Faux Effect's Happenings: February-April 2018

Decorative Finishing is Back!

Are you ready to fire up your portfolio? 

There is a lot happening in our family of Faux Effects International™ Studios the next 3 months. From a studio open house to classes in walls, cabinets, furniture and art work-there is something for everyone, no matter where you live! Take a look and save the date (or dates). And keep checking back as we update our calendar of events.

February 2018

It's Open House time at Faux Design Studio in Chicago. Sheri Zeman will be hosting demonstrations, class previews and giveaways at this Free Event. Winterfest is February 10 from 9am-12pm. 

Want to try something new with Faux Effects products? Then give Abstract & Inks with guest instructor Michelle Fountain a try! This class at Faux Design Studio is on February 12th-13th.

A few spots are left for the 30 Samples Class Chicago. This class taught by Sheri Zeman owner of Faux Design Studio is February 19th-23rd.  Register soon before this popular class is sold out! 

Faux Design Studio, Sheri Zeman

(630)627-1011

101 N. Swift Rd, Addison, Illinois 60101

Follow at:

www.paintanddesignstore.com

Facebook @FauxDesignStudio

Instagram @fauxdesignstudio

March 2018

The 30 Samples Class at FE Dallas taught by Sheri Zeman of Faux Design Studio. This class is March 5th-9th and March 19th-23rd. Both classes are currently sold out but Sheri has a wait list. Contact information listed above. 

Ready to expand your portfolio into lucrative cabinet and furniture finishing? Sign up for New World Cabinetry, Furniture & Trim Workshop at The Faux Finish School in Louisville, Kentucky. This comprehensive class is March 26th-March 28th and is taught by Martin Alan Hirsch and Morey Dunbar. Contact information listed below.

April 2018

The popular "Timeless Creations" The Art and Business of Faux Finishing Workshop "Interpretation by Inspiration" will be offered April 9th-13th.  This class includes new and updated finishes and is taught by The Faux Finish School's owner, Martin Alan Hirsch and lead instructor Morey Dunbar.

To find out more about New World Cabinetry & Furniture and Timeless Creations Classes:

The Faux Finish School, Martin Alan Hirsch
(502)583-0102
414 Baxter Avenue, 3rd Floor Loft
Louisville, Kentucky 40204
Follow at:

www.fauxfinish.com

Facebook @fauxfinishschool

Instagram @fauxfinishschool

 It's Cabinet Week at FE Dallas with 5 different One Day Classes covering our unique system for RE-Staining, Metallic Cabinets and Modern Rustic Furniture. This series is offered April 16th-20th and is taught by Faux Effects' Instructor, Rebecca Slaton.

FE Dallas Inc, Chris Kelly or Rebecca Slaton at Rebecca@fauxfx.com

(972)733-0028

4550 Sunbelt Dr, Addison, Texas 75001

Follow at:

www.fedallas.com

Facebook @FEDallasInc

Instagram @fauxeffectsdallas

Want to know more about these exciting events? We will share a feature about each class with more information about the samples and instructors in the coming weeks. Plus follow us on Faux Effects Social Network for bonus pictures. Let's connect at:

www.fauxfx.com

Facebook @FauxEffectsInternationalInc

Instagram @fauxeffectsinternationalinc

Start the New Year with "Timeless Creations"

Taking the time to invest in yourself

Rust finish by The Faux Finish School

We just came off the season of gift giving and, if you're like me, when it's all over there is one person who might have missed-Yourself!  Making time for creative growth is a major investment I've enthusiastically valued as both an instructor and a student.

Now I understand the challenges of taking classes. There is travel and time away from work. Plus the cost of a class. Sure there are on-line classes or videos. Those are all viable options for expanding education and a welcome addition to our profession.  But I am here to share with you the first class of 2018 hosted by a Faux Effects Studio and why it's an example of how nothing will ever replace the experience of a hands-on class.

This the Class:

"Timeless Creations...Interpretation by Inspiration...

The Art and Business of Faux Finishing Workshop

Louisville, Kentucky

January 8th-12th 2018

This workshop is designed for those looking to expand their portfolio of decorative finishes with 30 samples over 5 days. The perfect class for the beginning finisher to the seasoned professional. 

"Timeless Creations" Samples by The Faux Finish School

Reason One:  A hands-on class gives you time to explore a variety of products and techniques. This class is divided into 3 current categories:  Classic Old World, Black, White & Grey, and Hollywood Glamour.

The Faux Finish School

The Faux Finish School

You are able to see how Faux Effects' products work together from simple layers to developing more complex finishes. Asking your own questions as you work and listening to the questions of others as you work leads to new insights and ideas that go beyond the samples actually made in the class. Which leads me to:

Reason Two: Meeting and interacting with leading instructors. This class is taught by Martin Alan Hirsch, Founder & Director of The Faux Finish School.

