Finishing Acts

Rock on Gold Dust Woman!

2012-01-04T17:41:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 2012! If those pesky Mayans are correct I only have to blog for one more year.

I better get busy and make each post count. And what better way to get the year started then

doing a story about one of my closest friends and faux finishers, Suzanne Lynch.

Suzanne is also a huge Stevie Nicks fan. So I thought I would start with something from Stevie

and found this gem from the gypsy herself:

"If you have stage fright, it never goes away. But then I wonder: is the key to that magical performance because of the fear?"

Now, I don't know Stevie personally (but you have my number-call me) but I don't think a 40 year veteran of the music scene has stage fright. The idea is more the fear of not giving your best and of disappointing your fans. THAT is what pushes you to excel and create magic.

THAT is a perfect description of Suzanne. The experienced professional that still worries that each job is done properly and that the client is more then satisfied. She never takes a job for granted.

Suzanne is based in Johnson County, Kansas. She has done numerous award winning projects featured in magazines and an Extreme Makeover Home.

In fact, one of her latest projects is profiled in the February 2012 issue of Kansas City Home and Garden Magazine. My scanner is acting up so pardon the glare in the pictures.

KCHG photo credit: Matt Kocourer

This is the pool house kitchen. Suzanne (assisted by Julie Reuter) helped the homeowner with this project.When the lovely homeowner realized how much better (and faster) a project goes with a professional in charge, Suzanne complete several more projects.

The Main Kitchen. Suzanne has always been an avid class taker. In fact, I value her and Julie's feedback very highly when it comes to class samples and real world applications. As finishers that follow the steps and don't short change on process or product, I know I can trust their opinions.

Love the green faux creme concentrate on the kitchen island.

Is that the Tavern Tortoiseshell finish I see on the cabinet? Anyone can do a small door in class.

Suzanne pulled it off beautifully in this home. I photographed a home where Suzanne incorporated

several of the finished from our Rustic Elegance Collection Class. Here is the tour.

The Dining Room features a leather like plaster with a glazed ceiling.

This rich finish has a soft reflection from the application of Palette Deco Metallic Plaster.

In the living room, Suzanne completed the fireplace in one of her signature finishes.

Here is a close-up of the subtle texture on the wood.

The Hearth Room has my favorite application of Waxed Travertino ever.

In the kitchen I helped Suzanne with this warm barn island done in venetian plaster that is stained and aged.

The powder bath is the Sun Vally Foil finish. Julie came in and layed out the pattern thus beginning a new business partnership (really a faux marriage-you guys that work with a partner know what I am getting at).

This is also a favorite. Suzanne and Julie did this finish many times for happy clients.

Lots of levels were harmed in making this finish!

Downstairs, Suzanne completed several projects in the game room and the theater room.

Oil Rubbed Bronze Faux Tin Tile Ceiling.

Sandstone textured walls in the Theater.

Upstairs, Suzanne applied one of her signature finishes in the Master Bath.

I hope they are careful in the shower. I know I hate getting shampoo in my wine!

Suzanne and I have had many professional and

personal adventures in our years of friendship.

We've shared lots of laughs (and a few tears) along the way.

Girlfriends....Always On the Edge of Seventeen.

I always thought that was a "white winged dove" but it is a Cockatoo!

Oh Stevie-you crazy chick!

The House that Holiday Hams Built.

2011-12-23T16:23:00.000-06:00

Our friend Sue has been working on a wonderful house for the past several months and from the scattered pictures posted on Facebook and her stories about the delightful home owner, I was dying to see this project. Last week, with time before Christmas and family arrivals, my faux finisher friend Julie and I drove up to visit the job site.

To our surprise the friendly homeowner met us at the door to give me and Julie a personal tour of her dream home. The homeowners are self-made entrepreneurs that built their business on pork and not the government spending kind! Many fun details in the house pay a homage to pigs.

When you walk in the entry, this stunning dome caps off the main staircase. Sue applied a Modello in Lusterstone over a foil background. She used various glazes to age the finish. This dome is massive and required extensive scaffolding just to reach it. Julie and Ashley helped to apply the pattern so it was nice that Julie could see the fantastic results. Sue even added a little bling to the center medallion with faint glitter.

The house has a huge kitchen with a large eat at island that our other friend Brenda was carefully detailing in Gold Faux Metal. The homeowner wanted us to check out her new hearthroom chairs and put our feet up-no problem!

We could relax and take in the view of Kansas City-too bad it was overcast and threatening to snow so we couldn't really see the city. We will just have to come back in the summer-when the patio fireplace and entertaining area is completed.

Sue and team have carefully highlighted all the extensive cream molding in the house with Gold Faux Metal.

The palette in the home is warm earth tones with accents of aged gold and bronze. This is another Modello that Sue applied and finished in the Master Bedroom Ceiling.

The Homeowner requested a simple textural finish for the columns that divide the bedroom and sitting room space. Sue applied thinned O'Villa Sabina and left it in the natural un-glazed state.

Forget the closet that Mister Big built for Carrie-the Master Closet in this house is spectacular. I should do this to a small bedroom in my house! The Master Closet opens to the Masterbath where Sue has finished the ceiling in antique gold and bronze metallic plasters.

There are several guest powder baths through-out the home. It is in these that the homeowner indulges her love of unusual sinks and sink stoppers. Look closely at this little gem.

There is an adorable little frog sitting on the lily pad stopper! She showed us the carved frogs that will crawl across the wood vanity-love a person that has a sense of humor. For the walls, Sue used a patterned foil and glitter for a subtle shimmer effect.

The second story landing has several columns that Sue has finished in marble.

In the office, Sue's talented artist friend Debbie painted this mural of the Brooklyn Bridge with a pre-2001 skyline.

The lower level bar will house the families 500 plus beer stein collection. The wood was custom carved and Sue highlighted the designs that celebrate the clients German heritage. Here is my favorite:

Sue applied rustic plaster finishes to the pantry and wine cellar walls.

And although, this pig sink is pretty cute, I think this guy still has my heart:

And by guy I mean Babe-I did not give up eating bacon for James Cromwell.

Thanks Sue for the Home Tour! Can't wait to see the projects you complete after the family moves in.

Some Christmas Greenery: A door sample for Michelle's Beautiful Bath

2011-12-13T17:59:00.000-06:00

It's Easy Being Green

A good makeover gets you to stop and look at it. A great makeover motivates you to create a sample because you feel inspired. That was the case with this bathroom project from Hattisburg, Mississippi Decorative Artist Michelle Lopez. Michelle is the owner of Sparkle Faux Designs.

The bathroom had a floral paper with jade tile. Looks like this is in the middle of the fun process of stripping wallpaper.

Using the tile as a starting point, Michelle applied Jade Plaster from Faux Effects. She created movement and depth with Pearl Palette Deco. Over the dried plaster, she applied Wundasize and then randomly popped in silver hologram foil.

The wonderful stencil called Lisbora Tile is a new design from Melanie Royals of Royal Design Studio. Michelle pounced in more jade plaster over the design to create a slightly raised pattern. Pearl Palette Deco was gently striaed over the design.

As Michelle said, "It was a lot of work but worth it."

Michelle is a Facebook friend. When I saw the bath, I thought of two different cabinet finishes that, if combined, would be a nice compliment to this bathroom makeover. She agreed to send me these pictures so I could create a sample and recipe to share with other on-line friends.

The walls are amazing and should remain the focus of the room. Right now the white vanity is crisp and clean in the room but pulls some of the attention from the walls. Since the vanity top and toilet are white, I didn't want a huge contrast-rather something in a similar green family that gently blends in. I also wanted to incorporate some of the product that Michelle may have left over from the project.

I started with an oak door.

I cleaned the door with Paso and did a light sand. Then I painted the oak with primer. Michelle's Vanity is either Thermafoil or a White enamel and should be primed to make it compatible with a water-based system.

My door needed cracks repaired so I troweled some Duraseal Sanding Sealer over those spots-that is the slight hazing you see on the primer.

To create some interest since the vanity doors have simple molding, I stippled directly on the primer with Duraseal Sanding Sealer. Just dip crumbled plastic in the Duraseal and pop on the surface.

I use this technique a lot. It dries hard, is easy to sand, may be tinted with anything, and adds a nice low texture. For a stronger texture, Master Finishing Medium may be used-it is just messier to sand. I hate to sand, so I just popped the Duraseal low to save me that step. This cabinet finish is also pretty without the texture. When the Duraseal dried, within 30 minutes, I could apply my basecoat.

Based on the tile color and the Jade Plaster, I used my Urban Fern Setcoat mix for the base. This is 3 parts Sea Spray Metal glow mixed with 1 part Sage Setcoat.

I brushed it on the surface and stippled it with a Neon Leon brush-this is the easiest way to apply a metallic basecoat if you don't spray it. One coat coverage is fine because I wanted the color light. If the door or surface is larger, use a small fluffy white or pink roller head to apply the metallic color and stipple out as you work across the surface.

To add a little bling and since she has the product, I used a sea sponge to spot in Wundasize to the center panel and recessed molding.

I let this set-up several hours and then applied Silver Hologram foil-even if Michelle has scraps that should be plenty for this project. I used my hand to rub the foil so it would only off-load in areas.

I like to use Palette Deco on my cabinetry-the Urban Red Door is a good example. Michelle used Palette Deco Pearl so I did as well. I brushed in the center of the panel and used the Neon Leon again to pounce it down.

You should see the hologram foil underneath the Palette Deco Pearl. I brushed the Palette Deco Pearl over the outer molding and wiped it down with cheesecloth. For better flow, thin the Pearl with a glaze medium or an extender. The Pearl will dry down stronger then it first appears so apply it lightly-you want to see the green underneath.

I troweled with a Japan Blade a little more Palette Deco Pearl because I wanted a little more contrast between the center panel and the surround. If you do this step don't bury out the layers underneath.

The plaster layer dries fast. I was ready to glaze with Stain & Seal within 40 minutes.

I brushed a mix of 2parts FX Thinner + 1 part American Walnut Stain + 1 part Rich Brown Stain. Gently soften the brush lines with cheesecloth. While the brown is wet I brushed in 2parts FX Thinner mixed with 2 parts Sea Spray Metal Glow (this was part of the base mix).

I used my cheesecloth to blend the colors. The trick is to keep the colors soft and not end up with monkey brown. Start in the center and work out to the edges. Again, don't loose the underneath colors as you work.

I used the stain mix for fly flicks and lightly thinned American Walnut to highlight the architecture. When the detail work dried I sealed the door with Varnish Plus Satin. I like my finish layer to dry over night before topcoating. Varnish Plus Satin may be too shiny for some so 2 coats of Aquaguard Satin is a great alternative and few people have application issues with it.

And here is the finished door. It was super easy and should hold up well to water and humidity-she does live in Mississippi after all.

Thanks Michelle for sharing your makeover. You can visit Michelle at www.sparklefauxdesigns.com to see more of her work.

Can't See the Forest for the Trees

2011-11-22T12:51:00.000-06:00

It was a long and winding road to get to this simple but pretty finish.

It started with our Entry Way or as we called it "The Hallway to Hell."

Years ago, the walls were golden O'Villa Plaster, the trim rusted, front door bronze, and closet doors black. Then I decided to paint it all Black Setcoat and it stayed that way for over a year because I got stuck on the idea that I needed a bling finish in this space to impress people when they walked in the house.

When we got the new Luna product I thought, "Great, I will put that in the Entry." You can see part of it behind Jack. I added lots of glitter and made it red. Unfortunately Luna is very light dependent and our entry is the darkest area of our home so the sparkle fell a little flat. Plus the red was the wrong color. So you would think I would create my own samples and come up with a plan at this point right?

But instead of looking at this project as a whole, I wasn't done focusing on the "trees" yet.

Someone sent me a series of crazy emails challenging me on my "expertise" with epoxy. Out of the blue and medication worthy rants. Rather then go the mature route and just ignore it, I thought, "I'll show you what I can do with epoxy!" And I created this foil, glitter, wax and epoxy finish on the black closet doors for my entry...

Difficult to do? Yes. Cool? Yes. Eye Catching? Yes. My style? Absolutely not. And there you go. I spent hours and product to prove to someone that I don't really care about that I could do a clever technique that I will never teach and made something that I hated to put in my house. Lesson learned. After everything all I had were clashing glitter walls, garish doors, and a still ugly entry.

