Tile when your heart is aching.

Pat tern/padern/

Noun. A model or design used as a guide.

Verb. A regular intelligible form.

Ok. T.S. Eliot may have won a noble prize but he was wrong about one thing. April is not the cruelest month. February is.  That's why Valentine's Day is in the middle. All the roses, cards and chocolate are a ploy to take your mind off the fact that the month is bleak.

At least it is short.

Speaking of Valentines...One of the most recognizable patterns in the world is a heartbeat.  The same is true of brain waves.  So what happens when these two things seem to short-circuit?   Can something as simple as a cut piece of plastic hold the answer to resetting a heart to happiness and a brain to hope? And are the things that happen to us random luck or a pattern that is part of a larger story?

This is the story of my winter of discontent and how a stencil guided me back.

PART ONE: THINGS UNRAVEL.

In our business, February is the slowest month. The holiday rush for projects is over but finishers will often take a class in January to get the year started. This winter was particularly tough for studios given the shift in design trends. Ours was no exception.  I scrambled to get a class schedule together with more diversity and on-trend samples while working on a face lift for the studio. We held an open house for local finishers, designers, and potential clients.  And it paid off.! January was good-better then expected-which made February even more disappointing. 

Now Bruce still comes in and helps me with accounts.  I don't know which is more stressful: Watching him get sick while working or not knowing what else to do to make things better?  My brain is out of ideas. 

In the end I sent him to California to visit his family and enjoy some warm weather. Also I wanted him to avoid this:

As I noted before, my sweet husband used his Uber money to hire the crew that worked on our last house to help me. Every room in the "new" house looked like this...

and this.......

and this.......

At least Bridget, Jack and Murray seem enthusiastic.  I moved into the only room not torn apart, a guest room, with our  3 dogs....for 2 weeks. I think this is the 4th time since moving in that things have been put away and then packed up again. It's like moving every 3 months!

The house is covered in plastic and dust. I'm working in the rooms opposite of the painters to get stuff set-up before Bruce returns.  And when I finally think I'm getting things done....

I realize that I'm not dealing with the Top Brass. 

This happened when I started painting the walls...

There are specific primers that go over removed wallpaper. Then you let the mud dry well before sanding. After sanding you WIPE OFF THE DRYWALL DUST before priming again.  Every time I rolled my paint which is a quality Benjamin Moore, the walls bubble and then peel.  What is worse? The crew does not fix the problem or reimburse us anything for the poor job. All I can think about is Bruce working hard to pay these bozos!

I can tell that he is becoming tired even while he pushes ahead these past few months.  But right now, Bruce is in California riding go-karts and ultra-lights. He is at a beautiful wedding and viewing a private car collection.  This should make me happy. I wish I could say that I'm bigger then this. Braver then this. But I'm broken.  I throw my trowel every time the paint peels. The dogs hide in their kennel.  I sit on the top of the stairs and cry with my shoulders hunched over. 

I call 2 other contractors to help me on projects. One never sends me a bid. The other one never even shows up.  How will I pull this house together? How will I pull myself together?

While I'm trying to figure out how to save my husband, my business and my home, my body is also done.  I can't figure out how to start running again. My legs feel like lead. Something that I used to enjoy just seems like one more thing I need to fix. What happened to my mojo? All I want is to wake up happy and feel optimistic.

So I do what thousands of the unhappy and unhinged do each year. I go to Florida.

PART TWO: LET THE SUNSHINE IN.

When you are depressed find the friend that makes a good breakfast and serves good champagne. For us that is Mr & Mrs. Smith.

Not them.

Way more fabulous.

Our oldest friends welcome us to their home.  Every morning Burks makes a yummy breakfast with a Bloody Mary.

Kim has coffee and lively conversation ready. My shoulders that are rubbing against my ears begin to relax.  Our trip to Florida is not only social. I signed up for the Gasparilla Half Marathon before things started to fall apart. Here I am about to run a competitive race without much training. And I have to be at the start before dawn.

What was I thinking?  How sweet that Bruce drove me to the race at the un-holy hour of  5am.

My brain is a jumble as I start.  Running in the dark as I'm going over every thing that is wrong in my life the sun starts to come up.  It hits the ocean water just right and I take in the sparkle.  I can really see the people around me now all trying to accomplish something. There is an elderly man bent so far over that he can't look straight. And a woman with a shirt dedicated to someone she loved and lost.

 I start thinking how Bruce is here-not just at the race but in my life. I have these great friends sharing their hospitality.  It reminds me how much my friends at home have helped me.  Someone says, "looking good" as we pass mile 10.  And I smile because for the first time in months I really believe it. 

The weather is beautiful as I finish in 2 hours. Not a PR but a respectable time.  More importantly, my body reminded me that it wasn't giving up. It knew the pattern. Now my brain needed to get on board and let the sunshine in.  I can hardly walk but I'm happy to enjoy brunch with Bruce and the Smiths on this beautiful day.

After we get home, I'm sitting by the Smith's pool checking emails. And I see this....