And Morey Dunbar, Lead Instructor for The Faux Finish School.

There is something special when you watch an experienced teacher lead you in a finish, guide your hand as you work and share their own personal stories about the business. This class includes time to talk about bidding, managing a job and marketing.

Now is your chance to get up close to a technique-watch exactly how to hold a brush or angle the trowel.  Notes will guide you in a class but a good instructor makes a career come alive!

Reason Three: Working in a world class studio environment.

Classroom at The Faux Finish School

Isn't it nice to show up to a place where you have space to work? This studio has lots of natural light with a cool industrial vibe. 

When you take a class like "Timeless Creations" all your supplies and tools are provided. Product is there and ready to use. There is a written notebook ready so you may concentrate on the demonstrations rather then trying to keep up with a recipe. You have areas to safely hang your samples and room to enjoy your own work and the work of others...leading to my favorite reason for attending a class

Classroom at The Faux Finish School

Reason Four: The friendships you form with instructors, studio staff and the other students are invaluable. Many finishers work by themselves. This is where you find your tribe. During class you get to see how someone else approaches a finish. It's your time to give praise and accept accolades of your own! 

The Faux Finish School Business Discussion

After class, in a relaxed environment, you get to process all the things you learned that day.  My fondest memories of any training are the sharing of meals, stories and laughs.  I always leave inspired and recharged-so will you!

Ready to find out more about the class?  You may visit the website at www.fauxfinish.com or The Faux Finish School on Facebook. Registration is available at www.fauxmarketplace.com. Want to connect in person? Call (502)583-0102.

Can't wait to see your pictures and samples from the class, 

Rebecca 

Faux Fluenza

We all have hobbies, right? Things that interest us.  Look at a friend's bookshelf.  My friends have colorful books on art, design, and fashion.  Mine?

"Level 4. Virus Hunters of the CDC."

"The Black Death."

"And the Band Played On."

"The Stand."

"World War Z. An oral history of the Zombie War."

Yes. I am obsessed with disease hunting.  I even worked with the CDC and let me tell you nothing is more scary then reading the monthly World Health Organization updates. Unless you google search a medical term. All I can say is don't eat before you do it.

So what does this have to do with Faux? I read a recent article that asked, "Is Faux Dead?"  It got me thinking...

Fauxpocalypse? Or just a sniffle?

The answer is no but I can tell you that our profession is a bit ill. Not dead but more then a cold.  

How did we end up with Faux Fluenza?

All illness follows a pattern. In public health it's called Epidemiology. It begins with etiology or the origin of the disease.  Next is transmission or how is it spread.  Then there is an outbreak or sudden increase in occurrence.  We engage in screening, which facilitates diagnosis. And finally treatment.

THE ORIGINS.

Remember when you finished every room because the costs were folded into the mortgage? Builders included big allowances for decorative painting. Old World was hot. And then like Old World Pompeii-it all blew up.

THE TRANSMISSION.

First we lost the builders and designers unless your job was getting a house ready to sell. I did say something.

Then we lost the part-timers who pursued other part-time jobs that paid better and had some benefits. I again said something.

Then they came for the older finishers with faulty shoulders and bad backs.  Who needs it! I said something then too.

And then they came for me! Since everyone else was gone no-one said anything. And by this time I was horse from saying too much.

People don't take classes if they don't have money. They don't buy product if they can't get a job. The illness had spread up and down the decorative community.

 

THE OUTBREAK

While decorative artisans were facing fauxmageddon, the world of the DIY'er rose out of the ashes.  All of a sudden you didn't need a professional just a great pin board and you-tube video.  Access to information is unprecedented with a barrage of gurus and experts handy with Instagram filters.  Making over things yourself is fun, cheap, and satisfying. I do it myself!  But the un-intended side effect is the notion that "good-enough" is great, quality pricing is price gouging, and Internet learning is the same as hands on training and experience.

THE DIAGNOSIS

The defining symptom is Faux Fatigue. Those infected looked at their walls and cabinets and ceilings covered in chippy plasters and aged patinas.  Even when it is beautiful and well-done it make them tired and heavy.

The next symptom is a grey tinge that develops to a white on white pallor.

Finally, they begin hallucinating and repeating the words "Grieg" "Shiplap," "Vintage," "Upcycle" and in a final breath you hear the whisper, "grass cloth."

That's it. You have a full blown FAUX FLUENZA epidemic!

THE TREATMENT

The key to many treatments is giving people an altered version of the disease. Think of vaccinations. For finishers this means studying and offering finishes that mimic expensive wallpapers. Learn how to layer patterns effectively and render printing techniques on a vertical surface.

Work with the trends.