Time to think about the forest-literally. I bought new plain wood closet doors and painted them black. Then I used a black foam roller to apply a coat of Wundasize. I let this tack up and rolled another coat. The second layer firmed up in about 2 hours.

I applied the Colonial Foil 100% to both the doors. This foil has a pattern and you need to decide if the lines will run vertically or horizontally.

I removed the doors and placed Cutting Edge's Birch Tree Stencil over the foil. This is a reverse stencil. The color you apply will create the background. In this case, I rolled 2 coats of Black Setcoat.

And just like that (OK, it took two years and a lesson in restraint) I finally had the big picture plan for this space and the connecting walls. To get the walls ready, I painted over the Luna with Black Setcoat essentially going back to the starting point. The back hallway was still black but it has five doors in the small space painted bright white. To make them disappear, I painted the doors and trim Black Setcoat.

Using a fluffy 9inch Slim Jim I rolled the back hallway walls and doors with 2 coats of Charred Olive Lustersuede. The picture above shows the first coat. Amazing how the dogs always walk in front of the picture. I did the same technique to the entry way walls.

When the Lustersuede dried I used a bark roller to apply the next layer.

I sawed the Bark Roller smaller so it would fit in between all the narrow hallway walls. I rolled the Bark in the Rich Gold Sharkskin. This is new gold label base product from Faux Effects. I use it in several classes but if you haven't trained with it yet, you could also do this finish using a Silver Label Metal Glow like Toasted Cocoanut, Leo Gold, or Mocha Gold. I off-rolled the Sharkskin on the wall lapping the lines and varying the density. Use a flat trowel to compress any blops and to move the shapes.

The darker color is the Lustersuede showing underneath. For the ceiling edges, I used a small stiff chip brush to apply the Sharkskin in a linear manner. I also used the Rich Gold Sharkskin to paint the wood trim, and the front door.

When the Sharkskin was dry, I glazed the walls and wood with a mix of glaze and equal parts Dark Brown Faux Color and Dark Brown Faux Creme Color. You need to topcoat the Sharkskin. I rolled a coat of C500 Satin but Aquaguard or Varnish Plus will work as well.

The finished Entry. Next I will do the tile in our Tumbled Marble Finish.

Doors installed with new hardware.

So that's it. Once I started to focus on the BIG PICTURE, an area that had bugged me for years became exactly what I wanted: a space that welcomes people to our home and sets our personal style from the minute you walk through the door. Nothing flashy but eye catching a great background for collected artwork.

I think Ricky Nelson says it best:

""But it's alright now. I learned my lesson well. Ya see, you can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself."

Checking out Ashley's Nest: The Other Rooms

2011-10-31T16:33:00.000-05:00

Ashley and Justin are like most young couples starting out-Champagne Tastes but a Beer Budget. Thankfully, Ashley is talented, Justin is patient, and she has a good pal like me to lend a hand now and then. Their cabinets were a very shiny (very shiny) reddish wood-like substance. Ashley prepped them and then I applied our Iced Latte Finish.

Then Ashley used foil and glaze to transform her bland shiny white backsplash tile.

The walls are from a sample we have at Surfaces that combines Palette Deco, Lusterstone, and Wax. The stencil is Loft 101 Hudson from Sheri Zeman.

The existing island was a bland box that Ashley jazzed up with a faux bamboo made from plaster. This was painted and glazed giving the island a contemporary look. The wood surface is a recyled table top.

The kitchen flows very well into the Bronze Hallway and the Tribeca Bronze Powder bath.

The Dining Room finish is our Moon Glow Travertino. This finish and furnishings make for a very sophisticated baby gift and Pac-N-Play room. Hey, you got to help these kids develop good taste young!

The guest bath was standard for a starter neighborhood: Linoleum Floors, White Vanity, and White Walls. We started by troweling the walls with O'Villa Sabina.

On top of the O'Villa Sabina, I used more Sabina to create relief designs using a Royal Design Stencil. When the patterns dried, I troweled tinted Venetian Gem Tint Base and metallic tinted Aquawax 100% over the walls.

Ashley sanded the linoleum floors, applied Primetch, and then Setcoat. She built a layer of Quartzstone to fill the original pattern and then used grout tape to create her new block pattern. Ashley filled in the blocks with more Quartzstone for a Travertine Stone finish. When the finish was dry she pulled her tape and glazed the surface which she sealed with 2 coats of C500 Satin.

In the office she shares with Justin, Ashley used up batches of Designer Metallic Setcoat for the walls and applied a WallOvers Stencil in a grouped stripe. The work table is made from upcycled doors painted pewter with a WallOvers Stencil called Wild Thing. Several coats of C500 Gloss give a hard work surface.

Her Thermafoil Master Bath cabinets got a quick makeover with our Java Bronze Finish from Cabinetry One.

See ya later Scout! Thanks for letting us visit your home.

No Problem..Come Again.

Checking out Ashley's Nest: The Nursery

2011-10-26T12:35:00.000-05:00

Whoo's been busy working on her house?

I started this blog two years ago with a story on Ashley's home. At that time, she and Justin were new homeowners. Flash forward and now....

Ashley and Justin are the proud new parents to Baby Calvin. Not one to take it easy, Ashley continued to work on her home throughout her pregnancy. Let's start with the cute and modern nursery she created for Calvin.

The project started with Ashley's Tree and Owl mural. I love Owls as well-cute and wise. She selected a warm citrus, turquoise, and grass palette softened with neutral brown and white.

This charming quilt was made by Designer Heather McDonald as a baby shower gift and brings all the colors together really well.

Here is the changing table that I completed. I used the Faux Creme Color Concentrates in custom colors to create the gently worn look. Sue Hon and I lacquered the white handles.

Justin did this artwork from the Calvin and Hobbs comic. The expressions are perfect-typical little boy (or girl for that matter).

What a fun nursery! Welcome Baby Calvin to your new room!

Collageables, Creative Concepts for Canvas Art

2011-10-06T17:07:00.001-05:00

How excited am I that Deb Drager is teaching her collage class at Surfaces? So excited that I have been thinking about collages, buying books about collages, and yes, even practicing collages. I was This Girl in school:

Harry Potter, Warner Bros.

"Pick me, Pick me. I read the homework. I practiced!"

I had a canvas with nothing on it and a vintage movie poster from 1959 that was in rough shape. We also got in some cool retro looking stencils from Sheri Zeman (the starburst) and Melanie Royals (the oval linking chain) that I was dying to use. The pictures are tinted with Faux Creme Colors and the patterns are Lusterstone, Metallic Aquawax, and Orange Gold Glitter.

This guy looks like Mr.Big doesn't he?

She may have "married for love" but that look on her face says she married for lust. LOL!

After my attempt, I am anticipating Deb's class even more because it was easy to see that the type of canvas did make a difference and there must be tricks for getting paper to lie flatter. I didn't know what a Brader is!

Just the notes that Deb sent me to prepare for this class have given me ideas for so many things beyond sticking a picture to a painted background. I mean look at her work:

We are pulling together so many things to play with-plasters, waxes, stencils, rust, crackles, decorative nail heads, paper, fabric, imprints, and more! Deb sent out homework-really play work- this week to get everyone ready for the two-day class. You will be working on 3 smaller canvases and 1 large 30" X 40" canvas. Deb will share how she sells her work. Sells her art for money.

I am working on my canvas ideas right now-

We have many talented local and out-of-state artists signed up for the class. Bruce and I are hosting a bar-b-que at our home on Thursday night for class attendees to relax and hopefully enjoy the outdoor firepit while sipping a cold brew. Deb is an outstanding teacher and one of the most creative people that I know personally. She is inspiring and will get you fired up about your decorative art!

So, if you are kicking yourself saying "I wish I had signed up for this class" today is your lucky day. I have room (we have 4,000 square feet of just classroom space) for one more person. If you are interested in attending call us at Surfaces 913-888-9996.

Collageables with Deb Drager.

Thursday, October 27-Friday, October 28th. 9am-5pm. $795

French Country with a side of patterns.

2011-09-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

This is the home of my long time client Jane. Jane's family is like my own: husband, three dogs, and a busy schedule. She lives in a lovely home on a golf course that is decorated in what we call French Country Light.
There is the traditional color palette of red and golds with accents of black and cream. And there are roosters-which we both admit add to the look best when used in subtle places. But like most Americans take on a classic style from another country, Jane has added some contemporary and transitional finishes with pattern, and metallics. We are a melting pot after all.

Let's take a tour:

This is the dining room which started out with "baby poop" painted walls. Lots of our finishes start out with baby poop colors-think a baby that has eaten lots of spinach.

"I yam what I yam"

Over the greenish brown color, we applied Faux Effects Metallic Bronze and Gold Fresco. The key to this product is to thin it with water (25%), brush in small areas, and pop it with a plastic bag. Then we pull it out with a foam brush. The finish has movement but is flat on the wall.

On the ceiling, we painted it with Bronze Setcoat and lightly applied the gold fresco. For the ceiling medallion, we applied a Modello from Royal Design Studios. These are custom sized adhesive masking patterns and they make working over your head much much easier.

Since the Modello sticks to the ceiling, you have time to trowel multiple colors of plaster over the pattern without having a traditional stencil falling on your head. We used some Mandarin Red, Brown Suede, Charred Olive, and Weathered Bronze Lusterstones. It is not as expensive as it sounds since we sell 4oz sample sizes of Lusterstone and that is plenty most ceiling Modellos. You can find out more about Modellos at http://www.modellodesigns.com/. We've always found the customer service to be very helpful.

We based the breakfast nook finish on a wallpaper that Jane liked but was not available in the colors she needed. That is an advantage for a faux finish-custom colors. We painted the walls first with Black Setcoat and then rolled an even layer of Aquasize.

When the size is tacky, we troweled a layer of Venetian Gem Plaster mixed with Cracklemate. This is a custom color made with pre-tinted Sand Venetian Plaster mixed with some Ochre Yellow and Italian Sienna for a warm golden beige. The plaster will crack to show the black background.

The stencil is Royal Design #501 Damask-I call it the Artichoke Damask. French Red Faux Creme Color is applied with a foam roller over the stencil. Varying the pressure of the roller will create the faded look of the pattern. I mark the stencil with a large arrow pointing up. This way I don't turn the stencil while I am working-nothing worse then realizing you have applied areas of your pattern upside down. When the stencil is dry, the surface is glazed with a mix of Rich Brown Stain & Seal, American Walnut Stain & Seal, and FX Thinner. We just helped a finisher this morning adapt this finish to chocolate, bronze, and gold.

Also in the hearthroom kitchen is a built-in TV cabinet that was a little too gold. After cleaning and sanding the piece, I painted it with a thin layer of Camel Setcoat. I stippled on some Camel tinted Duraseal for a crackle look without the actual cracks. Since we wanted a rubbed back look, I brushed a thin layer of Creme Activator over the entire piece. The biggest mistake people make with Creme Activator is applying it too thick. It dries to a milky film if you put too much on. I brush or roll my coat, and then roll through with a dry foam roller to really lay it out. You should barely see it on the surface. When the Creme Activator is matte, then I applied Black Setcoat. As the Setcoat dried, I just rub through to the under color.

Hey look another primo place for a stencil! I tinted Venetian Gem Base Coat with the Camel and troweled it over another Royal Design studio stencil #2033 Renaissance Door Crown. This pattern lends itself well to above cabinet and above window applications due to the nice peaked shape. The entire cabinet is then glazed with the same stain mix used on the breakfast nook plaster. I always seal dark finishes with a gloss topcoat first followed by a final coat of Satin or a Dull/Satin mix.

Our next project is a powder bath. I love it when a client will go with a black background. Don't get stuck on dark. Instead think of the finish as "rich." The walls are Black Setcoat. We used a favorite Royal Design Stencil #724 Fabric Damask applied in a broken pattern.

Tara used Gold and Silver Stain & Seal for the design. When this was dry, she applied the same Bronze Metallic Fresco used in the dining room over the whole surface. This is an adaption of a finish that we did with Deb Drager in Wichita as part of a design collection project. Her original finish is in eggplant but lends itself to many rich tones including Dark Brown and Leather Red. This is still a favorite finish many years later.

Jane wanted to feature the Roman Shower surround but also needed it to blend with the floor tile. We also needed to bring in the reddish tones of the cabinetry. The base of our finish is a custom mix of Merlot Lusterstone and French Red Faux Creme Color. This was troweled flat over the surface for maximum shine. Then we used a sea sponge roller to apply Brown Suede, Silver Taupe, and Champagne Mist Lusterstones.

