April Force Pardoe, owner of AFP Interiors, recently submitted a piece of furniture that I painted for a client of hers to "Tag Sell It." Check it out here! Thanks April!
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Casual Elegance
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As promised, here's the latest project I completed. First off, the ceiling in the family room had some great beams but felt cold left white. We decided to woodgrain them to match the other wood tones throughout the home. The centers of the coffers were treated with a custom textural paint/plaster to create a more casual feel compared to the foyer, living, and dining rooms because this is where the family gathers.
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Progress...the beams were treated first.The area on the left has the second layer of woodgraining while the right only has the first layer.
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Here you can see the finished look at the top of the picture. The bottom three have the texture applied but haven't been glazed yet.
And...(drum roll please)......
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Tada!
Here's some closer shots taken from the balcony
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And here are the other three ceilings completed while on the project.
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Living room
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Dining Room (Medallion treated also)
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Vestibule (This finish was really fun to do and would look great anywhere!)
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And finally here are the medallions painted in the foyer to enhance the space and pick up on the scroll designs on the chandeliers.
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Progress shot of setup and transfer of design
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Completed space.
Thanks to the clients for a great opportunity!
A first for me
UPDATE: Here are my panels. I can't show you the room because you have to GO SEE IT! But I wanted you to see the whole grouping.
About two years ago I took a class in Connecticut with the amazing grotesca artist Carolina D'Ayala Valva. Ever since I have been hoping for a project where I could use what I learned. This is that project!
I just finished 8 panels for this year's BSO Decorator Showhouse's dining room and I feel exactly that. The room is being designed by Paula Henry of Simply Put Interiors. The panels are based on 18th century Baroque and Rococo decorative ornamentation with scenery in each. I'm not going to spoil the reveal because I really want you to see them in person, so I'm giving you a before shot of the room. You need to see this and all of the spaces completely transformed by all of the talented designers.
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For more information on this year's showhouse click here.
Being involved with 7 previous showhouses, I believe this one will be one of the best. The house is in Loch Raven, on rolling acres off Cromwell Valley Road. The house was built in the 1950's and visitors will be able to relate to the well proportioned spaces and see how they can take elements away to use in their own home.
I will be posting pictures of the evolution of this space along with the process photos of the panels after the house opens. I hope to see you there and look forward to your feedback! (here's a teaser of one of the panels...severely cropped as to not to give much away!)
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Also, I have updated my website with a new tab under galleries called "Available Pieces" for items that are for sale. If you see something you are interested in, contact me!
Coming up in my next post, my current project which consists of woodgraining beams, some faux and plaster ceilings, and some decorative painting.
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On a Mission
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Yesterday I was privileged to speak at the monthly meeting of the WCAA; the Window Covering Association of America, a group of designers and window covering artists; about the subject of how finishing can solve design challenges. It is part of my campaign to rid the world of the negative perception of faux finishing. (If you read my article about how "Faux is Dead" then you know that Faux is actually alive and well. And from now on "Faux" will not be synonymous with "bleh.") After I discussed how to enhance architectural features and make the unwanted things disappear ...
How to create the illusion of more space...
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And how to be green by saving and repurposing what you have;
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I gave a demonstration on how to create the look of wood. I talked about different basecoat colors (which often freak out the clients!) and the various layers and tools used to achieve the final effect.
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Members got in on the action..
Kris Ozgar and Me at WCAA
Hopefully the next time they're faced with a design challenge they will give faux a try. We had a blast and I hope to be invited back again.
Thank You!
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Thank you to everyone who made it out to Budeke's last night to check out Golden's Proceed(c) line of decorative finishing products. We had a great turn out of about 20 or so people. Lori Wilson and Pamela Hernandez ;) made the 6 hour trek from New Berlin, New York for the Open House hosted at the Timonium store.
A little history...When I went to college at Towson, it was recommended by my painting teacher to buy Golden's Retarder. I thought he was being insensitive but in fact "retarder" is meant to slow the dry time of acrylic paints which dry incredibly fast. So fast that if you are blending some brush strokes, the next time you visit your palette the little mix you made has dried to a crisp film. Then you are doomed to have to mix the EXACT COLOR again. UGGH! (FYI: They name all of their products in English so there is no confusion on what they're designed to do.)
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Fast forward to my foray into decorative painting. I had heard about Golden's new line of Proceed Decorative Painting System Products and found that they make slow drying acrylics. WOO HOO! Now when Im painting large expanses of spaces I don't have to deal with heart palpitations when Im trying to blend colors. BUT I have to mail order everything. Bummer!
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Then I met Lori at a class in Connecticut at Creative Evolution Studios. We chatted and struck up a friendship. She invited me up to the Golden Factory and I took her up on it. And as they say the rest is history.
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I approached Bryan to see if he would be interested in carrying Proceed so that I have a place locally to find great products right off the shelf. We are hoping to have a workshop in the near future for decorative artists who are interested in exploring the Proceed line and how it can be incorporated into their repertoire. If you are looking for more information on what Proceed is and how it works, check out their "Proceedepedia" site that shows formulas, faq's, and video tutorials.
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A BIG thanks to Bryan Koerber, his wife, the staff at Budeke's, Lori Wilson, Pamela Hernandez, Howard Thaller, and everyone else who made this event happen. Please let me know if you have any questions or interest in knowing more about future events with Golden's Proceed Decorative Painting System at Budeke's.
Disclaimer: I am not paid by Golden OR Budeke's. I just like good paint.