Always a thrill to see a silver leaf wall.  This one is designed by Lisa Ficarra.

Love the quiet elegance of this guestroom in a Pacific Heights Victorian – including the silver leaf ceiling. Designed by Claudia Juestel of the Adeeni Design Group.

I looooove silver leaf furniture.  (Especially when paired with mirrors. Serious love.)  It saddens me to see the scratches on this one but it is a pretty piece nonetheless.  It was featured by the Little Green Notebook blog.

Gracie is a studio that produces extraordinary wallcoverings. This one features a handpainted mural over silver leaf.

Here’s one by my company, Garay Artisans. The client and designer wanted imperfections on the layout, with the dark base showing through. I profiled this finish and others for a restaurant commission in Tallahassee, FL.

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

I was asked recently why I normally prefer to use leaf in a technique over foils. There are advantages to both actually. There’s just no beating the look of leaf in any way and I like how it covers the surface as completely and opaquely as you’d like.  Foils, however, do save you in cost as well as mess – there’s simply no product to clean up after the transfer. It does take quite a bit to fully transfer the foil product and has much more elbow grease involved. Both are fantastic in their own right and perfect for their own finishes.  Do you prefer one over the other? Do tell.  Have a great weekend!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Subscribe to our Feed     Follow us on Twitter     Follow us on Pinterest       Become a Fauxology Facebook Fan          Subscribe to Fauxology YouTube

Via Tuscan Style

It was for two groin ceilings and this dining room ceiling.

In the Dining Room, we decided to expand from just the oval center to the full ceiling.  Rey also wanted the crown molding to have a beautiful aged metallic to compliment the light fixtures.  My brother and business partner, Jason, helped me skim out the ceilings, plan the multiple colorations and plaster the first layers. Then, he hit the road for his vacation (wait until you see the pics he brought back from New England!) and Mary came in to finish collaborating on the project.

A few layers of metallic plaster.

I love decorative painting and am fascinated with the various methods one can use to transfer a design.  Some use stencils, some pounce in the design, others use Modellos and still others use carbon paper (homemade or commercial).  For this project, a projector was used.  Mary created and outlined the pattern.  I helped with the shadowing and Mary had great tips for me as I did so.  (I think she should teach more, she’s so great.)  I’ve sketched for years on art pads with pencil but have yet to take the plunge onto the wall.  Mary thinks I’d be a great muralist since I have “so much patience”.  We’ll see.  After creating the design, we glazed the interiors to darken them and add interest. Here’s the result…

Smaller Groin Ceiling

Dining Room and larger Groin Ceiling

Dining Room shot from underneath.

But Wait!

In the Dining Room, the metallic plaster was flashing near the center and although you couldn’t see it from all angles, it was very apparent coming in from the kitchen. My solution?  Trowel over that area with a smaller center oval and then fill it in with the decorative work and the same coloration as the oval perimeter.   We think it worked out well…

Dining Room: Re-mastered.

The Final Result.

Mary and I talked quite a bit about collaborations.  We ask each other questions frequently and she said that it’s incredible — here we are, two women who have quite a bit of experience and yet we ask each other about situations that we know the answers to but still like to hear the view of the other.  I think that’s what so important about having friends you trust in the business — they can be a great sounding board, talker-off-the-ledge and idea generator.  Sometimes you just want their genuine reaction when you walk into each other’s commisions and sometimes you know they’d be a great asset to your project.  Do you have local artists that you enjoy this type of relationship with?  Do tell.  See you tomorrow!

Then I saw the beauty at the Avalon Hotel created by Kelly Wearstler.  She added a little interest with varying stripes.  Love…

Then this fresh version I spied in Florida Design magazine by designer Mac McGuinness.  I love how it really just opens up the space and how the wall color (or glaze?) does not match the yellow directly but compliments it.  It’s also a warm choice and flows with the flooring.  Beautiful.

Finally, a Chevron variation as seen in the Dreamsicle Day blog.

I know there’s quite a bit of work involved in creating stripes on a ceiling but I do love the end result.  What are your thoughts?

Before

Here is the After – the walls and ceilings were finished as well as a three panel mirror installed in the niche.

