Walking into Melanie Royals’ studio is like walking into the faux version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. There is so much eye candy in the two-story space — floors, walls, ceilings, panels, artwork, staircases, furniture, doors…it all flows together and as she gave our group a personal tour, it was mindboggling to note the creativity that flows from her mind.  I am a frequent reader of the Design Amour blog and it was cool to see, in person, the pictures I have drooled over in the past year. The studio is still a “work-in-progress” and it was great to hear her plans for filling up the remaining spaces. I’m so glad she’s in our industry!

Here’s some pics of the studio. (More to come in Part Two.)

Elegant Reflections is a two-day class that focuses on using mirrors and glass as substrates.  It covers etching, patination, various forms of gilding and reverse painting. The two days were jam packed — there was a lot of ground to cover. On the first day, we learned about proper preparation and she advised us that the techniques would be a new way of thinking for us: working in the reverse. In fact, she let us know when she first started working with glass & mirrors that she basically threw out all her initial samples. Through her guidance, we started to see what the products do and how they react.

Here’s peeks into the various processes and samples both around the studio and created for the class. Pictured is my classmate, Kersteen Anders, who, coincidentally, was also with me in the Safra course given in Italy for advanced Venetian Plaster techniques.

I can totally understand the controlled process and how different techniques I use will affect the end result. I love this new direction! Once I receive my samples, I’ll post up Part Two with more pics of the studio and some of the created works so you can see the end results. For years I’ve planned to take a workshop by Melanie Royals — I’m so glad I took this particular one and invested into my business. It’s wonderful to learn many new things (flash gilding, anyone?) AND have found new substrates to add to my services.  Please note that if you are interested, the next Elegant Reflections class is February 9 – 10, 2009. I can’t wait to receive my samples and other yummy stuff!

Hello, Everyone!? You might have heard me wax rhapsodic over my pending vacation.? Due to a family pet emergency, the hubster and I decided?to postpone it and stick around the home.? Since the situation stabilized a bit, it was decided?that I would still be able to attend?the?Elegant Reflections course?at the new Royal Design/Modello Sudios and return?to Orlando upon its completion.? (To see some of the samples you can create, check Melanie Royals’ Design Amour blog post about the workshop entitled Mirror Image.)? I’ve flown all day today and after a nap, took a nice walk around this beautiful area.? I’m now back in my hotel room and fighting the drowsies to get a blog post out.? I’m planning to?gab a bit?about the class,?the new studio and take some cool pics.? I am excited yet sad at the circumstances that prevented us from staying in California for an extended time.? I think anyone who has experienced unconditional love from a pet can understand?being there to provide?loving companionship on what may be the last days.?

In the meantime, I?did want to share two other blogs with you.? I get really excited when I?learn about?other faux finishers with blogs — especially ones that are updated fairly regularly.? Love that!? Check them out:

Shakti Space Designs Lucinda and I have become fast friends.? Can’t believe she’s out in Oregon!? She does beautiful work — and one of my favorite projects of?hers was recently featured by Apartment Therapy Unplggd.? (That’s big time in the blogosphere!)? You go, girl — woohoo!!!

Painter Girl – Life as a Decorative Painter Carol Leonesio recently contacted me through our company website and the Fauxology?blog.? Along with her work, she features guest artists, provides reviews and marketing tips.? Virtual Woman’s Day?announced this past Spring that she was one of 96 Women Bloggers to Watch.???Well deserved — you can tell she’s a wonderful person who doesn’t mind sharing?her daily life as a faux artist.? Congrats, Carol!!!

I hope to one day be able to meet all the amazing people and artists I’ve “met” online.? My world is the better for it.? I hope you had a?great weekend — and I’ll be posting soon!

Well, here I am writing to you from our hotel in Land O’Lakes, FL. The AC is sweetly humming and I’m happily nestled in my room. We are out of town on a jobsite and although it isn’t too far from Orlando, it’s farther than you would want to drive roundtrip daily.  Our project is a beautiful brand-new clubhouse with an elegant, upscale Western theme. It is slated to officially open in about three weeks. They have chosen two finishes for the public bathrooms: Bandanna for the Ladies and Snakeskin for the Men. (We love these designers — they always have such cool projects.) At the site, we received a tremendous welcome and quite the interest in our work. (“The faux painters are here everybody! Check it out!”)  We have phone numbers to call in case we get in trouble and were set up immediately with the Best Places to Eat and other equally important facts. BTW, here’s a peek at the samples:

One of most interesting pieces of information we received (a bit on the late side) was that Land O’Lakes is apparently not the home city of the dairy company but is, in fact, the nudist mecca of North America. Here’s a FauxGirl tip for you — let’s say youfind yourself out-of-town working and would like to have some fun after-hours with the crew. If you come upon a bowling alley that is definitely open but has black curtains drawn so you can’t see in…anticipate an au naturel setting.  I think our new motto is going to be Expect the Unexpected. Apparently, the clothing-optional market is a $400 million dollar a year business — who’d have thunk it?