Royal Design Studio is having a contest to name a new tile stencil.  The tile is inspired by vintage Spanish 1920's design.  For some reason this resonates with me even thought it seems totally unrelated to my current state.

 For a creative person, I am a literal thinker. So I google Spanish Homes in the 1920's.  This comes up....

El Marisol, a mansion built in Palm Springs...Florida. It reminds me of the homes I ran by earlier in the day. The one's I passed in the morning sunshine. The name comes from Mary, Our lady of Solitude. This seems appropriate. Running is a solitary sport even when you are in a race. And what I've been going through lately makes me feel alone.

Marisol. It is also associated with two Spanish words mar y sol. Sea and Sun.  Both things with rhythmic soothing patterns. Things I've enjoyed on my Florida break. I submit my name to the contest, finish my beer and relax. Even if I don't win, for the first time in months I don't feel like I'm losing.

PART THREE: ALL BECOMES CLEAR

I win!  I am unreasonable happy when I get the email from Royal Design Studio. I start researching Spanish tile. While looking at the patterns it becomes clear to me where and how to use the style in our own home. Suddenly the disaster that I call the kitchen doesn't seem so unsolvable.

My Marisol Damask Tile Pattern with stencil topper.

The first colorway I try is OK but not quite right. I decide to integrate my Rockport Grey paint color into the pattern and  the Rapid Rust that I love. Then somehow it all comes together. It is bold and cheerful. The palette pulls together the room.

I am feeling truly inspired-not the fake "I'm going to act like I'm with it to be inspiring" for my blog, Facebook or Instagram followers.  But the deep knowing in your heart and brain that you are breaking through the block that is holding you down.  That feeling of not only anticipating the finished project but enjoying the process.

And when it is done, I knew what to paint my cabinets and how to fix the awful pantry doors. I could finally put away things that were in storage since July 2015.  The clutter in other parts of the house is now gone.

Bruce tells me he loves it and I can see him relaxing as we enjoy dinner together. My parents visit and say it's so much brighter which is funny since the walls before were much lighter. Our new neighbors come in and gush, "That looks like something in a magazine."

And me?  I go in early every morning to make coffee at my new station and feed the dogs.  I look at my tile wall and smile.  It makes me feel happy. It reminds me how I can create beautiful things. It encouraged me to finish other projects in the house. My creativity is sparked at the studio again.

Things are starting to look like home. Like us. I understand when you have chaos you need to find order.  Even when it doesn't seem like it - there is a design to it all.

I turned a corner after February.  My attitude shifted.  I feel more optimistic. Business has improved. I started running again. Now, I will confess that I still worry about the future. But I look at my wall and know I am capable of pulling it together- of pulling myself together. I will need that reminder in the future but for now I am secure in understanding it is possible.

Yes it was just a simple contest. Yes, it is just a piece of pretty plastic. And Yes, it is just a stencil-like the hundreds of stencils I've used in the past.

But this time. It was the pattern of my life.

The Patina Party Potty

Is is OK to Faux Finish every surface in a room?

"Hell Ya!" Thanks, Lucille Cannonball

This was a three year work in progress. Thank goodness it is a bathroom in my own home. Guest were beginning to think the blue tape was trim.

I call this bath the Party Bath because it is in our lower level and it is used mostly when we entertain or on the odd chance that someone is using the bedroom downstairs.  The dated plain white tile, drab walls, flat white cabinet, and cultured marble counter top with built-in-sink were the perfect surfaces to road test some of the newer products from Faux Effects.  I like to use my home as a test lab before teaching anything- I would rather hear Bruce complain if it doesn't work then you guys.

Products I used for the Counter: Stone Decor, Faux Metal Copper, Verdigris Color Kit, Eggplant Faux Creme Color, and Rock-Kote Water-based Epoxy

I started with the cultured marble sink and counter which I cleaned first before rolling a coat of Stone Decor.  Stone Decor is a two-part epoxy plaster that is very high in solid marble dust and low in epoxy content.  This is a Gold Label product that requires a class to purchase-there are some in's and out's of using this product. I teach it in One Day New Product Intro or more intensively in Renew, Reuse, & Recycle.  I have found this to be a great bonding product on high use surfaces such as counters and floor tile. In testing, I've had Stone Decor stick to shiny marble, plastic wood, and foam molding.

Stone Decor is not limited to just a bonding base product-it may also be used as a decorative layer as well. Since it dries to a semi-opaque white, I tinted my next batch with some Faux Creme Colors (in case of a scratch it won't flash white) and popped on a texture layer with my trowel.  I sand in between all my layers to make sure each layer has bonded and to keep the surface feeling smooth.

I rolled Dark Brown Setcoat over the Stone Decor and then rolled and pounced Faux Metal Copper.  Faux Metal is real metal shavings in alcohol so use it straight out of the bottle. I love this stuff and think it looks the most like a true metal finish. Plus it is a Silver Label product so anyone may play with it.  When the Faux Metal is dry, I glazed and applied a patina using some of the FE Verdigris colors.  I also like to add eggplant to my copper finishes.Top coat is the Rock-Kote water-based epoxy (also Gold Label) which is a two-part mix. It goes on like glue but dries clear.  In my opinion the gloss may dry a little plastic looking. But you can mix a gloss and dull kit to get a nice satin finish.