The texture is flattened and the colors lightly blended. The final layer is tightly pulled Champagne Mist and Silver Taupe that bladed on, spritzed with water, and softened with a cloth to remove chatter lines.

Here is a close-up of the finish. We apply most of our Lusterstone this way because the colors may be stacked, it may go over a slight texture, and you can hide flaws and seams in the wall. A flat bladed Lusterstone will only make dry wall lines appear worse!.

My latest project for Jane was this feature wall in the Master Bed Room. She wanted the finish to blend with her wall paint which is Sherwin Williams Restrained Gold #6129. Since I wanted to get this done in a day I showed her samples that included foil and Lusterstone-both dry fast.

The Champagne Foil matches her paint colors really well. Many times a wall will seem flat but it really has a stipple from the paint application. That was the case here. I ended up rolling two coats of Wundasize before applying the foil. Since the base color was close to the foil color, I didn't need 100% solid off-load of the foil.

This large wall took less then a single roll of 12" X 100 ft and less then 1 quart of Wundasize.

As soon as the foil is up, I can apply the Lusterstone in Queen Anne's Lace and Champagne Mist. I butter the blade with a single color and pop it on. Then I do the same with the second color working wet into wet. Gently blade the colors pulling across and then down to soften and blend. It helps to stand back and view the finish as you work. That way you can see how much of the foil is going to flash. Remember this has a stencil going on top and the pattern will also soften areas of the foil. I used less then a quart of each color and it dried in an hour.

This stencil is Cutting Edge's Trellis. I've used this stencil many times including in my own home. I start the pattern in the middle of the wall and rolled Leo Gold Metal Glow over the pattern. Alternating side-to-side and up-down gives the pattern time to dry.

And this is the finished project. The flash to the right is where the sun is hitting that area of the foil and is the beauty of a finish like this-it changes throughout the day. If your client wants it to look the same all day in every light-get wallpaper.

Lucky for me Jane wanted a decorative finish for the very reason that it has some life. She called the next day (I always hold my breath a little when a client calls) to tell me that she loves it and can't wait for the next project! Whew.

"Come and knock on our door..."

2011-09-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

"Take a class that is new. Where the samples are hers, and hers, and his...Three's Company Too!"

(Three's Company, ABC Television)

I am excited to be teaching with two of the most talented people in faux finishing-Sheri Zeman and Gary Lord-at Sheri's studio in Chicago. We've been working together for months to pull together a collection of complimentary wall, counter top, and cabinetry samples. This portfolio called The Design Collection will offer you whole room solutions. Each instructor is teaching 6 different samples over 3-days.

Here are some class samples:

This is one of Gary's Counter tops, which would look great with...

Sheri's beautiful beaded wall finish. And you could finish the room with...

My Lenox Linen cabinet finish.

This finish has sold well in Kansas City and added bonus-it is a production finish!

Sheri understands that many clients are asking for lighter finishes. This sample's subtle movement would be attractive to clients that want neutral but not boring. Of course with a delicate wall...

You may go a little more dramatic on the flat counter surface. I created this sample to go with the earth tones in Sheri's stencil and the copper of Gary's finish.

I liked this sample so much I used it to re-do my lake house doors and the plastic shutters.

This is a lovely smooth plaster from Gary that I really liked paired with my Gramercy Park Cabinet.

Gramercy Park would also be pretty with this sample from Sheri.

My Oslo Bronze finish...

paired with Gary's Autum leave counter top would be very rich!

And speaking of rich...

Sheri's sample has a pretty woven texture combined with stencils from her own line.

My final cabinet finish is the Ambered Lotus. This sample is popular with our local designers. It is a super easy finish that really transforms a cabinet.

This is your opportunity to work with plasters, stains, color concentrates, epoxy, new stencils, and new pattern techniques. Several of the products are Gold Label and require a class to purchase. Plus you get three instructors for 3 days. Wow all that and ...

Joking aside. It is a tough market out there and it doesn't always bring out the best in competing studios. That's why it is so refreshing to work with Sheri and Gary. This class is about sharing finishes, techniques, and product knowledge in a fun environment. Yes, Three is Company but a full class would be even better.

So, I hope to see you in Chicago

October 12-14th

at Faux Design Studio

Class Fee is $995

For detailed class information or to register, please visit Sheri's Faux Design Studio Web Site.

Ramona, the best!

2011-08-25T17:41:00.000-05:00

Today's eye candy is courtesy of talented Kansas City Artist, Ramona Sheely. A local manufacturer of PVC Tile asked Ramona to create some art for their offices thinking she would go the route of canvas art.

Well, Ramona's mind is beyond the ordinary. What better medium to use then the very PVC Tile that the company makes! And these are the "samples" she showed the clients:

The clients were blown away. I would show you the happy expressions on the faces of the whole family, but I don't have consent to use their images. But I can tell you that they looked like this:

Who wouldn't jump for joy? Now they are the proud owners of art that is beautiful and personal. Great job Ramona!

Ramona's work is also in the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming. Let's hope her next piece is in Overland Park, Kansas....

on this wall in my house!

Aloha, Namaste, and Ciao!

2011-08-19T16:59:00.000-05:00

There are times when the English language is limiting. While "Hello" sounds bright and full of promise, "Good-Bye" has the ring of sadness and some how a more permanent ending. Other cultures have solved this problem by giving us wonderful words that express simply the complexity of human interactions. Aloha means both hello and good-bye but the word is also used to express affection, peace, love, and compassion. Namaste is used as a greeting but also a gesture of gratitude and respect. And Ciao? It is derived from a Venetian phrase that literally means "I am your slave" but now is said in the spirit of a promise of good will among friends and family members.

So Aloha, Namaste, and Ciao to Lindsay and Ashley!

Please help us welcome Lindsay Folsom. Lindsay has worked in the Kansas City area for many years both as an independent finisher and as a subcontractor with other area decorative painters.She has taken several Surfaces' classes and worked with many of the FE products prior to her employment at the studio. Lindsay is married and the mother to 3 small children. She has already worked with me on several classes including Designer Walls I, a week of cabinetry, and ReNew, ReUSe, ReCycle.

Ashley will be off on her new adventure the middle of September-busy getting ready for the arrival of Baby Calvin in Mid October. I know many of you are the recipients of Ashley's help (and patience) over the past 5 years and would like to express your best wishes. We invite you to join us for a Baby Sprinkle!

A Baby Sprinkle on

Friday, September 9th

between 3pm-5pm at Surfaces

Drop by for snacks and to share Congratulations with Ashley.

It has been a time of transitions at Surfaces and change is not always easy. But we look forward to working with Lindsay and seeing Ashley become a mom.

So, I will leave it with a parting quote from Seneca or the band, Semisonic (depending on whether you like you deep thoughts from dead ancient philosophers or one hit wonder bands)

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Oh, What a Beautiful Show House!

2011-08-16T15:09:00.001-05:00

It is a stormy day in Kansas City. The rain is needed but a gloomy way to start the week. So let's treat ourselves to some eye candy and visit the great state of Oklahoma!

Among the waving wheat and sweeping wind, is the 2011 Oklahoma Symphony Show House and Gardens. This lovely multi acre home is located in the heart of Nichols Hill, one of the oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods in Oklahoma City. Let's allow the Show House Co-Chairs to set the stage: "Step into a breathtaking world created by Oklahoma's finest Interior and Exterior Designers whose skill and expertise has transformed this stunning property into an outstanding showplace. The hard work and creativity of the designers is evident in every detail." Hyperbole? Not if you see the wonderful work in the home by Decorative Artist, Deb Johnson.

Deb is the owner of Paint Inspirations. Her husband Steve joined the business a few years ago. The duo have quickly become sought after finishers in both Oklahoma and Illinois, where Deb and Steve have completed numerous commercial and residential projects. She is an enthusiastic class member and is always thinking of ways to tweak a finish and make it her own. The evidence of this skill is apparent in the following rooms Deb designed and completed for the show home.

Steve has embraced the cabinetry side of faux finishing and his skills are also featured in the home.

Let's take a tour courtesy of Paint Inspirations shall we?

Deb kicked off the show home with the Peacock Paradise Powder Bath with layers of cerulean blue and sea greens. The stencil detail is Royal Design Studio Floral Medallion Set B.

WOW. Welcome to the Platinum and Pearls Belladonna Bath. This is the ladies lounge of the home. And men wonder why we go to the bathroom in groups. I would invite my girls and have ladies night out in this room-the tub would hold lots of ice and champagne-and we could just admire Deb and Steve's work.

They did the stunning focal wall behind the tub and the surrounding walls. I think this shows that silver is a neutral and may be warm and elegant. The following are close-up photos of the two finishes.

Ashley worked with Deb on these designs and Deb did a great job of taking a sample board and translating it to the actual room. I respect an artist that gets me thinking while I preview the pictures, "Where can I put these finishes in my home?"

Steve gets a chance to shine with his amazing cabinetry transformation. I know he would've made a fantastic sports announcer but I think these cabinets show his finishing skills hit a home run!

Steve did an interpretation of a finish I taught in a cabinet class and I like his finish better!

In the above picture check out the "peacock" inspired finish above the fireplace.

This is a close-up of another bath with a cabinet finish by Steve and walls by Deb.

The wide shot of the Guest House Bath. I love the use of the bronze, gold, and silver metallic. The effect is soothing and sophisticated and makes this small space luxurious. Your eye really goes to that pop of color in the artwork.

Deb applied the stencil over the existing string cloth in the Guest House Bedroom.

You know they like your work when the show home committee trusts you to do the kitchen cabinets. Steve and Deb finished the island and the walls.

What an impressive project. But here is something else equally impressive. Deb sent me the show house book with her rooms marked but she also carefully noted the rooms completed by other Oklahoma finishers that I also know. It was gracious of Deb and I always enjoy seeing the work of friends.

Thanks Deb and Steve for sharing your wonderful work in the Oklahoma City Symphony Show Home. If I were a potential client and Paint Inspirations by Deb gave me a job proposal I would be just like Ado Annie:

"I'm Just a Girl That Can't Say No!"

Surfaces is having a baby...

2011-05-18T17:41:00.000-05:00

Hangover, Warner Bros. 2009

We have had many exciting things happen at Surfaces over the years but this has to be the biggest. Yes, Bruce and I are expecting a bundle of joy...

...And this would be our package.

Thank goodness the universe has more wisdom then that!
Ashley, the heart of Surfaces, is having a baby.

Many of you know Ashley. She patiently answers your questions, sends you your product, and teaches you the one-day classes. Ashley has been with us for 5 years and we have shared many
fun times-Meeting of the Masters, Gary's Open House, IDAL and Maui...oh wait, she didn't go to Maui because she stayed and took care of our studio and our dogs allowing us to take our first vacation in 7 years.

Ashley is a part of our family

I've done many baby rooms in my career but none will be more important then this one. So while Bruce builds a nursery in the studio (complete with 3 guard dogs), Ashley and I will wait 4 more weeks before we can get started with samples for this lucky little boy or girl's room.

Congratulations to Ashley and Justin. October will be here so fast!

Augustine Silver Bookcase

2011-05-17T17:53:00.000-05:00

You thought I was kidding when I said your mom wanted furniture for Mother's Day. Ha! So did I...until my own Mom saw the post and decided "OK, smarty pants, where is my gift?"

Notice the Kung-Fu grip. I am not leaving until this project is done!

I must say that I should do something nice for my mother. Not just because she gave me life and all that but more because she put up with me. I made her name into a song and taught my younger brother and sister to sing it...constantly. "Velda LaVeda is the name of our mom, spell it right and you'll never go wrong." Yes that is her name and no, she didn't knock my head off.

In gratitude for the opportunity to grow-up, I did this bookcase project for her.

My parents had one old oak bookcase in my Dad's office and two smaller matching pine ones in the living room. I suggested finishing all 3 to match and attaching the two smaller pieces on each side of the larger bookcase creating a wall unit for the new piano/sitting room. Mom is thrilled. Dad is a "why would you paint over natural wood?" kinda guy. We just ignored him.

Seriously, does this look like a fine quality antique-possibly from the Civil War? I didn't think so either.

The finish on one piece was water-based and the others had an oil topcoat, so all 3 pieces were sanded and then primed with a Zinsser Primer. One coat is sufficient. This was followed by 1 coat of Neutral White Setcoat. Because I am doing a crackle finish, I need the undercoat well sealed so my crackle size does not suck into the frame.