I’ll post up some pics of the completed work — we still have a lot of layers to go but we’re looking forward to the end result. Until then!

Hello!? Although I subscribe to what seems like every design magazine, one of my very favorites is Budget Travel.? Budget Travel is the magazine for those who love to travel well at the best price possible — seems like that’s all of us, no?? I even signed up for their newsletter which had a cool article about the World’s Weirdest Hotels.? Some deserved that title but one of them caught my eye because it was so cool and well-designed for what it is.

The Harbour Crane is located in Harlingen in the Netherlands.? After two solid years of renovation, the hotel provides you great views of the Dutch landscape and is located right at the harbor docks.? Yup — the Harbour Crane is actually a massive crane that has been turned into a luxury hotel for two.? (It has a few nicknames: Blue Head, The Spider and Long William.)? It is located about 60 feet in the air and instead of oil and dirt you’ll find?a surprisingly designed interior (mostly primary colors and retro modern) — with touch screen?systems, insulated glass?and Eames lounge chairs.??It requires two high-tech lifts to take you up to your quarters.?The best part?? You can operate the crane and swivel 360 degrees to see any exterior view you’d like.

I think I like this concept because?1) it’s totally unique and 2)?I’m accustomed to stacked scaffolds and?cherry pickers so the height issue doesn’t raise a red flag.? The hubster may be another story…I’m not sure how I’m going to get him to agree to travel to just outside of Amsterdam and oh, spend the night in a crane above the Wadden Sea.??He won’t like the?$500/night price tag either…although I can always tell him it includes breakfast.? Here’s some pics:

Day and Night Views of the Harbour Crane:

If you go to the Harbour Crane website they also list two other guest spots,?the Harlingen?Lighthouse and the Lilla Marras lifeboat.? I hope you enjoyed this jaunt into unusual design…have a great day!

There I am zipping along in my life and I realize I haven’t posted the Book-of-the-Month. Horrors! Curses! It might be serendipity because due to our blue post, I started thinking of how beautiful the Newport Mansions were and then I remembered I had bought a book about them. (I don’t think I can travel anywhere without buying a decorative painting book or two.) So, I go to my adored studio library and there it was, jostling for space with the other books. I was immediately transported right on back to those amazing…homes. (I hesitate calling them homes. They’re more like zip codes.) So jaw-dropping! So over-the-top! So…oh, I’ll just get on with it. The March 2008 Book-of-the-Month is Newport Mansions: The Gilded Age and is written by Thomas Gannon and distributed by the Preservation Society of Newport County.

The hubster and I took a trip to the New England area back in 2003. I had been in Newport, RI in 2000 with my best friend and couldn’t wait to get back. You know when you see those pictures of castles in Europe or the grand homes in England or France with the 70+ rooms and the beautiful, lush gardens? The ones in the Merchant Ivory films or a Jane Austen production? That’s the scale we’re talking about here. The Newport Mansions (there are 11 properties — 7 of them historic landmarks and about 80 acres of gardens and grounds) are Spectacular and you definitely need that capital S. The homes were owned by many of the titans of the 19th century, such as the Vanderbilts and the Astors, and were used as summer residences. Today, they are preserved and protected as historic house museums by the aforementioned Preservation Society. Despite their exclusive history, today these opulent homes are open to the public. Here are a few pics:

On the left is the entrance to The Breakers, generally considered the grandest of the homes. Notice the size of the gate as compared to the woman. On the right is the Dining Room.

On the left is the Morning Room in The Breakers, used for informal daytime gatherings. On the right is the lower loggia. I’m not embarassed to say that when I walked into the 45-foot high Great Hall (not pictured) for the first time, tears ran down my cheeks. I had never seen such extraordinary decorative painting, stenciling and gilding in my life. Something to aspire to!

Here we have the grand staircase of The Elms on the left. On the right is part of the, umh, backyard.