After

A close-up of the ceiling.  The center design was pre-existing and she wanted to use the colors in the mural as the inspiration for the room.  The copper area is aged copper schaibin and the smoother area is Venetian plaster with two metallic gels troweled over at the same time.  (Of course, the vents have to match, no?)

Here are the mirrors we installed and the variegated leaf we added using a Modello column design on both sides.  There is a close-up here.  The aged copper schaibin was also repeated around the mirror. We added more column height later as well as a framed mirror with a still life mural painted on it for the center panel — unfortunately, I have not gone back to take those final images.

Modellos were used in niches throughout the house but also in the entrance to the Master Bedroom.  The background on the walls is a strong red finish with an aged gold schaibin pattern.  The client spent quite a bit of time picking the colors and patterns all the while placing them exactly the way she wanted them.  She had so much fun doing so — her eyes lit up the moment she saw the large Modello catalog.

It was an enjoyable, quirky and colorful commission.  Another unique project we are starting soon is a rather large one at the Orlando International Airport.  If you are planning to fly in between the hours of 10 pm – 6 am, by all means come over to say Hi!  (And…if there a couple of wonky posts here and there, blame it on the hours, ok?) I hope to profile that soon for you.  Have a great day!

House & Garden (R.I.P.)

Pinterest

Beautiful Portals

I've even been seeing IDAL in my dreams...

Speaking of social media,we had a great Twitter #DecArts chat last night!  It was more of a “cocktail party” where everyone could e-meet fellow tweeters, discover new blogs, see a few great links… It was truly heartwarming to see those who came by for a bit.  In fact, one of my co-hosts, Barbara Rocha of Paint a Lifestyle, wrote a great follow-up last night.  I think it was a promising start to the regular chats we’ll be having with great topics and special guests.  I’ll be sure to keep you posted.  BTW, Marketing and Social Media were two of the topics suggested for future chats.  We love all suggestions!  Of course, you are invited!

Next week we will have Column Week — I do hope you enjoy the five projects that are set to be profiled.  I’ll probably be giving updates on the IDAL  conference on Twitter and on the Fauxology Facebook Fan Page.  Are you going?  Look me up if you are!  Have a fantastic weekend, dear Readers!

This pairing has a lot of visual power and although used for centuries — the bound book above showcases the designs, circa 1752, of printer Francis Nixon — it still looks fresh today.  Beautiful design, no?

The above wavering tree was featured by Studio M in their very cool blog post entitled Picking Paint Colors.  The image below was provided to me by a designer as inspiration for a wall in a restaurant we did a bit ago.  Other finishes were chosen but I still love it.

Black and White stripes can be super modern as evidenced by Elle Decor above or whimsical and quirky as seen below.

A very popular image featured in an ad for the Italian company, Dedar. (below)

Here’s a vignette of a Dining Room in the home of an interior designer we work with.  The texture is tissue paper and we painted it a gunmetal black, meaning a deep black with a slight silver sheen.  I need to go back and take a whole room shot — it’s quite striking.

I thought I’d end the post with another great pattern: Zebra.  I think this one is done exceptionally well and was featured by the VT Interiors blog.

Used without tempering, black and white can each be severe or even worse, boring, in the wrong setting.  I love how together they can be so crisp and graphic and also strikingly fun with punches of color.  See you tomorrow!

This is why I adore blogs so much. I read the above in the Shimmer Like Gold blog and instantly felt a kinship with the writer because I am that statement — although I do feel a strong affinity with the written word.  Words are so powerful that they can begin an enduring, lifelong friendship — without ever having met the person.  There’s that moment when you read something someone wrote and they strike you in a deep way or you simply feel that they view the world exactly as you do.  That, if you met, you’d never stop talking and laughing in the way true friends do.  Soulmates, in a sense.

Why am I being introspective?

Because June is a very special month here at Fauxology.

First, Fauxology is four years old (yesterday, officially) and second, although I have written steadily during those four years, I have officially been writing daily for one year.  I’m not sure which I’m most proud of.