Take your favorite Old World Samples and update the colors to lighter greyer shades.  Think of all the potential sick people that won't pay to get the texture removed but do want it refreshed.

Learn the language of the trends like Rustic Modern, Farmhouse, and Bohemian Chic.  Make design boards of the trends and set aside time to interpret the looks in faux finishes. Those of us who teach have switched to more modern and sleek finishes with less steps.

Create mini portfolios that focus on how finishing pulls together a trend in a wall, ceiling, and cabinet designs.

Set yourself apart. Don't be afraid to include the unique. While everyone is offering the same thing you can offer the alternative. You need samples that set you apart and make people remember you!

Focus your efforts. You will never be cheap enough for some people.  Research the healthy markets that include custom builders, custom designers, and up-grading homeowners. As my friend Suzanne told me yesterday, "upper clientele want a turn-key job." You need to be a skilled finisher in walls and cabinets as well as a project manager.  The less the client has to coordinate, the better.

Go through your samples and let go of dated boards.  Assign a price per square foot to the samples you keep. You should have a range that starts at $2 a square foot and on up.  Make sure you have a low, medium and high offering for a finish.  For example, here are 3 different off-white cabinets at different price points.

And finally accept that you have to hustle harder to get your work out there. You are competing against an endless stream of information and visual stimulation. Web-sites, blogs, Instagram, Facebook, and Pintrest are major sources for information. Of those people, 80% are just shopping ideas. But you never know who is looking to buy.  I tagged a friend in a Facebook post and her older client saw it. He contacted her to do that finish!

Hopefully there will be a day when Faux Fluenza is no more. Until then, we will work on treatments that lead to a healthy, interesting, and profitable faux finishing world!

Wild Things

Bring a bit of the exotic home! Animal prints have an enduring quality that span a variety of interiors from traditional to contemporary.

These stylish interpretations have been a favorite of interior designers for decades.

 Used on wallpapers and fabrics, Animal prints are a classic!

Join us at Surfaces on Thursday, March 17th from 6:30-9:30 to create 3 animal skin finishes.

We will work with specialty rollers, plasters and glazes. Class fee is $75 per person and includes all materials.

Register on-line or by calling 913-888-9996.

My bags are packed...I'm ready to go!

Don't have the schedule to visit me in Kansas City? Well, maybe one of these locations will work for you! I limit my travel since I have my own studio, family and a house to care for but this year I have 3 locations for out-of-state classes.

First Up.......

April in Washington DC!

SURFACES TOP 10 WALL FINISHES. Hosted by Mr. Faux, Chris Burke. Monday, April 4th-Tuesday, April 5th.  506 Shaw Road #309, Sterling, VA 20170.

This is a Faux Effects Silver Label class. We will supply all the boards and materials. You will bring a few tools. Guidebook with step by step instructions included. Class meets from 9am-5pm.

Class fee for two days is $595. You may register by calling me direct at Surfaces 913-888-9996 Monday- Friday 8am-5pm. Deposit is half and may be paid by credit card or check. I will mail you a confirmation letter and a list of items to bring to the class.  There are several hotels within walking distance of Mr .Faux's studio on Shaw road. The location is also close to Washington Dulles Airport.

PS...Runner Friends arrive a few days early and join me for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler on Sunday, April 3rd. Nothing like seeing the nation's capital and getting fit at the same time.


Second trip...

May in Sarasota, Florida

Surfaces' favorite Cream, Silver, Grey and Metallic Cabinets. Hosted by Donna Phelps at the Sarasota School of Faux & Architectural Finishing, 5376 Catalyst Avenue 34233. Thursday, May 5th-Friday, May, 6th. This is a Gold Label Faux Effects Class. We will work on 14-16 large molding samples in this 2-day class.

For class information and registration please contact SSFAF at (941) 921-6181. Please visit the SSFAF website for final class samples.

And last but not least.... Save the Date!

October in Cincinnati, Ohio

Surfaces Basically Beautiful Painted and Metallic Cabinets. Hosted by Gary Lord at Prismatic Painting Studio, 11126 Deerfield Road, Blue Ash OH 45242. Monday, October 10th - Tuesday, October 11th. This is a Faux Effects Gold Label class.

We will be working on large molding piece during this 2-day classes. More information to follow. You may preview samples at Gary's Open House. Please visit Prismatic Painting Website or call (513)-931-5520 for more information.

PS...Runner Friends. Join me Saturday, October 8th for the Queen Bee Half Marathon. This is a women's only running event. Not half crazy? Try the 4 mile race instead. We will meet up Friday for the great fitness expo and have brunch after the race! And the medal is a compact..

I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones! I'm anticipating no travel plans in 2017 so if you were waiting to take a class with me in your backyard...then don't wait.