On the left is a carved mantel from Chateau-sur-Mer and on the right is the Rosecliff ballroom. The Great Gatsby and True Lies are two movies which have scenes filmed in this location.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the “tour” and a peek into the book. There are more stunning photographs to be found within its pages along with a great amount of history from the turn-of-the-century in addition to design and architecture. It’s a wonderfully stimulating book for the eyes and the mind!

So, I’m feeling very blue. ?My cat, Angel, whom I’ve personally had since September 1994, passed away of lung cancer.? My husband and I were together to say goodbye to her during her last moments and our hearts just about broke.? It feels so strange not to have my “shadow” (she followed me everywhere) and not have her run and greet both my husband and I the moment we would walk through the door.? She is loved and missed.

I thought I’d put together a mix of travel and finish pictures with the color blue as the theme (crazy how the mind works, no).? I hope you like them.

On the left is is my favorite blue pic — it’s because of my gorgeous husband. ?He’s perusing the next stop on our Newport Mansions tour. ?On the right is Angel.

Seeing them serves to remind me to appreciate every moment.? I hope I’ve inspired you to do that today, too.

In the past few weeks, I’ve read a few good articles on design. ?I thought I’d put them together for you in one post. ?Here we go!

Revamp Your Home with the Right Designer?- Courtesy of Arizona Central.

How to Work Best with an Interior Designer?- Courtesy of CNN.

TVs Dictating Interior Design Decisions?- Even though the article is based on UK couples, I think it translates well to homes here in the U.S.? I remember when my husband asked me if I minded if we bought a new TV — “uhm, ok, I guess we need a new one” — and a few days later the delivery guys delivered a box taller than I am. ?I personally would have preferred a television you can hide behind a painting, but that ship has sailed (for now). ?Courtesy of Infomatics Online.

Fiction Mirrors – I had to include this new product offering: it’s so original. ?I love how it fades into the background…although I’m still not clear if it turns back into a true mirror if someone passes in front of it. ?Courtesy of Dwell’s blog.

The Floating Round Bed?- I think it’s so cool…but is it classic? ?I’m digging the natural horizontal concrete-y finish in the background wall.?Courtesy of Apartment Therapy.?

Setting Competitive Fees for Your Business?- I have some blog readers who own/want to own creative small businesses. ?This is an article for Interior Designers but I thought it had some good advice for similar businesses. Consumers can also read about what is involved in establishing design fees. Courtesy of CNN Money.

Top 10 Design Hotels (Impeccable Decor experienced at their “organic best”)?- This list is for those who love to find a gem of a small hotel at a great price while traveling. ?My favorite description is for the Hotel Kabuki?in San Francisco — aesthetically what would happen “if Quentin Tarantino designed hotels rather than made movies”. ?Hmm. ?I know where my brother’s next vacation is going to be.

Research Weighs Consumers in Soft Market?- Great article on consumer preferences and opinions in the current housing and design market, straight from Orlando’s International Builder’s Show. ?Courtesy of Nation’s Building News.

Reben?- Quick blurb from last year on a new Japanese-made paint, one that emits no VOCs and actually cleans the air. ?I’m totally looking into this, knowing how our company strives to be eco-friendly. ?Courtesy of transstudio.

A Global Sweep on a Tiny Budget?- A good article on one family’s challenge to transform their apartment into a functional design haven. ?I only wish they had put a warmer color on the walls…but that’s just me. ?Courtesy of the NY Times.

Finally, I picked up the latest Consumer Reports magazine since it had “Interior Paints” right on the cover. ?(I also picked up In Style, lest you believe that all I think about is paint. ?Don’t know what would give you that impression.)? So, although Consumer Reports may not be happy about it, I’m saving you $5.99 and just letting you know the results. ?There’s been a big shake-up in the results this year — Home Depot’s Behr had dominated the results from 2003 but there are some new sheriffs in town. ?Call it the passing of the paint stirrer baton. ?Kilz’ Casual Colors and Behr’s Premium Plus Enamel topped four categories: Best Values, Toughest, Tops for One-Coat Coverage and Best for a Smooth Finish. ?Benjamin Moore’s Regal Matte dominated the Flat Sheen category and Glidden’s Evermore and Olympic’s Premium were the Best for Sunny Spaces (most resistant to fading). ?Kilz is available in Wal-Mart, Behr and Glidden are available at Home Depot, Lowe’s has Olympic and Benjamin Moore is available at their eponymous stores.

If Consumer Reports should come for me — should I use “Blue Steel” for my mug shot?