For the Augustine Silver Finish, I am doing a double layer of a small even crackle. I've experimented with several ways to get this look and found that the following steps and products work really well.

First, I use a black sponge roller to apply an even coat of Faux Effects Porcelain Size. This is slightly milky in appearance compared to the other FE size. Let this tack-up (about 20-30 minutes) and then use a black sponge roller to apply a coat of Wunda Size. The sequence of the two products does make a difference.

As I roll the Wunda Size, I come back with a dry brush and flatten the bubbles that you tend to get with a rolled application. Wunda Size will not dry until something goes on top of it.

I have also found that the Faux Effects Designer Foil size will also produce a lovely small crackle. Roll a thin coat and let it tack up (30-40 minutes). Roll a second coat and let it set another 30-40 minutes and then apply your crackle medium. The size needs to be tacky or the crackle medium won't crack!

I use a lot of the FE Fine Line White Crackle for furniture. Thin 10% with water and roll on with a small fuzzy white or pink roller. The cracking begins quickly and I still get excited when it happens.

OMG-It's cracking!

I use a damp scrubbing pad, and take away some areas of the crackle to create voids. When the crackle medium is dry, I roll a coat of Colorseal Gloss or Satin to isolate this layer. Using a more aggressive top coat may cause the crackle medium to lift. Colorseal dries slowly. I crackle in the morning and seal the project in the late afternoon giving the topcoat time to dry over night.

The next morning, I roll a coat of Wunda Size over the entire piece and let it set about 30 minutes. Then I roll another coat of Fine Line White Crackle thinned 20% with water to make it more sheer.

This creates a tighter crackle over the first layer. As this layer dries, I also remove the crackle in areas-some areas I reveal the first crackle and in others I use Blending Solvent to go through both layers of crackle.

Put the Blending Solvent on cheesecloth and lightly scrub. You could use Denatured Alcohol but it is more aggressive and doesn't smell as nice as Blending Solvent-which makes me think of summer!

BS never smelled so good!

Over the dried crackle medium, I applied a glaze of FX Thinner and Wheat Metal Glow. When this was dry, I applied my antiquing glaze of FX Thinner and American Walnut Stain & Seal letting it settle more in the edges of the piece.

Since this is more a decorative piece, compared to Kitchen Cabinets, I used the Colorseal again as my final topcoat.

For the sides, I tinted StucoLux and troweled it on using a broken motion with the blade. When this was dry, I used the StucoLux Sealer tinted with Wheat Metal Glow and tight troweled over the plaster. Then I used my Walnut FX Thinner base and buffed it into the finish for a polish.

I thought it looked like petrified wood.

Unfortunately, I didn't take the cabinet placement into consideration and you don't see much of the sides once we had the entire piece in the room.

Oh, well. Mom is happy and so is Dad. She even wrote a song: "My daughter RJ is a faux painter, she finished my job and I don't have to pay her." See it runs in my family!

Flowers Die-Foils are Forever!

2011-05-06T19:44:00.001-05:00

This is what your Mother really wants for Mother's Day

Let's be honest. If you told your Mom you could give her flowers or a fine piece of furniture, which would she select?

"Gee Thanks...Now Where is My Dresser?"

One of the best inspirations for furniture designs and trends is the Horchow site. My last client circled several pieces in the catalogue with a note "Rebecca, aren't these beautiful..." She was right. So I started looking for just the furniture pieces to fit the styles-one being a silver leaf traditional cabinet and the other being an Indian Antique. It just so happened I had two pieces from the flea market (each under $50) that I brought back from our lake home. Now which to give my Mom?

This is my old chest of drawers that is most likely a stained maple. It has seen better days but is structurally sound and has nice details.

Side View of Chest

The top is in terrible condition. The Horchow piece had a faux marble top and I decided that my piece will as well.

Begin any furniture project with removing the hardware and cleaning. I used Paso (which I've been looking for about 12 years and it was under my nose the whole time) to clean and degloss. This is followed by a light sand with 220 paper and a dust wipe-off with denatured alcohol. The beauty of foils is that you often don't have to prime or paint first if you are doing a full coverage foil finish.

I wanted my piece like the Horchow one which had contrasting edges but I also wanted some of the wood tone to show through. I opted for Faux Effects Faux Metal in Bright Gold which was brushed over the fronts of the drawers and highlight pieces of the frame. This should dry overnight.

Next, Ashley rolled a coat of Wunda Size. This will create tiny bubbles if you roll it too thickly. I use a black foam roller to apply the Wunda and then a dry black foam roller to lay the Wunda down. We do two thin coats, letting the Wunda tack in-between coats. Let the coat before you foil, set at least 30 minutes to an hour. Your foil will off-load better.

I wanted this to look like leaf, so I really crinkled the bright silver foil before applying it.

All the drawers and facing with bright silver foil.

Side with the bright silver foil

For the next step, I needed to select a stencil. In this case, I wanted something with a repeat pattern that was widely separated to show a significant amount of the background foil. This stencil is from Wallovers and is called Mikala's Tropic. It reminds me of vintage Hawaiian Barkcloths which I collect.

This design also has a "topper" which makes it easy to get the pattern right up to the edge. I rolled Ebony Frost Lusterstone over the stencil first and then immediately followed this with Kettle Metal Glow. The

Lusterstone sets the pattern and keeps the Kettle from bleeding under the edges. The Kettle darkens the pattern faster and creates a slight sheen.

When the pattern dried in about an hour, I applied an antiquing glaze over the whole piece. This was made with equal parts Black and Dark Brown Faux Color thinned with a glaze medium. If you can not purchase Faux Color, then a mix of 1/2 part Ebony Stain to 1 part Rich Brown Stain to 1 part American Walnut Stain will work. I brushed this and stippled with cheesecloth leaving the stipple heavier on the gold surround.

Glazed side

The Finished Piece! I just need to seal with a topcoat.

For the top, I did one of my activated granite finishes-there are not just for counter tops!

Piece Number Two: The Kashmiri Blue

This was a sweet piece that I have had for several years. The stencils are from Royal Design Studio where you may find several stencils that fit furniture pieces well.

We prepped this cabinet the same way as the first one. Ashley also applied the Wunda Size in the same manner. Over the size, we applied a foil that is in a light pumpkin color 100% to the piece-drawers and frame.

I rolled this custom stain color I call Kashmiri Blue made from Turquoise Concentrate and Pickling White Stain covering the foil 100%. As the blue dries, I use cheesecloth to pull through in areas revealing areas of the pumpkin foil underneath.

Front View

Side view

I wanted a stencil that had an Indian feel but was not a literal translation. This Small Ribbon Damask from Royal Design Studio was perfect. I rolled Wunda Size, stuck my stencil, and applied Celadon and the Pumpkin foil over the pattern letting the colors fade into each other. When this was dry, I rolled the whole piece with Wunda size and lightly spotted in these two foil colors randomly.

Over the tacky Wunda, I sprayed a heavy coat of C500 gloss because I wanted to finish to lightly "craze" or crack in areas. Before the C500 has dried (which should be overnight) I brushed a glaze of 1 part Rich Brown Stain to 1 part American Walnut to 1part FX Thinner over the piece and pounced with cheesecloth.

This is a tricky was to glaze but the stain mottles beautifully. I flicked the stain to create some heavier water marks.

The finished piece from the front. It is hard to photograph because the foils want to flash. In person, the overall effect is very soft and looks antiqued.

The finished Kashmiri chest from the side. Now I have only one thing left to do....

"OK Mom, best 2 out of 3 and I get to keep both pieces and you get flowers"

A Little Bubbly in the Bathroom

2011-04-07T17:29:00.000-05:00

"We think a little champagne makes over any bathroom!"

My client bought these very standard toilet paper holder and hooks for her new bathroom. Most fixtures only come in dark bronze, black, brushed nickle, or stainless and she wanted something something special to go with the walls that brought out the apricot tones without being too copper.

This is the area where the fixtures will be placed.

Here is the toilet paper hook in a brushed satin nickle-pretty but boring.

First, I brushed the pieces with my trusty Prime Etch. I let this dry about an hour and then applied a second coat being sure to apply light coats to avoid drips and bubbles. This goes on sticky.

When the Prime Etch is no longer tacky, I brushed a coat of Wundasize over the pieces. I let this set-up an hour and then applied a second coat for 100% coverage. For the speciality foil, I wait at least 2 hours before applying the foil. The Spotted Champagne Foil is a perfect choice for this bathroom as it already has a some silver-apricot undertones.

After applying the Spotted Champagne, I did a light wash with American Walnut Stain & Seal to age the surface.

The edges of the pieces are tipped with one of my favorite products, Faux Metal in Copper. This is a lovely vibrant orange-based copper with lots of reflection. I let the layer dry overnight and then I sealed them with a coat of Aquaguard Gloss.

The finished product. What could be an easier to way to make such a big change?

Just let the client think you worked like a dog to get this done....

A little privacy, please!

House Tour

2011-03-29T16:00:00.002-05:00

SPOUSES FAUXING HOUSES

"Our love is like a ship on the ocean and we've been sailing with a cargo full of love and devotion"

Meet Sandra and Jeff Lassley. This husband and wife team have been wowing clients in Omaha, Nebraska and beyond for decades with their faux finishing and design talents. Their residential and commercial work has been featured in numerous local and national publications. Sandra, affectionately known as Sass, is a recognized mentor, moderator, and member of several decorative painting associations and organizations. When you meet people like the Lassleys, you feel right away that you are old friends. And you are left wondering...

"I wonder what their home is like?"

"When a man’s home is born out of his heart and developed through his labor and perfected through his sense of beauty, it is the very cornerstone of life." ~ Gustav Stickley

This is a home about the details. All of the elements from the finishes, to the lighting, and the fabric choices
are brought together in rooms that feel very rich and warm. I've worked in many homes where the decor is beautiful but you felt the designer's presence more then the homeowners. That is not the case in this home. There are elements of exotic travels, a little whimsy, sophistication but never stuffy, and overall comfort. And throughout the rooms are pictures of family and friends that make the Lassley house a home. Let's start the tour...

When Ashley and I pulled up we knew we had arrived at the right home. Look at that front door! Bomar pieces and studs make a simple glazed door appear like metal-details!

Then entry and living room feature a "frottage" technique but again there is a twist. More then the expected stone blocking or smushed paper, this has a nice irregular movement that is still a soothing back drop for collections. I was obsessed with this finish all weekend.

The entry light fixture.

Here is the dining room. You will notice that many ceilings in the home are also finished. I can not imagine how much their necks hurt completing all these but the detail completes the space and provides a foil for the lighting. Did I say that I have popcorn ceilings?

The dining room finish closeup.

This cabinet has a dense crackle done in deep burgundy and black giving the surface a leather appearance.

Love the fixture. It manages to look both retro, old world, and modern at the same time. The compass rose is a nice classic way to emphasize this light. The room below is the main level powder bath with a green glazed mirror.

Another fun light fixture with the same technique on the ceiling.

The lower level has a slightly different tone. The look is more lodge but ties together with the same earthy palette used throughout the home. These walls are a crackled and glazed plaster.

Close-up of lower level walls.

This office was a total surprise. I have seen activated glazed finishes but never done in geometric patterns with it continuing on the ceiling. The glazed doors and woodwork are a warmer counterpoint to the vibrant walls then white.

The lower level bath in cherry glazed plaster. Again the details. Here we have bears, deers, and moose (es?) carved in the finish.

Jeff built these wooden cubes with a skin finish.

The upstairs office has soothing smooth plaster walls with a Cayenne ceiling.

These tissue walls are a taupy gold like the shantung drapes.

You need to keep looking up. The corner designs have the same gold, silver, and bronzes found in the fabric.

This bedroom has many good ideas. The walls resemble a burl showing that a wood finish is appropriate for a wall. The ceiling is red leather. The art work is plaster with a stencil and Bomar. Can't find the right piece? Just make your own. And by using just one panel pulled to the side on the window, the treatment looks finished without looking heavy.

We both love this bathroom with it low texture. The stencil is a newer Royal Design called Corsini that Sass fell in love with. Rather then apply as a continuous pattern, she has placed it randomly around the room.

Here is a close-up of the finish and the stencil. The low texture walls have a warm sage and slight amber glaze.