Next, I tackled the shower tile. 



Products I used for the shower tile.



I wanted to change the grout so I rolled the whole surface with Primetch first and then rolled Cocoa Lusterstone over the tile and grout.  I don't stick Stone Decor directly to grout.  Grout is porous and often you can scratch some out with your fingernail.  The Stone Decor will bind to the top of the grout. And if you paint (to change the grout color), tape with grout tape, apply your finish, and pull your tape: You will pull through all the way to the original grout-OUCH!  If using Stone Decor, I tape off my grout first and then roll the Stone Decor to the tile. Later, after removing the tape, I paint the grout.

I decided to roll Primetch first-this is just a sticky primer. Let it set until not sticky anymore and roll your color coat. My color layer is Cocoa Lusterstone. I rolled a coat first over the tile and then the grout. My next coat I troweled and rolled the Cascade roller through at angles to create a "petal" effect. When this layer dried I troweled more Cocoa Lusterstone over Japanese Flower stencils from Royal Design Studio.

I troweled Palette Deco Gold over the finish softening the chatter with a damp cloth. When the gold was dry, I brushed and softened with a cloth Faux Metal Copper. Over this I glazed with FX Thinner and Antique Cherry Stain and Seal. After my glaze work, I pulled my tape rolled the Rock-Kote Water Based Epoxy over the tile and grout. I did not finish the soap dish. For whatever reason, soap sitting on top of the Stone Decor based finishes eats the finish-YIKES.  No problem with soap or shampoo residual on the wall tile though. I also left the shower pan white for the same reason plus I didn't want that to be slick.

 

Now the shower/toilet area floor.

Product used for the bathroom floor

The shower tile and the floor tile are the same plain glazed white finish.  The gout on the floor though is much closer together.  I mixed up Stone Decor and roller a layer over the whole surface.

 

 

This is what it looks like over a ceramic tile in our studio-like paste.  After this dried over-night, I troweled another layer to fill in some of the grout.  When this dried, I marked off larger tiles with tape.  I used a trowel to pop on a thick layer of Quartzstone and then let this set-up an hour (the floor was cold) before compressing with a flat trowel.  On top of this I troweled a fill layer of RS Crete Fine and then glazed it. I wanted butt joints so I had to finish every other square to the top coating stage and then back tape and finish the remaining tiles.

I thinned C500 Satin with water (about 20%) and rolled this over the tile waiting overnight between coats.  I wanted the finish to remain chalky in appearance-that is why I didn't use Rock-Kote water based epoxy.

The walls in both areas of the bathroom were painted with the Dark Brown Sharkskin. I really like this stuff-it is more expensive then regular Setcoat but it covers really well and gives me a nice "grip" for applying wetter finishes such as the Lustersuede used here. Plus one coat is usually fine.

I used a Sea Sponge Roller to apply a quick coat of Cocoa Lusterstone that I had left over from the shower tile project covering about 80% of the surface. When this dried, I trowled some more of the Cocoa over the Funky Wheel stencil from Cutting Edge (circles are a motif in our home).

After the stencil dried, I popped in Queen Anne Lace Lustersuede and Charred Gold Lustersuede. While the Lustersuedes were wet, I popped in Copper Faux Metal which will oxidize some from the Lustersuedes. For more "patina" I brushed in Blue/Green Verdigris and misted with water. I sealed the whole thing with the same C500 I used on the floor.

I used more Stone Decor to roll the top of the toilet seat and then applied Cocoa over the Billiards stencil from Faux Effects. I then Wundasized and foiled the pattern before pulling some of the Queen Ann Lace Lustersuede over the surface. This was also sealed with the C500 satin.

I was "over" the bathroom by this point so I just used a sponge roller to apply a high/low coat of Dark Brown Sharkskin to the walls in the sink area. Then I tight troweled Cocoa Lustersuede over the walls.  In this area I hung some of the canvas art I did in Deb Drager's Class.

My final project was the large flat white enamel cabinet.  I cleaned the surface and rolled a coat of primer. 

I painted the cabinet with Dark Brown Setcoat and popped on a coat of Master Finishing Medium. I made the stipple even smaller by using a plastic bag.  When this was done, I painted the MFM Dark Brown because I didn't really have a plan!  To do this again, I would tint my MFM with the Setcoat and save a step.

I mixed a custom Faux Creme Color Concentrate Color, French Grey, with FX Thinner and brushed it over the texture. As the French Grey dried, I used a Scotch Brite pad to rub the tips off revealing the Dark Brown underneath.  Over this I used Cutting Edge Stencil Dahlia-another circle-in Faux Metal Copper. I over glazed with American Walnut Stain & Seal and sealed with the C500 satin.

Ha-this post was almost as long as this project but I hope it gave you some ideas for re-doing your own unconventional surfaces