In those four years, I’ve also seen the faux finishing industry change.  The word “faux finish” is now a bit of a bad word, something that can be seen as passé.  In its stead, we use terms such as decorative painting, wall treatments, patinas, large scale graphics and ornamentation, to name a few.  I think the beauty is that we have learned to adapt — and artists across the country have risen up to showcase ever more innovative and elegant finishes to chip away at changing the perceptions.  These artists, their sophistication and the savviness of the industry as a whole is what has helped make this blog so incredible for me to write — in spite of it being named Fauxology.

What can I say? Some things, I would have done differently.

When I started, I could count on my hand the number of artisans blogging.  Since then, many blogs have come up and they have made my life that much better.  I think writing a blog is a personal thing — either you will find it cathartic and it becomes a part of you or you realize it’s not your cup of tea and leave its ghost online.  Writing Fauxology and the readership it’s drawn (pun intended) has been a complete blessing in my life.  I thank you — and I hope to be here next year, nostalgic at Five.

~ Regina

P.S. Wanna read my first post?  It’s riveting.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!  Plus, it helps explain the title of this post.   I hope reading that first one inspires those of you who say “I’m waiting for the perfect idea to begin writing my blog!”.  Trust me, I’ve heard every variation of that line the last few years.  My advice? Just start writing — and who you are will shape the beautiful blog you create.  Cheers!

First up, our Fauxology Fan Page on Facebook.  Are you a Fan yet?  WHAT?!?  No, no seriously.  It’s cool…no worries.

OK, enough shenanigans, we need to get through this post.   Our Fan Page features a lot of links to stories and profiles that I find around the Internet that don’t necessarily translate to an entire post — but they’re still very cool to look at and read.  I also post (what I think are) amazing images, too.  I try not to cross-pollinate much because I like fresh content on both the blog and the fan page.  But I did do this…

The updated menu on the side has an All About Fauxology tab which links to our Mission Statement and other cool things, including a Contact Us form. We’ve added our Twitter feed and the brand-new YouTube channel.  Best of all, there is a Contests & Giveaways tab which can keep you updated on all the current opportunities you have to win a great prize. It’s divided into three categories: The Deets (which is currently showcasing info on the gorgeous Royal Stencil Crèmes and a Giveaway), Week-long Series opportunities (only a few days left to submit your Column projects!) and the Photo Contests. The next Photo Contest is in June and it is a great prize.  I hope these enhance your Fauxology experience on Facebook!

Our YouTube Channel is new but we will be updating it with videos on both decorative painting in design and online marketing bites.  There’s a very cool announcement coming up about Twitter as well.  That’s all I can say for now since there’s so much more to come to compliment our Building Your Online Brand class at IDAL.

A personal triumph for me is that we sent out our first Fauxology newsletter this morning — it rounds up the current goings-on here at the blog as well as a sneak peek into what’s coming up in June.  If you’ like to sign up to receive future issues, the form to join our mailing list is on our Fauxology home page.

As a final, I wanted to let you know that yours truly is being featured in the Faux by Kathy website as both a blogger (home page profile) and as a Preferred Decorative Artisan with images of our work.  On the blogger article, you find out exactly what jumpstarted Fauxology.  (It involves the word “Intervention”.)  Faux by Kathy is a fantastic site for faux finishers as they post info on products, workshops and offer a slew of resources, including a free Finish of the Month series.  It is run by the lovely Kathy Carroll and is definitely worth checking out.

Any thoughts on the improvements and coming attractions?  Have a great day!

IDAL is the International Decorative Artisans League and they hold their annual convention and conference each summer. It is an opportunity to network with colleagues and peers, brush up on techniques by taking classes from the pros and check out the latest in products and tools at the Expo. This year’s conference is being held July 20-24th in Hampton, Va. I am excited to announce that Regina Garay and I will be teaching a class at the convention called, “Building Your Online Brand”.

Regina and I actually met “online”. I found her blog (this blog) and started leaving comments here and following her on Twitter and friending her on Facebook. (Does that make me a stalker?) Anyway, we became fast virtual friends and started talking about techie stuff like social media, search engine optimization, website building and blogging. I have a marketing background and have spent my entire adult life helping businesses “get the word out” about what they do. So, it was a natural progression for Regina and I to start talking about how we can help people in the decorative painting industry use technology  and social media to grow their reach, expand their customer base and have their brand show up in a BIG way online.