A adjoining sink area to the bath. It is done in a polish plaster with the colors in reverse. Here the amber is the base with a pale sage and gold pulled over the plaster. And the mirror feels like something found in an open air market.

The same finish is in the bedroom. Notice all the window treatments with cornice boards in lovely shapes and fabrics. I am lucky to hang a curtain rod! There is even a white noise machine in here-just like a spa retreat.

Thanks to Jeff and Sass for welcoming us into their home and allowing me to photograph the interiors. I hope you find it inspiring. I've been contemplating since my return what I am going to do to my own home to unleash more creativity-starting with those popcorn ceilings! Jeff and Sass-how about a trip to KC?

Boy ain't that the truth!

Candy Coated Finish

2011-03-21T17:28:00.000-05:00

Hope We don't get stuck on Molasses Swamp!

Our friend and fellow finisher, Kevin Anderson, asked for some help last week-and no it did not involve "Minnow" Shots! His client wants a very bright wall finish to go in a colorful powder bath.

This is the glass selected for the bath next to a more muted nuetral floor tile that has a slight yellow cast. The wall finish may have no brown shades in it. And did I say that the vessel sink is fushia!

Here is our sample. Randomly painted Wunda Size followed by Bright Copper Foil. Crimson Lusterstone tight troweled over the foil. When this is dry, Palette Deco Gold in spotted in and tight troweled down. The whole thing is sealed with C-500 Gloss.

Here is the wall sample with the tile and the vessel. The client decided this was "too formal" and selected a sample from a 1980's wallpaper book with a sponged finish and circles.

Who thinks that is crazy? Can I get a show of hands? Looks like we all agree!

But don't worry Kevin, at least I can get that Minnow shot thing right!

Golden Leaves

2011-03-02T13:28:00.000-06:00

I saw this designer wallpaper in a magazine a few years ago and loved it. I've always liked a warm buttery gold next to a cool silver. This paper uses real gold leaf flakes and fabric skeleton leaves over a silver foiled paper and runs about $250 a roll. Because of the wrinkles in this paper, I thought it would be a good way to update an existing tissue paper finish. Our front store counter has a leather version of tissue and provided a good spot to try out a faux finished interpretation.

The counter front with a glazed tissue to look like leather.

I needed my background to be silver and I could choose between Silver Faux Metal, Silver Setcoat, Silver Metal Glow, or Silver Foil. Silver Setcoat and Metal Glow would look like silver paint and Silver Faux Metal is more of a solid low luster metallic. Bright Silver Foil is the best choice. I rolled a coat of Wunda Size using a black foam roller and let it tack up (about 30 minutes). I rolled a second coat of size because I wanted to get 100% coverage with the foil. Let the last coat of size set up at least 1 hour and the foil will off-load better (especially if the room is cold). We are using foils for decorative finishing purposes which is outside of the intended use (hot stamping). For this reason, although rare, the foil does not pull cleanly from the backing. Use a piece of clear tape (Scotch Tape) and rub it on the back (dull) side of the foil. Pull it off. If the foil is good, the backing should peel off with the tape.

The shattered appearance of the gold made me think of the RS Low Viscosity Glaze. I love this weird stuff because you can really manipulate it and the glaze conforms to the sub-surface. When the RS Low Viscosity Glaze dries, it lays very flat and fine. For this project, I mixed it with gold metallic color and gold mica powders. I brushed the whole surface without it drying-it takes a looong time to dry.

Next, I am flicking RS Activator into the wet glaze. This is a retarder and will allow me to pull out pieces of the Low Viscosity glaze and manipulate it across the surface. It works better if you let your RS Activator "cook" on the finish 10-15 minutes and then use cheesecloth to remove areas of glaze.

As the RS Activator dries, I pulled a rubber trowel across the gold to spider web the material. When this layer I dry, it needs to be sealed with Aquaguard.

You could use Skeleton Leaves for this finish but I was too lazy to go to the craft store. Instead I opted to use Palette Deco Gold and a Falling Leaves Stencil from Royal Designs. The design is placed randomly over the counter.

I used some Stain & Seal to glaze over the entire finish.

A nice dark tea stain over the finish.

Sealed with C 500 Gloss and ready for business.

New 1 Day Classes

2011-01-31T18:54:00.000-06:00

While you are waiting out SNOWPOCALYPSE 2011, check out our new series of One Day Classes. Our Sandstone, Palette Deco, Venetian Gem, and Lusterstone classes have proven very popular with seasoned professionals, new decorative painters and homeowners. We cover 1 product in 7 hours and show you 7 different ways to use it alone or in combination with other products. $250 for the class includes sample boards, products, and a written Step-by-Step curriculum. Most of the finishes are production oriented-less steps and better product management = more room sales and increased profit.

Mitch did this beautiful dining room in a finish from the One Day Palette Deco Class

New: One Day Luna for Walls

Monday, April 18th or Monday, August 8th

Learn Faux Effect’s new production product, Luna, a brilliant and easy to apply plaster. Most of the finishes take 3 steps or less to achieve the look found in very expensive designer wallcoverings. Some of the class samples:

I have used Luna in my own home to get a better feel for tinting, coverage, and durability.

Our front entry...for now.

New: One Day Super Hide Metallic for Walls

Tuesday, April 19th or Tuesday, August 9th

What if you could combine a real metallic with water-based products? You can with Faux Effects' new Super-Hide Metallic. The luminous colors may be used straight out of the bottle or as an additive to many plasters, glazes, and waxes.

Just like the Luna, I tested the Super Hide Metallic in my own house for this finish.
These walls were Sandstone and then Lusterstone and now this. Who needs insulation when you have Faux Finishing?

(If you would like to learn the Luna and Super Hide Metallic for unusual surface applications, such as tile and counter tops, take the 2-day ReNew, Reuse, and Recycle Class. We show you how to use these products with Stone Decor and the Rock-Kote product line and give you in-depth instruction on surface specific prep and application techniques that are different from wall applications.)

In addition to the One Day Product, we also teach One Day Concept Classes in Foil and Waxes. This year we added the new Paper, Patina, Metallic, Bling, and Skins One Day Classes.

New: One Day Patina Finishes

Wednesday, April 20th or Wednesday, August 10th

We will show you how to create realistic reactive finishes on a variety of products from the new Luna to foil. From the palest smoked creams to the richest rusted irons, we cover a diversity of techniques to complete 7 samples suitable for walls, ceilings, and many home fixtures.

I love Patina Finishes so much, I did a whole counter top and sink:

New: One Day Paper Finishes

Thursday, April 21th or Thursday, August 11th

All I had to do was jot down some ideas, hand them to Ashley, and let her go to town. She came up with beautiful finishes using minimal product and easy application techniques. Create the paper in your home and spend a day installing at your clients. The best place for a new paper finish is over an outdated wallpaper-no stripping required.

My Master bathroom is covered in a Putty Metallic Vinyl Wallpaper-that sounds hip but is really hideous. And it is stuck directly to the wall! Ashley designed this paper for me:

She is such a clever girl.

New: One Day Bling with Guest Instructor Sue Hon

Monday, May 23rd

I admit to wearing frosted eyeshadow (what else would go with a Wham! big t-shirt?). And like a bird, I am attracted to glittery jewels on occasion. But when it comes to wall finishes, I have little experience with assorted bling. So I am turning this one over to Sue, who has done lovely finishes and developed several techniques for working with powders, glitters, beads, and leaf. Sue is working on 7 new samples but here are a few she has taught at Surfaces in the past:

New: One Day Skins with Sue Hon

Tuesday, May 24th

Sue's samples put a new spin on skins (and she sells sea shells at the sea shore). She will show you how everyday inexpensive household items become faux finishing tools. The class covers Croc, Lizard, Dragon, Ostrich, Goat, Snake, and Toad. One is a new stencilwith new products. Two are old stencil favorites with a easy application technique and 4 samples require no sample at all.

I have the Lizard Finish on my Coffee Bar Counter Top.

New: One Day Mastering Metallics

Wednesday, May 25th

Metallics are the easiest way to update any interior. In this one-day class, we will work with powders, foil, metallic plasters, waxes, and metallic colorant to complete 7 finishes pulled from our popular collection classes. We’ve reworked the finishes to bring you the latest colors in the fewest steps.

One Day Color Theory with Brenda McPeek

Monday, May 9th

Brenda taught this wonderful class for years at Faux Masters and here at Surfaces in late 2009. We are excited that she will be offering it again before she teaches her 3-day RS class (May 10th -12th). Brenda will lead you in multiple hands-on exercises.

Ashley and I are working hard to complete our final samples for 1 Day Cabinets and 1 Day Naturally Neutral Plasters. Let us know what 1 Day Classes you would like to see in the future. All One Day Classes are scheduled in clusters for the comfort of our out-of-town guests. Don't forget to ask about lodging at Casa Slaton-don't you want to see in person the crazy stuff I've put in our house?

Hope to see you in 2011!

Three Color Lusterstone

2011-01-04T11:35:00.000-06:00

Happy 2011! Since the Mayan Calendar stops in 2012, I may only have 2 years to get my kitchen done. We will either have a big celebration because California didn't fall into the sea or welcome Armageddon knowing we didn't go down with popcorn ceilings and orange oak cabinets.

2010, Columbia Pictures 2009

Thank goodness Bruce has a pilot's licence-Now we just need a plane.

So while we prepare ourselves for the multiple Lifetime Channel Doomsday Romance Movies starring former actors on Full House, let's talk about the Lusterstone finish in my kitchen.

My walls started out with Sherwin Williams Paint and a tri-color wash done with Aquaglaze. Here is the before:

The soffitt is Black Onyx Venetian Gem with popcorn on the underside. Since the wall tone is similar to the Lusterstone I am using, I didn't need to paint a new base color. Lusterstone is consistently our biggest selling product. I've worked with it in on almost every wall commission project I've done and have seen numerous local jobs and projects on the net done with Lusterstone. The 2 biggest problems I've seen with Lusterstone application are: 1) Not using enough product and 2) Creating blotches when applying 2 or more colors at a time.

I wet and scrapped off the popcorn. Wipe off the dust and prime the surface (with primer and not some cheap ceiling paint). This is a major pet peeve of mine-cheap prep. If you don't seal a surface properly this is what will happen. Your paint is sitting on the drywall/plaster surface. You put a wet plaster on your paint. The plaster slowly dries sucking up moisture and trying to find a surface to grip into. As this happens, your plaster bonds to your paint and pulls it off the wall. This may take a day or it may take months. If your product falls off with dry wall dust on the back-it is a prep issue and not product failure. Man Up and do the best prep-whomever touches the wall last always gets the blame!

In the traditional trowel method, which I am using for this finish, Lusterstone is meant to be applied in 3 steps. Step 1 is rolling on 1 color for a scratch coat. I used Brown Suede and a fluffy Whizz Roller to create a layer that looks like suede. This is a low build but you want to avoid roller lines because it will show through your finish. This is a fast but important step and is one many people try to skip. It gives your next layer some grip, builds color, and will reveal possible wall problems. As this layer dries, you will often see where the dry wall seams are going to show. Pulling Lusterstone (or any plaster with a sheen) will only make these WORSE. If you get horizontal seams, roll more Lusterstone at a diagonal across the seam breaking the plane. The tape in the picture below is the seam.

If the seam runs vertical, the same concept applies. Roll more Lusterstone at an angle to the seam line. If a nail pop shows, you should fix it but at the very least roll more product over the area before you begin troweling. You can proceed to your trowel layer usually within an hour of the rolled coat.

I am applying three colors of Lusterstone: Brown Suede (my base color), Champagne Mist, and a Custom Antique Gold. The Antique Gold is a mix of 2 parts Brown Suede, 1 part Champagne Mist, and 1/2 part Medallion Gold. For my kitchen the ratio was 1 pint Brown Suede + 1 Cup Champagne Mix + 4oz Medallion Gold. Since we (Surfaces) have always sold 4oz and 8oz Lusterstone samples, custom mixing is easy and inexpensive for most projects.

I put each color on the trowel separately and "pop" it on the surface. I do this with each color without over thinking what % of each color I am going to use. It will look messy and that is OK.

This is the "Smacking" technique.
Something I would like to practice on the kids that always end up next to my booth at Red Robin.

Once I get an area covered (2' x 2'), I lightly knock the peaks down and slightly blend the colors. The trowel is almost flat to the surface and the pressure is like buttering toast. Don't over blend-think Marble and not Mush.

