Another Decorative Idea for Wainscoting: Raised Stenciling Over Stried Texture

Hi Everyone...

I just wanted to do a quick blog post while I'm away in CA.  I have to go back to this home to take better photos...but I thought I'd share another idea for panels in wainscoting.

A friend of mine, interior designer, Rosemarie Spratt, wanted something very special for her entryway - she wanted it to be drop dead gorgeous!  Oh boy - not too much to ask of me, right? We first used a cinnamon color on her walls - and then troweled on a metallic plaster in a brown suede color from Modern Masters on her walls.

1) For the wainscoting panels - you can use any texture you'd like, but I used a mixture of two products from Faux Effects - 1 part PlasterTex and 1 part Softex.  I rolled it on and then I took a wallpaper brush and stried the texture to form a vertical design.

Before...Nice, but Plain!

During

2) Then, after it was dry, I did an embossed stencil.  I used two designs from Royal Design Studio - Delicate Floral Panels.  Size-wise, they fit these panels perfectly.  To get the raised design, I used PlasterTex as the texture.  Then, I let it dry.

3) I painted all the panels with a bronzey/copper metallic paint.  Again, you can use any one that you'd like but I used two mixed colors of Faux Effects' Metal Glow paint.

4) When that was dry, I antiqued all the panels with a dark brown glaze.

The Entryway After

5) For the final touch, I antiqued all the moldings with the same dark brown glaze.  

Here are some other pics from the project...

And here's a peek into her powder room, while I will blog about very soon!!

This was a fairly huge entryway, so the entire project took about 8 days to do.  But - it was so worth it - Rosemarie loves her entryway - and that's the most important thing, right?  

I promise to go back and re-shoot this project.  So, please return again soon to see more pictures of this gorgeous room.

Thanks for looking! You also may want to see another way I decorated wainscoting - with burlap...HERE

I'll be linking this project up to...

Miss Mustardseed

Between Naps on the Porch

Redoux Interiors

At the Picket Fence

Our DIY Diaries

Savvy Southern Style

Domestically Speaking

My Romantic Home

504 Main

The Shabby Nest

Under the Table and Dreaming

The Brambleberry Cottage

Creating an Old World Range Hood

When we finally redid our kitchen a few years ago, I was beyond happy with it.  No longer was I embarrassed having people over for dinner because I had new cabinetry, granite counter tops, new flooring...in short - my kitchen was finally a place I could be proud of.

My kitchen was featured in HOUZZ!

But...I couldn't make up my mind which backsplash I wanted. Nothing seemed to go with the granite (oh, it probably did...I was just very picky).  So, I finally took the plunge and created my own backsplash (which you'll see a better picture of soon).  Because the backsplash was very old world, textured and rustic, it made my range hood look too new, too light and out of place.  So - that had to change. I took out the trowel...

I used a product called PlasterTex from Faux Effects. It's a wonderful texture for old world effects - plus it takes a glaze well. I stippled the texture on first with an old brush, then I troweled it, giving it that "been there forever" type of look. In the smaller and straighter sections where I couldn't use a trowel, I stippled and then I "mushed" with my fingers (very technical faux treatment!!) Then, after it was dry, I took out a large brush and glazed the entire range hood with some Mahogany Stain and Seal (also from Faux Effects).  I threw in a little bit of chestnut brown and brown glaze as well.  Where it was too dark, I just wiped it back with some cheesecloth. For the onlay on the top of the range hood, I just wiped back a lot of it because I wanted it to stand out...otherwise the depth and definition of that feature would have been lost.

Above, not the best cropping job, but you can see the range hood a bit better. I then used the same glaze and wiped it over the lower molding on the hood.  The question I have for all of you reading this - should I also do the same glaze on the top molding?  I left it cream - like the rest of the cabinetry.  I'm not sure...so I would love some suggestions.

Here's a closeup of the section over the cooktop.

I wish I could say that I painted that middle tile - but I was afraid of messing it up too much, so I had a friend who's a fabulous artist do it for me.  It's a revised version of a section of a toile fabric that I had purchased awhile back. We didn't copy the toile exactly, we changed it quite a bit.  I like to think that the lady is taking the wine bottle away from the man because he's getting a little crazy.  In my house, it's usually my husband taking the wine bottle away from me!  Oh well - in art, you can be a more glorified version of yourself!!

If you'd like to see a few other photos of my kitchen, go HERE

Hope you enjoyed this!

I'm linking this project up to...

The Fifth Wall: The Importance of Decorating Your Ceiling

While I am awaiting the news of my new granddaughter's birth (it should happen within a few hours...I can't wait!!), I thought I'd share a project that I did in my home recently...my dining room and the ceiling.