We have invested a good amount of time studying the best online practices and putting into action what we are preaching in the class. We have networked, taken online courses and both attended the Design Blogger’s Conference in Los Angeles in February. Regina has poured her heart, soul and brain into this blog, Fauxology for the last 4 years.  She dove right into the pool of social media in its infancy and now is a high profile Twitter-lebrity in the Design Community. I personally have spent the last five years of my day job helping clients brand their businesses, writing marketing plans and developing strategies and tactics for successful campaigns; All online. Regina and I are so stuffed full of tech stuff that we can’t wait to unload some of it on all of you guys.

We decided to offer a class at IDAL so we could help the artists in our industry navigate the web independently and show them some of the important places where they need to be found online. Some of the topics we will cover in the class are:

1. How to set up and grow a blog
2. How to use social media to promote your business
3. How to set up Google Places
4. How Google’s changing algorithms are affecting  Search Engine Rankings
5. How to monitor the web for mentions about your business
6. How to use Linked In, Twitter and Facebook effectively
7. How to use analytics to track results
8. How to create buzz without spending any money
9. How to use long tail keywords to show up in organic search
10. How to get the referral engine cranking

So, for a small investment in time (2 hrs) and money ($85) you’ll be ready to conquer the on line world. Well, maybe you won’t be able to conquer it, but we will at least give you a road map to get you started on your way. Check out the other classes, too.  There are lots of great teachers assembling in one location for the week offering classes on everything from stenciling to counter tops. Why not take some time off, come and network with your peers and learn a few new tricks? I hope to meet you all IRL (In Real Life) at the conference.

Today, however, you get part of the 15%.  This project is one area of a beautiful home we spent a few months in.  Both the husband and wife were very involved in the design and wanted something out of the ordinary for the foyer-to-living-room entrance.  They loved the embossed stenciling we were doing in another area and wanted to incorporate it using an allover design.

We scoured stencil catalogs and Dover publications and our clients ended up finding designs they liked in a book. Since we had no time to order a custom Modello or stencil, we cut our own, created a grid and got to work mapping it out.

Here’s where I tell you that using single stencils to create an allover pattern is NOT something to recommend.  First, my brother came up with the idea to transfer the grid pattern to craft paper and make holes for where center elements would need to be…

Then, we put pushpins in the centers of the design and drew out the pattern loosely on the wall to make the stencil placement easier…or so we thought.

Monica Arrache, patient team member

The drawn pattern didn’t make everything as easy as we’d hoped since we had to adjust time and time again when embossing.

See the final embossed design as compared to the drawn pattern and level lines? It WAS good to have them, though, as a placement guide.

Of course, the stencil glue would lift some parts of the wall and the Venetian Plaster did seep under the stencil.  We would immediately clean up the seepage because you never want it to dry that way.

Here’s the basic design layout coming around…

Then we filled in the centers and the wall edges.  (I’d like to take a moment to say how much I now truly appreciate large production allover stencils with registrations marks that stencil companies offer.)

After the pattern was down and dry, we went to town with tiny artist brushes cleaning up all the background color.  Then we started overglazing.

Using an idea we spied on The Gilded Barn blog and with some tips from the writer, Tamra Cook, we outlined the edges of the finish with a chocolate Venetian Plaster, added metallic highlights over the top and tapped in decorative nail heads.  You can see it better in the second pic below.

Underneath

Voila! You can also spy one of our antique mirrors over the fireplace.

I don’t even want to tell you how long it took — but our clients were SO happy and it really is a sight to see in person.  Our clients tell us that when guests walk in the first thing they do is walk right up to it, run their hands over it and ask about it in detail.  It was definitely enjoyable to have it all come together.    Tomorrow we go back to the 85% — I’ll see you then!

Venetian Plasters fall into two different categories: lime-based and synthetic.  Lime-based tend to have a more “ethereal” look since they dry to a more luminescent stone state.  Lime-based plasters are also mold resistant and are the traditional Italian choice.  Synthetic plasters tend to have a “denser” look but are able to take deep colors better and are easier to use and match.  It is best to make sample boards for your clients to determine which look they prefer.

A few years ago, I traveled to Italy with Safra Plasters to learn more about this technique.