Use a Japan Blade to keep your trowel clean. Lusterstone dries fast on the blade and these pieces will create lines in your finish. Stopping and starting doesn't matter in this technique because you should have enough movement to hide this. If you see Stop/Start trowel lines then you are pulling too tight or not using enough product.

This layer will have highs and lows and will look patchy.10% or less of the base rolled coat will show through. For the final layer, I work again with all 3 colors but this time I pull them tightly across the surface and let them blend more. The trowel is more on edge and should make a scrapping sound. Because the Brown Suede is much darker then the other shades, I do apply this first and work the other two colors into it.

I started the final layer working to my left and moving right. You can see how the finish is now more blended. Using the metal blade on the surface is what produces the "luster" of the Lusterstone. I always think it looks like the sheen of linen. For corners and edges, I just brush the colors with a damp chip brush.

The wall space in our kitchen is broken up and small-about 300 square feet. I opened 1 gallon of Brown Suede (base rolled coat, mid layer, final layer, and 1 pint to mix for Antique Gold) and have 1/2 gallon left. I also used 1 quart of Champagne Mist (mid layer, final layer, and 1 cup for the Antique Gold) and 4oz of Medallion Gold to make the Antique Gold.

It took me 1 hour to roll the base coat and 2 hours to trowel each of the the mid and final layers. So my total time was about 5 hours. I had $108.20 invested in product and that comes out to a whopping .36 cents a square foot and I still have half a gallon of the Brown Suede for another project.

Next time a client gripes about product costs break it down for them by price for square foot. And remind them that it's time to get a better attitude. Because....

The Mayans are taking names and checking them twice.

My Cabinets were a Turkey!

2010-12-16T14:46:00.000-06:00

I think the previous owner was trying to warn me about the cabinets!

Seriously there were lots of weapons drawn inside our drawers. I hope the dog wasn't telling the kids to do it and thank goodness the family moved to Miami and not around the corner. And what is with that "jelly" thing in the corner? I guess I can't complain that client cabinets are gross.

The day before Thanksgiving everything was going well with my project. All pieces had a nice even base stain.

Mistake One: I thought I would apply a coat of Aquaguard Gloss to enhance the base layer and provide an isolation coat for my next stain. There was a measuring cup of water by the spray booth. It looked "cloudy" but I was too ~~lazy~~ focused to walk to the sink and get fresh water. I spray the doors. When I come back 1 hour later-the doors are crazed. My cloudy water had a conversion varnish in it. The Aquaguard dries much faster then the Varnish Plus hence the cracking. The worse areas were in the insets of the raised panels. This is typically where problems occur because 1) it is difficult to sand these areas well and 2) material pools in the recesses.

Mistake Two: I didn't really examine the cabinet frames well before selecting my finishes. If I had, I would have noticed how uneven the original stain had worn and that my wood was bowed and cracked in places. Also, even with cleaning, a waxy residue was present in spots (our floor had the same thing). Maybe this is why her kids were so angry:

It's a hard knock life kiddies!

I decided to alter the finishes and do two separate but complimentary looks. By putting a tinted Pullstone around the one cabinet set I could cover the crazing but still leave the stained look I liked. The cabinets with the warping got a light texture and paint/glaze finish.

Finish One: The Kona Coffee ReStain with the Villa Hays on the rails & stiles.

I did a light sand and applied a warm silver/grey Fauxstone Pulloff to the original Kona stained door. Areas of the Fauxstone are removed with a paper towel to reveal some wood stain underneath. The same treatment was used on the drawer fronts.

Since the adjoining frames were getting a painted finish, the frames for these pieces needed to stay stained and not textured with the Fauxstone Pulloff. But the stain on the desk area was particularly uneven. We have a great sanding sealer that I tinted to my base stain and applied over the surface 100%.

Half of the cabinets have the tinted Duraseal and the other half have a shellac-based primer. The Duraseal gave me a smooth and durable base for over staining. Here is the desk top with the sanding sealer over the original finish.

The Duraseal is cloudy so it will alter the color lighter. As an added bonus, it fills in some of the oak grain. Here is the area now with the same over-stain used on the doors and drawers:

The upper desk frames and lower cabinet frames are also finished in a similar fashion.

I applied my custom Espresso Stain over the custom Shaker Walnut (shown above). This rich stain is brushed and wiped back, letting more settle into the architecture.

The texture on the doors/drawers is stained with the same color I will use on the Pewter finish and then toned with the Espresso Stain used on the frames (shown above)-The stain is lighter on the Fauxstone and heavier on the center panels.

This is the finished desk and under cabinet areas:

I changed the hardware to a hammered iron handle and cup pulls for a rustic modern look.

Finish Two: Antique Pewter.

The other cabinets had warping issues and a few doors had split raised panels. I thinned Sandstone 50% with water and brushed the plaster over the primed wood. Using a chip brush gave a light linen look.

Sandstone sands very well and the texture actually feels very soft and fine-not gritty. This is the Sandstone on a door. I brushed the Sandstone following the natural grain.

I painted the texture with a custom metallic silver Setcoat made from left over Designer Metallic, Royal Taupe Setcoat, Neutral White Setcoat, and Metal Glow.

No recipe and it didn't blow up. I did make enough to get the other half of the kitchen done.

This finish is over-glazed with the same Shaker Walnut custom stain and detailed with the same custom Espresso used on the Fauxstone cabinets. This creates continuity between the two finishes.

Remember this is how the kitchen started. While I worked on the cabinets, I dumped all the junk we have collected for over 10 years. All the insides, shelves, and drawers were painted dark brown or dark grey, sealed with a gloss, and covered in new rubber mats with drawer organizers. I tried to throw away all cooking tools but Bruce said that was taking things a little too far.

Here is the after:

I am working on the wall finish and will feature it in my next post. It was a lot of work but I am thrilled with the results and it gave me great ideas for finishing the rest of the main level. Come see it in person at Faux Fest in February!

The Cobbler's Kids Have No Cabinets Part 2

2010-11-25T16:36:00.000-06:00

Hope you are all having a Happy Thanksgiving. Here at Casa Slaton, it is a Charlie Brown Menu:

I like my crusts lightly toasted

While I throw a pity party, let's pick up where we left off on the cabinet project. Everything is now cleaned and sanded. The finish on our cabinets was almost worn off. The positive is that my glazes will have no problem to adhering to the surface. The negative is the wood is dry and will suck up my stains. I opted to apply a coat of Aquaseal (Clear Setcoat). This will even out the surface, lock down any loose topcoat edges, and give me a well-sealed surface to glaze.

I am using an HVLP with a base coat set-up (a 2.4 for the older guns and a 6 for newer ones). Aquaseal will always spray or roll out frosty but dries to a clear coat-just don't glop it in the corners. This layer needs to dry 2 hours.

My next layer is my base stain which is a mix of Stain & Seal, Concentrates, and other goodies. It is a nice rich brown walnut shade that I brush and then pounce. The pouncing is key. If I brush and wipe the glaze, I will loose the color depth and now I am wiping it into the grain. By pouncing, I am evenly distributing the color and masking some of the grain.

My real secret is wearing a scarf when I do cabinets

You can use a Neon Leon (pictured) or an Ultimate Stippler. The Neon Leon is cheaper and doesn't shed. It is not as flexible and takes longer to dry when washed. The Stippler is soft, dries faster, and is flexible enough to get in corners and edges-BUT IT SHEDS!!!! The shedding lessens the more you wash it and it can be conditioned with So-Slow. I like the Neon Leon for the cabinet pieces and the Stippler for the frame where you have tighter moldings.

Use a terry towel to wipe your brushes as you go. If you don't remove the excess stain, the pieces get darker and darker as you work. When finished, I use some Latex Liftoff Hand Conditioner on the brushes-it works great to get them clean. I will let this layer set several hours before applying a toning glaze.

The Cobbler's Kids Have No Cabinets

2010-11-24T15:14:00.000-06:00

Artist: Antonio Rotta

OK-so I'm twisting the saying a bit, but you all know what I'm talking about. We get so busy doing projects for everyone else, our own homes beg for a little TLC. I teach 8 different cabinet classes, have published national features on cabinetry, and finished a kitchen a month when I had a paint crew. And this is my kitchen...

No one says much-most people are too polite. But I can see the disappoint. "I paid all this money and flew to Kansas to learn about cabinets and YOU STILL HAVE CRAPPY OAK." I hang my head and list all the reasons why I waited: Too many choices. Not enough time. Waiting for the appliances to die so I could get stainless. Deciding if I would tear the floors up. But now I was forced into action. Our finishers were losing lots of jobs to re finishers using Gel Stains or Tinted Lacquer. They needed a water-based solution with a rich look, durable finish, and as few operational steps as possible. I spent a month mixing and testing products to develop new recipes and finishes that became the Cabinet Update: Re-Stain Class. After working on Habitat doors, I committed to one of my class samples (The Kona Cafe) for my own kitchen. Here is my kitchen door with the finish:

Now I have to match the frame and 30 pieces to this door.

The most important thing before breaking down your kitchen is to get your loved ones out of your way for a week or so. We decided since Bruce doesn't fit in a kennel, he would go to California for the holiday. So let the project begin.

Prep: After clearing the house, this is really the most important step in a re-stain project. I begin by removing the doors and drawers. Each piece is marked behind the hinge:

This is "Upper" door number 2. When I work on the back, I will cover this marking with a piece of tape so I don't cover it with my finish.

I also mark the hinge slot on the frame. Call me OCD (which I am) but after you spend 2 hours trying to rematch doors/drawers to the right opening, you will never be without a Sharpie and numbering system again.

The frames are ready to go. Since I plan on changing the walls, I did not tape them off. If I am finishing the walls and the cabinets, I always do the cabinets first. This saves a lot of masking off. I did tape and paper the counter top and appliances.

All the wood needs to be cleaned and de-glossed. This is what will happen if you skip this step:

Sadly, this is my island that I painted with Black Setcoat before a party-8 years ago. It actually held up pretty good considering I did nothing underneath. I started this with a sanding block and then moved to a belt sander. The right way to begin is to apply a degreaser/deglosser after removing the hardware.

I like the liquid TSP by Jasco. You can buy this brand at Ace or True Value Hardware stores. There is a powder form but it has to be mixed and is more aggressive then the pre-mixed liquid. Most TSP says "substitute" on the label. The substitute is the "phosphate" or P in the TSP. Real phosphates get in the water supply and causes algae to grow. My girl scout leader was married to a Botanist.

Pour the TSP into a plastic container-it will melt Styrofoam. I brush it on full strength and let it cook for at least an hour.

After the TSP has cooked, I wrap a sanding block in 120 grit paper and sand off all the junk the TSP has forced to the surface-grease, wax, loose varnish, and other unsavory goodies. At this point, I wipe this surface with a damp cloth to remove any TSP residue and sanding dust. The surface should appear dull.

Side note: OMG Kate...My Prince gave me a colored stone ring too.....

"Wills-renewed cabinets for the castle make a swell wedding gift..Call Me"

After cleaning, I removed the side hardware from the drawers. There are two options. One is to remove the side rollers-which I did because all the pieces are the same size. Or the hardware may be wrapped in tape:

This is an option if A)pieces are different sizes or B) You don't have any tools.

Here are the rest of the cabinets ready to prep. The most difficult thing about finishing cabinets is having workspace. Buy yourself some sort of rack system. Our is from Costco (natch) and is on wheels making them easy to move. I like this open system because I can see the pieces as I work. Lining up all the drawer fronts lets me know if a piece is too light or too dark. Breaking down the kitchen, TSP, Sanding, and Cleaning took me about 2.5 hours for all the pieces and the frames.

"If Charles preps the cabinets, may you do better on the price? We do have a wedding to pay for after all."

Mid-Week Madness

2010-10-27T15:49:00.008-05:00

Before I pack it in for 10 days and go to paradise-how about looking at some random samples?

You know how it goes before you take a vacation-lots of loose ends to tie up. In my case, I had a bathroom door, 2 counter top samples, and a design assignment. Then there was a bid proposal and two new class curriculum to get ready. Oh yea, our IDAL application and sample pictures that are due while I am away. Whew, I really need a ......

"I believe this fine beverage has your name on it"

"Why thank you my good friend but first things first." Like getting my bathroom door painted. I purchased on inexpensive plastic door with a faux wood grain. The base color is a custom Setcoat we make called Spencer Brown. It is equal parts of Royal Taupe Setcoat and Brown Setcoat.