Dining room "before"

Dining room "before"

It was OK when it was plain...but it wasn't "me."  You know that feeling you may get about a room in your house that you've decorated - but you hardly ever sit in it?  Well, that's because it doesn't speak to you and I believe every room should speak to its owner! I had done a lovely faux finish a few years back and I loved it...but it wasn't enough.  The lace curtains were not me - so I changed them. The ceiling and the moldings were just "so-so."

New window treatments, dining set, some artwork and a carpet

I bought a great dining set (love it but it needs to be updated with some new upholstery and some paint and antiquing still!) But...something was missing.  It needed more cohesiveness and extra intimacy (every dining room needs this!).

The dining room with additional moldings, painted, antiqued - plus metallic plaster finish on the ceiling

But it still needed that extra touch! So I decided to go for broke in this room!  I wanted a bigger statement that would be more "me." My husband was cringing when he saw that look in my eye that said "I'm still not done with this room!"

So, I went to my favorite stencil designer, Melanie Royals' Modello Designs, and I ordered the largest stencil (a special, one-time use one) I had ever seen - and got to work!

This is it, on the floor. It came in sections for easier application

Starting the first part of the design on the ceiling

The completed first part of the design on the ceiling

On this first part of the design, I troweled on a different color - a Brown Suede metallic plaster

Then you add the rest of the design over that

Finding Fabulous

You keep adding the rest of the design around the first part of the design (the Brown Suede)

For the scrolled part of the design that was on the Brown Suede, I troweled an antiqued metallic gold plaster and then I threw some large Mica flakes onto it while wet so there'd be a bit more bling! More bling than this?? For the scrolled parts that were on the lighter part of the ceiling, I alternated between the Brown Suede and the Antique Gold Plaster being troweled on.

Right after it was finished

My dining room ceiling now

I love how it came out.  When you sit at the dining room table, the design helps to make the room more intimate. Now when I go into this room, I'm happy!  I'll even sit there and pay bills! It was hard to do (a lot of measuring, which is not my forte) and you do need an extra set of hands to help you place it on the ceiling (and to give you a rest when your back and neck are aching!).

I have done many different stencil designs on ceilings before - but they were smaller and easier to do.  This takes more time, patience and skill...but it is well worth it!  Melanie has a lot of helpful directions on her website - so if you are thinking of doing something like this - you'll have some help along the way.  Start out with something small (like a design in the four corners of a ceiling).  Do something manageable before you tackle something like this!

TIP:  If you would like to read a step by step of a simpler version of this project, Click Here.

Baby update:  My daughter had the baby while I was writing this post.  Little Peyton weighed in at 7 pounds 13 ounces and mother and baby are doing great!

Thanks for reading.  I welcome all your comments and questions!

Linking this project up to...

 Addicted 2 Decorating

Between Naps on the Porch

Be Colorful

Home Stories from A to Z

Today's Creative Blog

I Should be Mopping

StringtownHome

Primp

Clean and Scentsible

Savvy Southern Style

The Charm of Home

52 Mantles

Five Days Five Ways.com

Alderberry Hill Monday Link Party

DIY Showoff

Cowgirl Up at The Farmhouse Ranch

Tatertots and Jello 

The Delectable Home 

Common Ground

Stuff and Nonsense



Glazed Burlap Inserts in Faux Woodgrained Wainscoting

Just a quick post today.  I did a really beautiful project awhile back that helped amp up the beauty of this home. The homeowner wanted something different yet rich and more classicially traditional.  Her entryway, especially her stairway to the second floor, was quite tall - and there was very little architecture.  To help ameliorate (sorry for the high-end vacab...I was an English major!!) this "tallness," I suggested that she add some wainscoting with panels and some crown molding.  Once that was done, we went to work doing a faux mahogany finish (with a dollop of eggplant in the glaze mix).

Once white and plain...

The Recipe...

The base color was a brownish red (Leather Red from Aqua Finishing Solutions).  Then I floated Dutch Metal Gold - also from Aqua Finishing Solutions - on the edges for a little sophistication.  It's not quite visible in the photo...but that's because it's suffused under a glaze of Antique Mahogany plus some Eggplant Stain and Seal and a dash of Ebony (also from Aqua Finishing Solutions).

The finishing touch came by adding the burlap to the inserts.  I purchased the burlap online - but you can buy it anywhere as long as it's a burlap that has more of an open weave.  If it's tight, it won't work - well, maybe it will but I don't recommend it.  I put it on with carpenters glue (Elmer's).  You need to try to get the edges as clean as possible.  Mine were not perfect - so I added the cording to neaten it up.  After the glue was dry, I gave the burlap a clear topcoat. The client wanted to retain the light color of the burlap but I darkened it a bit with some dark brown glaze.