My sister, Suzanne, joined me. Here she is next to an interior hotel application (left) and exterior application in Venice (right).  There was also a very creative plaster finish in another hotel.

Our company has done a few commissions since then…

White Venetian Plaster in a Bath. Our client wanted the plaster to reflect the surroundings.

This Venetian Plaster has three different colors within three layers with wax. We also gold leafed the ceiling and painted all the wood, trim and moldings a glossy black.

For this commission, we applied several Venetian Plaster colors in a waterfall cascade effect.

I’ve also seen other recent images that I’ve enjoyed…

A lime green Venetian Plaster in one of Elton John’s homes, recently profiled in Architectural Digest. LOVE the color.

This looks to have an embossed design on the Venetian Plaster and then troweled over with a metallic wax. That would be my guess. (Source Unknown)

(update) Above Source: Regency Redux

A more “chunky” yet traditional look as featured in Phoenix Home and Garden magazine.

If you’d like to see more of our work and info on Venetian Plaster, please do check out our Venetian Plaster Demystified post over on the lovely Home Workshop blog.  I’ve tried quite a few product lines and have been satisfied with the results of most of them.  When we plastered the Orlando International Airport, the specified plaster was from Behr and it gave us a nice, matte result. (It did help that we had the technique down, though — it is a thicker plaster.)  The  most recent product line we have played with is Stucco Italiano — they also have a very cool blog and we’ve profiled them before. We love the way their plaster trowels and can’t wait to try it in a commission.  Tell me — is Venetian Plaster one of your favorite techniques?  What product lines do you favor?  I always like to hear more about this beautiful finish from fellow artisans!

For this hotel, we did antiqued mirrors with a metallic pearl and gold sheen for an exterior seating area.  The pearl took about 80% and the gold 20% — they were added and blended at the same time but each needed to keep their colorations intact.  You can really catch the sheen of the metallic mica powders in person.  We also did a larger mirror with the same colorations for the reception area but, unfortunately, do not have an image of that area.  Hope these will do…

A close view of one of the exterior mirrors.

Mirrors in situ.

A closeup -- see the pearl and light bits of gold?

Wide angle view of part of the hotel exterior. I love all the light fixtures, accessories and colorations. The interior reflects lighter tones and more in the gold family -- it's gorgeous.

Not a big project, but I have caught guests touching the mirrors and then smiling.  Does it get any better than that?  You can see more mirrors in our other company website, Mirror Patinas.  I hope you’ve enjoyed these images. We do have a residential project that we recently wrapped and altogether spent a total of about 3 months in the home, working top to bottom.  I’ll share those soon as well.  Tomorrow, we return to our Portrait of an Artist series — an artist whom I’m truly excited for you to read about.  Have a wonderful Thursday!

Click here to view the embedded video.

(Thank for that info, Socialnomics!)

Social Media is a cultural shift and it will affect how we do business in the future. Fact. It’s been fun doing so much research, attending conferences, reading voraciously, talking to top tech experts — all to see how social media can help the decorative painting industry specifically.  Dana Tucker and I have been sharing some of this information with you on Fauxology and in industry articles (and we’ll be sharing more, trust) but we’ve also gone one step further.  We’re teaching a class for you called Building Your Online Brand during the IDAL conference in Hampton, VA from July 20 – 24, 2011.  The class is on Thursday, July 21st from 1:30 – 3:30 pm and registration for the conference and class is now open.  The cost for this two-hour workshop?

One Million Dollars.

Ha! I just wanted to see if you were still with me.    The class workshop is only $85 and we’ve culled the best information to put together as it can be used by our industry.  During the two hours we’re going to cover the following topics:

• Using Social Media Sites effectively
• Search Engine Optimization for websites
• Setting up, Maintaining and Growing a Blog
• Creating an effective online Marketing Plan
• Question and Answer session

A lot of ground to cover in two hours!  We’ll be giving out a folder with a resource guide and we highly suggest bringing a laptop or other tech device to use during class.  It’s going to be so.much.fun! (‘Cause I’ve wanted to fall asleep during some of the really technical conferences and I don’t want that to happen to you.)  I’m really excited to meet some of our gorgeous Readers at the conference as well, no doubts about that!  Tell me — is there anything in particular you’d like us to include in the class?  Or, include in the blog and/or our other writing efforts?  Let us know because, for us, it’s all about listening and delivering.