I mixed the new Super Hide Metallic Silver and the Super-Hide Metallic Rich Gold with Finishing Paste. This is a clear paste that is thicker then Aquawax and less shiny then Aquawax or Palette Deco Clear. I brushed the two colors at the same time following the grain.

When the Finishing Paste dries, the metallic colors really pop. I thinned Neutral White Setcoat with Faux Creme Clear and brushed it over the finishing. As I worked a section, I wiped it back with cheesecloth, creating a lime wash effect.

When the Setcoat was dry-later that afternoon-I rolled a coat of C500 Satin over the whole piece. Now my Modern Pickled Door is ready for install.

Next....Our assignment was to come up with a "shiny" finish for a living room feature wall that uses colors in Mocha, a Silvery Blue Sage, and a Platinum.

This is the first fabric swatch-A chenille damask.

And this..."Could you just match that little silver thread?"

The finish needs to be in a "Venetian Plaster" with a coordinating finish in the powder bath and a breakfast nook. Since the home is painted a specific color on the surrounding walls, I selected a polish plaster base that I could mix with the client's actual paint.

I selected Venetian Gem Tint Base. This is a versatile product that many people forget about. It may be tinted with all FE colorants and I've tinted with flat paint in small amounts-no more then 1/2 cup of paint per Gallon. If you try this at home, do a sample to make sure you get the amount of polish that you want. I use the VGTB to thin the pre-tinted Venetian Plaster making them more translucent. This allows you to trowel multiple semi-transparent colors at the same time to create nice marble and stone effects. I mixed Mocha by adding 1 part Brown Faux Creme Color + 1 part Dark Brown Faux Creme Color + Venetian Gem Tint Base. This is troweled in a high/low coat.

The plaster dries about 25% darker then what is in the bucket. Next, I mixed the client's paint in the Tint Base, and I mixed a separate batch of Tint Base and Pewter Gold Metal Glow. All three colors are troweled at the same time-lapping and not spotting in the colors. The plaster polishes from the blade.

If the finish is not blended enough, the 3 colors may be tightly bladed again. Each layer dries very quickly and get more polished as you apply more product.

For the powder bath, I used the Spotted Champagne Foil because it already had silver and mocha in it. Why make it harder? Lusterstone Tint base is tinted with the exact same colors used with the Venetian Gem Tint Base. This is randomly troweled over the foil. Finally, a Royal Design Stencil is used in the client's paint color.

The breakfast nook starts with the same Venetian Gem Mocha. This is troweled and pulled with a wallpaper brush.

Ashley dragged the same wallpaper brush through Wunda Size and then brushed it over the plaster.

She applied bright silver foil. Then, using the Lusterstone Tint base again, we made a Silvery Sage Lusterstone with a little Dark Brown and Green colors.

Here is the design plan presented to the client:

I called it the Modern Romantic Metallics-maybe that will help it sell?

Finally, we finished some new back splash and counter top samples:

Now, I am ready to really get to work....

"Bruce, would you like more lotion?"

Guest Artist: Sue Hon

2010-10-05T16:25:00.002-05:00

I've been good friends with Decorative Artist, Sue Hon, for several years. In all that time and through many adventures, I don't have a single picture where she isn't surrounded by friends. Here she is(on the left) with Decorative Artist, Brenda Macaluso. It speaks volumes about Sue that she is liked and respected by her peers and her clients. Seriously, how often have you received a tip from a client? Sue's clients bought her an HVLP! Even a client's dog loves spending weeks with Sue and her husband Jim.

We are lucky in Kansas City to have a group of Finishers that genuinely give of their talent for friends in need. Sue is always one of the first to sign-up. Our friend Dave Archeleta was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Decorative Artist, Heather McDonald (center in the blue) organized a day for us to finish a large commission for him.

That's Sue in the pink, next to Ashley. You will see this picture again because there are so many talented finishers to feature. When a local finisher found herself with catastrophic medical bills for her new baby, Sue pitched in. She and Jim have traveled with Surfaces to Meeting of the Masters and IDAL. They are brave people-following me driving the van and pulling a trailer takes a lot of courage! We've had many good times. Most recently, Sue went with us to Gary Lord's Open House. Sue is a featured artist in his new book, Simply Creative Faux Finishes.

We sat down after her recent trip to Phoenix (she is in demand out-of-state) and talked a little about life. I also had the opportunity to photograph a spectacular home that showcases Sue's work and am excited to share the pictures with others.

Rebecca Slaton: You told me a story about being a little girl and covering a sofa with flour...

Sue Hon: I ran and jumped on it. Flour went everywhere. I kept doing it until both me and the house were covered in it. Then I blamed my older sister. We both got spanked-me for lying and her for accepting the blame.

RS: I like that story because it shows your spirit. You spent your early years in Europe?

SH: Germany. My dad was in the military.

RS: That explains why you like Riesling! I enjoy our texting about Project Runway but you actually have a real background in fashion.

SH: My education is in Fashion Design, specifically pattern making. I worked for Nelly Dawn Sportswear. Fresh out of college, I had to train at all of the factory stations. In your 20's, you think you know it all. I sewed or cut almost each piece wrong at first. My trainer, an older lady, said, "Honey, now why are you here?" But I learned to be a visual thinker and see projects in 3-D. This has helped after I switched over to decorative painting when all the garment work went overseas.

RS: I guess you never thought that being an expert in patterns would help with giant Tater-Tots?

SH: The Hot Rod Tot!

RS: You spent hours helping me with this project...You saved my health, business, and possibly my marriage! You've been a finisher for over 20 years and trained with many accomplished instructors. What is the biggest change you've seen in the field?

SH: Product Development. I read my first faux finishing article in a 1985 Better Homes and Garden magazine. The glaze was made with wallpaper paste. Then it was mix your own sheet rock mud. It did teach me the fundamentals of painting and plasters.

RS: You were one of the first non-Faux Effects Instructors to work with the RS Series.

SH: I started backwards with Designer Walls III. I love how you can manipulate it. After I take a class, I buy samples and start practicing right away-while it is fresh on my mind. Then I break the product down and try my own interpretation on samples.

RS: How did you name your business?

SH: Before I had a name, an elderly client said, "Are you the one that fauxs the home?" I liked it so my business is called Faux the Home. It lets people know just what I do.

RS: I work with Bruce. You work with your husband Jim. "Spouses Fauxing Houses" would be a good reality show. It is a growing sector. Any advice?

SH: My helper quit when Jim retired so the timing was good. You have to decide who is the boss. We needed specific job descriptions. Jim is methodical and wants to know each point from A to B to C. I start with A, go to H, back to C. That is the artist's approach. He learned to trust that I knew where I was headed. It helps that he has been on several projects and knows the results. Having someone that is working in the best interest of your business as a partner is valuable.

RS: Speaking of projects...Let's look at this amazing project.

RS: You did something to most of the walls in this home. Which do you like better? Walls or Cabinets?

SH: Walls but I've become more comfortable with cabinets.

RS: I love all the cabinet finishes. What is your favorite finish?

SH: I'm known for the finish (pictured above) that was in Gary Lord's Book. It happens to be in this same house. Another new favorite is the Baked Raku I learned from you guys. I did that one out in Arizona.

RS: The picture in Gary's book does the room more justice. I know Gary really loves that finish. One of my favorites is the Copper Caterer's Kitchen. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a Caterer with their own kitchen?

SH: This house has 6 garages! But the homeowners are the nicest people.

RS I met the lady of the house. She has a great sense of humor.

SH: She let her daughter have a purple and green bedroom.

RS: I should mention your talented sidekick, Debbie Wetschensky. She did the fantastic murals in this home.

SH: She does this all free-hand with a chalk drawing! There is a little mouse in the dome. She hid little mice throughout the house.

RS: Debbie free-handed a lot of those Tots. All things lead back to the Tots! Thanks Sue for sharing your work and your thoughts. See you next Girls Night Out!

Sue Hon will be a featured presenter at Surfaces' Faux Fest in February and you can follow her Powder Room Project in Gary Lords New Book Simply Creative Faux Finishes.

Super Hide Silver and Super Hide Gold: Random Samples

2010-09-29T17:34:00.052-05:00

Silver and Gold-It's not just for Christmas, Burl Ives.

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Rankin/Bass Productions

Seriously, I love Burl Ives-I even have a cabinet finished called "Burled Ives" but that is off topic. I had requests from 2 different finishers to help them out with some random samples. Although one was a paneling finish and the other a wall finish both artists needed something with some silver and gold. It so happens that I have been testing the new Super-Hide Metallics (my last blog post) and decided to work with these products to create the samples.

Sample One: The Paneling Project

Nieman Marcus, 2009

This photograph is from a Nieman Marcus Catalogue and the designer would like the client's library paneling to match the paneling in this picture. The finish should include the red and gold on the molding but needs to be in the same shade as this fabric swatch:

The Marge Carson Silk Shantung has a gun metal cast with an antique gold print and brighter gold and silver textured embroidery. This will be made into drapes.

I always start by breaking down the picture-background to foreground. In this case, there is a gold and silver wash over a red/brown wood base. The molding is a Chinese Red with gold leaf broken over the top. The entire surface is lime-washed and antiqued.

My base is a custom mix of Brown and Royal Taupe Setcoat. I mixed Finishing Paste separately with Super Hide Silver and Super Hide Gold. This was brushed on the surface and softened with cheesecloth. The Finishing Paste give me sheerness but the right amount of drag to create a worn look. I like that this dries fast and to a pretty low luster. I mixed Fire Red and Red Setcoat and painted the molding. When this was dry, I applied Bright Gold Foil in a broken manner over the red.

To finish the look, I mixed white with the Finishing Paste and added a small amount of the Silver Super-Hide Metallic. I brushed this over the entire piece and rubbed through areas with cheesecloth. To age, I brushed thinned American Walnut Stain and Seal 100% over the sample.

I did two versions, with one being a shade lighter then the other. Here is the sample with the fabric swatch:

The client and designer loved the sample. I do too and have decided to use this finish (minus the red) for the doors in my blue and gold guest room, plus I need to practice this finish on a "real" project. I am working on a door in the studio and will post that story when done.

Sample Two: The Powder Bath Project

For this project, the finisher pulled on old sample I did using Dutch Metal. I never did this actual sample on a wall because the Dutch Metal tarnished in spots and other metallic colorants became gooey in the RS Low Viscosity Glaze. But now I had the Super-Hides so I gave it another go.

The sample started on Black Sharkskin which gives the surface extra bite. I mixed the Super Hide Gold and a Gold/Silver Mix into the RS Low Viscosity Glazes. I love how this stuff flows and blends but doesn't mix.

Right away, I could tell that the weight of the Super Hide Metallic was a good one for the glaze as the colors didn't sag as much they had with other colorants.

Using a metal trowel, held flat to the surface, I compressed the glazes and lightly blended them. When I was happy with the colors, I flicked the surface with the activator and let it "bubble."

You can see the tiny bubbles on the surface. I use cheesecloth to pull out little pieces of the metallic. As I work, I continue to compress the finish.

The finish will look scary and that is a good thing-like a Calico Cat.

At this stage, I gently add in more of the metallic to soften areas and create more color build. I let the sample hang over-night so it could sag and in the morning I can smooth those sags with my trowel-if only ttechnique worked on thighs!In the morning, I sealed the piece and then used Lusterstone over Wallovers Branching Out stencil. When the stencil dried, I glazed the sample with a caramel brown.

This is an intricate project and all the products are Gold Label. Our finisher had used the products just not in this way. She sold the finish but to a different client then she intended. She started this week and so far so good. I can't wait to see the finished room.

Faux with a Midas Touch: Super-Hide Metallics

2010-09-21T16:53:00.002-05:00

(The Wizard of OZ, MGM 1939)

Let's blow off some steam about the new Super-Hide Metallics

Metallics are big again this year and this is Faux Effects latest offering in the metallic product line. These real metal materials provide a dense mid-luster metallic shine with great light reflection. Super-Hide is available in Silver, Rich Gold, Pale Gold, Copper, and Bronze with tones being similar to the new Metallic Sharkskin paint and the FauxMetals. The sizes range from 8oz tubes at $18.95 to $119.75 for gallons. So we ordered every color and started making samples and completing projects. The last Contemporary Lux class included several finishes with the product. So what do we think?

Super-Hide is both a stand alone product and and an additive to create dense metallic plasters and glazes.

