customer named Mrs. Jones sent in her silver-leafed version. Very pretty.

I hope you’ve had a wonderful week…and now, on to the enjoy the weekend!