Editor Pat Ganino (you’ll recall we profiled him a few weeks ago) talks about the new paths we’ve all undertaken in this industry in his Letter from the Editor.  Many artisans contributed articles to the magazine and even more have featured stories.  Speaking of new paths, I’m also writing a quarterly column for Artisphere entitled Social Paths.  It will focus on all manner of social media and blogging — so let me know if there are topics you’d like me to cover in the comments.  The first article is about my beautiful love, Blogging.  It’s entitled Befriending the Hydra and I hope you enjoy it.  (By the by, my brother, Jason, is the one who inspired the column name Social Paths. You’ll just have to read the article to see why I had to embrace it!)

Artisphere Online has a Facebook page and is on Twitter.  They are planning on keeping the content fresh in between quarters so that you have something new to read all the time.  Cool, no?

Yesterday, I had a nice surprise as I discovered they had published my Attendee Profile where I talk a bit about Fauxology.  They also published my 50-word (!!!) contest entry to “How Blogging Changed My Life”.  Some great entries in there — now I’m debating my choice of wording, choice of image, you name it.  Now I wish I had submitted this pic instead…

…to show how much I love what I do. It’s all in the name of good fun so I won’t fret about it.    I have a lot to get ready for but  I’ll be trying to share as much as possible in real-time!

P.S. Your regularly scheduled post follows this one…

Home designed by Hendrix/Allardyce

Source Unknown

Love. this. so. much!  Designed by John Saladino.

Source Unknown

Cabinetry by Plain & Fancy

Source Unknown

Working with mirrors has done something strange for my brother and I.  We’re so used to staring at them to discover flaws or reviewing them intently to make sure the patina is coming along correctly that we rarely notice our reflections anymore.  Even when I pass them in hotels or homes, I’m always seeing the edges (“Oh! That pencil edge is niiiiice!“), or the bevel (“The 1.5″ bevel was perfect for that size!”) or any of a myriad of different things before I notice myself and the messy hair I went out with.  That’s a good thing…right?

Most Colorful

These are the posts I put together with various finishes and images with the same color in common. Your favorites this year were 1) Red Hot; 2) The Very Pink of Perfection; and 3) Going with Green.

Most Popular

The Top Posts of 2010 (in order): 1) The Mural of the Story; 2) Portrait of an Artist: Jennifer Carrasco; and 3) Roses are Gold. Each of these posts elicited more than 20 comments each — amazing!

Best Hospitality Design

I like to profile hotels, boutiques and beautiful commercial spaces for you to see. The highlights this year were The Four Seasons in Florence, Italy, the Rough Luxe Hotel and San Francisco’s Hotel Des Arts. Each one received a wonderful reception!

Best Business Advice

Business advice specific to our industry was sprinkled in amidst the design posts. I once noted once that these posts did not receive the comment love the “pretty” ones did — and several of you wrote in to say something akin to “No, we love them — keep ‘em coming!” and I do aim to please! The most popular this year were 1) Using Facebook for your Business; 2) WordPress: A Fantastic Online Software for Your Business; and tied for 3) Press Releases and Adobe Photoshop Basics.

My Personal Favorites

To me, each and every post is like a baby I gave birth to. Picking favorites, oof — so hard. I will say that I am proud of Part Two and Part Three of my Washington, DC trip. It focuses on the incredible decorative painting sharing space with all the books in the Library of Congress. A sentimental favorite is What’s in the Window, since it reminds me of my time in NYC. Finally, the start of the week-long series — a week focused on one surface or technique — came about with Elevator Week. That first post contains further links to each day and project of that week.

I suppose the goal was to say: “Incredible. 2010 marked the beginning of so many good things!”. Did it all work out as planned? Was it one of the great years of your life? Are we ready for the New Year and all it brings? However it worked out, I’d like to take this time to THANK YOU, dearest Readers, for the wonderful year of suggestions, submissions and comments. All of you make the writing of this blog so much fun for me. Next year, many changes are coming and I hope you stay with us for the exciting times ahead. Have a wonderful New Year’s Eve – let’s welcome 2011 with a Bang!