As a stand alone product, we love it for stenciling. The dry texture and heavy nature of the Super-Hides means it won't bleed under stencils and covers in one pass.

Royal Design Damask Stencil in Silver and Rich Gold Super-Hide Metallic

I have used it straight out of the tube to tip furniture giving pieces the look of Dutch Metal without the tarnishing issues. Super-Hide doesn't spread far in this method but I've applied it at the same time as my cabinet stains and the two blend well without becoming mush.

Pale Gold Super-Hide Metallic and Faux Creme Concentrate Stain

Because the Super-Hide dries fast, you can go to your next step usually when you have finished one wall. In this sample, I used the Rich Gold for the stencil and then went over it in 20 minutes with wet metallic fresco:

Royal Design Damask Stencil

The thing that makes this product different from, say the FauxMetal, is the ability to mix it with water-based products. FauxMetal will tarnish whereas the Super-Hide Metallic will not. For the most part this has held true. This is what you will see if the mixed product is left over-night even in an airtight container:

It will become a pale turquoise and you will freak out thinking that it has turned. But surprise! When you poke it with the brush, there is the color. When I have brushed, rolled, or troweled the product in this state it has still dried true-to-metallic color even after mixed for a week. So far, Venetian Gem Tinting Base is the only product that tarnished when mixed with the Super-Hide Metallic. It continued to turn on the board even after glazing. Although the colors went slightly verdigris and I didn't mind the results, it should be noted if you don't want a tarnished look.

Palette Deco with Super-Hide mixed with Venetian Gem Tinting Base

We did find that by mixing the Super-Hide Metallics with a variety of products we were able to get a range of coverage from very dense:

Super Hide Silver and Rich Gold on Sandstone Bark finish

Medium Build:

Super-Hide Silver and Rich Gold over our Taffeta Paper Finish

Sheer Build

Royal Design Studio Ribbon Stencil in Super Hide Copper and Rich Gold with Super-Hide Silver pulled over entire finish.

The Super-Hides work equally well under a finish as they do on top of a finish:

Pale Gold Super-Hide under custom tinted Luna

Super-hide custom tinted Copper over custom tinted Luna.

The sample above also demonstrates another quality of the Super-Hide Metallics. You may mix them together for custom colors or you may tint with your Faux Color or Faux Creme Colors. Stain tends to deaden the metallic qualities of the product.

Finally, if you want a solid metallic plaster with a low luster sheen the Super-Hides are an appropriate choice. I troweled over this sample board of Brown Suede Lusterstone with Lusterstone Tint Base + Super-Hide Silver and the other half with Super-Hide Silver + Aquawax:

Because of the cost, I find the tubes to be an economical way to use this product which does go a long way. I use a Tablespoon per 8oz of product when mixing. Later this week I will post some completed projects using the product with coverage rates listed.

I still prefer the Faux Metals if I want a vibrant metallic with the most depth and was relieved that both products would be available. Make sure and vigorously shake the tubes before using. The liquid and solid tend to separate and you will just get "juice"-think about when you first squeeze out ketchup. The only other product that (so far) didn't work with the Super-Hide was the RS Glaze. The mixed glaze wouldn't activate with the RS Activator. So I tried to use this glaze without activation on my own door project. At first it looked great but as it dried, the color wasn't even. Top coating made it more pronounced. I'm sure as we work more with the Super-Hides we will find things we love, things we don't, and sometimes reactions that we can't explain at all.

This is a Gold Label product. We teach with it in our Contemporary Lux class and the new Metallic Furniture Class.

Red, White, Blue...and Lots of Yellow

2010-09-08T18:55:00.002-05:00

Let's get back to what we all really enjoy talking about-Decorative Painting. A past client called to let me know their house that we completed 5 years ago will be featured in a homes tour this month. Could I come and do some touch-up before the tour? The faux finishes have held up great but the house has settled due to construction in another area of the home and the hallway finish has a few cracks.

This home was always a favorite. A classic stone cottage style in an older neighborhood in Kansas City. We've worked in several homes in this area and the norm is a dark and traditional interior so this one was a treat. A red, white, and blue palette. What keeps this from a patriotic cliche? The red is a raspberry shade, the blue is dusty, the white is creamy, and large doses of clean orange based yellow enliven all the rooms. Jennifer Quinn, the Interior Designer, knows how to mix lost of pattern and color to create a happy and inviting home.

The interior colors are all pulled from this lively Chinese Wallpaper. I know wallpaper is Kryptonite to a Faux Finisher but I love this paper with it's dancing men and monkeys! We selected a Farrow and Ball paint-Farrow Cream-for the base of the hallway. At the time, Surfaces was the only direct supplier of Farrow and Ball paint to the public. Now you may only purchase through Design Centers, sigh...

Anyhoo...this hallway is why people would spend $65 on a gallon of paint. The yellow had held up really well in the only hallway in a house with 3 kids and a dog. We applied a simple stripe using a satin topcoat. This happened to be one of those jobs where all the stripes matched evenly from every angle on every wall. And people say you never use math! (We just got lucky)

The painters had patched the cracks and sanded but didn't prime. I was able to brush the Farrow and Ball paint right over the patch only and it blended perfectly. I was so happy that I didn't have to repaint any of the stripes from top to bottom. When the paint was dry (I always take a blow dryer), I re-rolled the satin topcoat where needed. Since we no longer carry the paint, I ordered a sample pot and after 5 years the color was a great match. Whew!

This is the living room that I did in a yellow scale starting with the darkest shade and building to the lightest. I used FE Venetian Base Coat as my first troweled layer. This is a very under-used product IMHO. It tints really well with Setcoat and may be fine tuned with Faux Cream Color, Faux Color, or Stains. I like the Venetian Base Coat because I get 1 coat opaque coverage to build a finish on. In this case I tinted the Venetian Base Coat with Chamois Setcoat (which I used to prep the walls) and added Ochre Yellow and Italian Sienna. The material is troweled with a steel blade leaving a high/low coat. This layer is dry before proceeding to the next step.

The next layer is O'Villa Plaster tinted in two shades, Butter and Cream. These colors are applied at the same time and pulled tightly over the Venetian Base Coat. The finish is very soft and dries to a matte finish.

It is a nice background for the homeowners vibrant art and a collection of blue and white Pottery.

I love colorful art myself and never understood why so many modern homes fall back to using white walls when the art is bold. This home shows that colorful art can harmonize with bright interiors.

There is a small television room off this dining room that the client also wanted finished. I elected to apply the same colors that I used in the living room but in glazes and starting with the lightest colors and working towards the darkest-a reverse of the other room.

I started with Neutral White Setcoat with a small amount of Chamois added. I brushed and padded two shades of yellow at the same time. When the first glaze colors were dry, I lightly added a Ochre/Sienna glaze on top.

When people question the use of Setcoat as a base paint, I always bring up this house. The walls are plaster lathe. The painters rolled Setcoat for me in the rooms where I applied my faux finishes but rolled their own primer and paint everywhere else. It was purchased at a large chain paint store-not the cheap stuff. Guess what? My rooms were the only ones where the walls did not bubble. True story.

My final project was the range hood. It is a light-weight cast stone and the designer wanted me to "warm it up." I always roll Clear Setcoat over stone and concrete because it is porous and I want my glaze to go on evenly. I use Stain and Seal because I like the colors. The stain needs to be thinned with a glaze medium. Faux Creme Clear, Aquacreme, and FX Thinner will all work.

The kitchen walls are blue wallpaper. Did you know that people have blue kitchens in the Caribbean because it is supposed to repel flies? I didn't either until I read the back of the Farrow and Ball paint chips. I really do miss that paint-I learned a lot from those color cards. Sigh, again.

Samples of Mass Distortion

2010-09-02T16:57:00.003-05:00

"Just because your flipped the image-doesn't mean you fauxed it!"

Among my quirks, and there are many, I have a freakish photographic memory. It serves me well at parties-remembering names, faces, and other vital statistics. It also comes in handy when playing Trivial Pursuit, watching Jeopardy, and attempting to sound intelligent in an argument.

It also means I can recognize pictures taken from web-sites, magazines, newspapers, and other sources-especially when the sample pictured is my own-on my studio carpet!

Several company web-sites used this picture to show what their clients could do to their cabinets. And yes, these artists could do these samples if they had taken Surfaces Cabinetry I, Cabinetry II, and Cottage Cabinet Classes.

We provided the samples and source information for a Kansas City Star article on cabinet refinishing called "Born Again Cabinets." The article was picked up by AP and published in papers nation-wide. The it was "picked-off" by some faux finishers nation-wide.

This is a collage of our Cottage Class samples from our Surfaces web-site. I found this same picture of our samples (just flipped-again)being used to promote the web-site, Kitchen Cabinet Painting & Decorating.Com.

Their site was a little slippery-communicating only through emails but we finally found the studio owner.

I have seen "faux" stone and wood product samples in magazines and on other web-sites that looked just like the real thing. And it took me about 10 minutes on the web to find the real thing.

Rather then speculate on the motivation or make false accusations, I prefer going directly to the source and asking: “Hey, What’s Up?” Faced with evidence (and one mad Blondie), no-one denied using the downloaded images but there was plenty of justification.

Or as the brilliant Stephen Colbert coined, lots of “Truthiness” which is:

(Image: The Colbert Report, Comedy Central)

"The quality by which one purports to know something emotionally or instinctively, without regard to evidence or intellectual examination".

These are my favorite quotes of decorative painting "Truthiness"

Product Representative: “Yes, the image was sent to me by a supplier. But we do a sample that looks exactly like it.”

Product Representative: “The mailer is for a marble and wood graining class. We don’t state that images on the front (which are the real thing) are the sample you will do in class.”

Competing Studio Using a Different Product Line: “You can’t teach a cabinet class and not expect us to use your samples to sell our cabinet class?”

Competing Studio: “I took a class with you in Dallas and took pictures” although you didn't do those samples and the picture is on my web-site.

Artist: “I didn’t know those were your samples, I got the picture from Photo Bucket.”

Artist: “My web guy put pictures on my web-site. I don’t even know what is on it (his own web-site).

Artist: “I was there when you did the work.”

What I think of all this is best summed up by the Wisest Woman in American, Judge Judy:

(Image: Judge Judy, CBS Television)

“Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”

There are 2 separate but related issues here. The first problem is manufactures and by extension their distribution or training centers using misleading pictures to promote their products and classes. The second is artists downloading work for their personal web-sites that they did not do themselves.

But it really comes down to one question for the Product Representatives: “Did you do the sample with your product?” and one for the Artist: “Did you do the sample?” Either one is a Yes or No question- no explanation needed.

I am in no way implying that a particular product line is inferior because of a misleading sample. On the contrary, many of these lines have stunning samples submitted by their distributors and students. That’s what makes this practice even more shady because it is so unnecessary. If a sample looks as good as the real thing-JUST USE IT!

We get promotional material from our manufacture Faux Effects. While I appreciate the gesture as both a time and money saver, I don’t use these promotions to advertise our classes. I don’t know the Who, What, or Where of the pictures or samples-again I am not assuming that something is “wrong.” But I do know this-those samples and room pictures were not done by anyone here at Surfaces.

(This is done by Surfaces-See Murray on the project)

Many of our sample pictures have a huge flash or you can see Ashley’s hands. You see us working on many projects (I confess this is to sell our clothes as well) and often one of our random dogs wanders through into the shot. Not always professional but at least you know we did the sample or project we are selling.

I am not implying that an Artist that uses a downloaded image lacks talent. I might imply that you are lazy, cheap (pay for the class and learn the sample), or presenting yourself as more skilled then you really are.
You are taking a short-cut and it is insulting to the Artists that do take classes and produce their own work.

I want to be clear. We want people that take our classes to post their samples and use them in any and all marketing to get jobs. And no, you don't have to list us as a source in any manner because YOU did the work and that is what you are showing.

(Image of Howard Beale, Network MGM 1976)

I'm not just "Mad as Hell"- I am Sad as Hell. We've always been generous with information and let people photograph samples in our studio. Now I am rethinking practices. Watermarking an image interferes with the viewers enjoyment and I've always resisted it. I am re-thinking that as well. Now I find out that people are not just pretending to do the finish, they are pretending to be other faux finishers.

That is WHACKADOODLE!

Come one people-we are better then this. I know times are tough but let's rise to the top rather then sink to the bottom. And that will end my rant. Thanks!