I've done this finish on furniture as well.  You can put it on just about anything that has an insert (it would look beautiful as an insert in a ceiling panel!) Come to think of it, I have an end table with a raised molding around the top (sort of like a tray table top) that could use this finish!

Above is a sample I did for a client where I painted and glazed the burlap in the same color. I just added some black accents to the sides of the insert.  Here you can see the burlap weave better - it's more open.  And you can see the edges. If you don't get it down close to the edge - it will look unfinished.  In the darker sample you don't see the edges quite so much...but on the lighter wainscoting inserts that I did for my client - the edges were more noticeable.  But, no big deal - that's what they make cording for!

It's a beautiful finish.  So - give this burlap finish a try in your own home!!

Linking this project up with Between Naps on the Porch

and some of my blog friends HERE

My Latest Project: Fixing Faux Finishes in a Home for Sale

The Entry before...

Sometimes I am called on to fix a faux finish, instead of only just doing one.  This beautiful home is currently for sale in Southampton NY for $6,975,000. There were numerous changes done (adding light fixtures etc) and of course some cracks that resulted over the years and needed to be fixed - and so the owners wanted the faux, that had been done many years ago, fixed rather than go through the expense of painting the entire house.

During...

Entry...After

Before...

Living room before...

After...

After...

Living room...after

Living room

If you have never tried to fix a faux finish (especially when you didn't do the finish in the first place as in this case), it's one of the hardest things to do well. What happens is that you can't just dot in the color into the patched and primed spot.  It doesn't work.  If you try to do that, it just creates a halo effect and you can see where the "join" is.  You have to create a color that is the closest to the base color and then you swish the color in...blending it in without following the outline of the patch. Then add a little darker glaze and feather that in - as in the drifts that are part of this finish.  Sounds easy but it wasn't at all. 

The Den Wallpaper Fix

I also had to fix many areas in the den.  Oh boy - this was a job.  I had to match a wallpaper of all things.  First, the ceiling above the window seat...

Before...

Before...

After...

After...

Since the home sellers did not have the paper that was used, I had to improvise.  I primed the areas, then used gift tissue, slightly wrinkled (like I did on my Bookcase Project) then painted it.  I created a glaze color that matched the color of the paper and then glazed the whole ceiling.

By the other window in the room there was more damage...

Before...

After...

Blending it in without it looking like a different paper/finish was a bit difficult - but it came out better than even I thought it would!  Sometimes - I surprise myself. The room is really a beautiful one - so it was worth the extra effort.

After...

There were some other areas throughout the room that were discolored and we had to devise a color that would blend in best to disguise it. But - the room looks really great now.

The only full faux finishing that we did in the home was in the dining room.  I just created a very soft, mottled finish that warmed up the space.

The home looks really wonderful and warm so I hope that all of the effort nets the owners a sale. It took us all week to get the work done - so I apologize for not blogging as much last week.  Hopefully this long post will satisfy!

Some knowledge of color theory and faux finishing techniques can really help save time and money.  In this case, the home sellers would have had to have most of their walls re-painted and the den walls would have had to have been stripped of the wall paper, primed and re-painted.  That would have been costly - time and money-wise.  As they were having an open house over the weekend, there wasn't the time to do all that.  So...once again...Faux to the Rescue!

If you are interesting in seeing this beautiful home, please call the realtor, Tim Davis of Corcoran at 631 283-7300.  The website for the listing can be found HERE

You may be interested in another project -  a $3.5 Million home that we staged that sold in 3 1/2 weeks.  Click Here 

Linking this project up to these blogs...

Stuff and Nonsense

Domesblissity

A Glimpse into My Glamorous Life

When people see the "after photos" of projects that I've done, most times they don't understand what it took to get to that beautiful state.  All the time it took to gather materials, prepare samples - and, when I am doing a decorative painting project, how crappy I look when I'm doing it!!  When I'm speaking in front of a group or presenting ideas for a project, I look neat and respectable...

But when I am working, I look like mad scientist/painting chick!  And sometimes when I'm on a very tight deadline (and furniture is coming the next day), I sometimes have to work well into the wee hours of the morning.  And no one looks good when they are tired and they still have to work past midnight!

We worked til 2AM on this project - to meet a deadline

Sometime it's just me and the wall (sometimes doing projects I love and sometimes...not)

And sometimes the work is way up high (a dome in a double entry foyer) and the client (a homebuilder) gladly puts up the scaffolding for you. When I got to this job, I was shaking when I went out on the scaffolding, so...

I gave instructions to my crew on what material to trowel first, second, third, fourth and fifth layers - and took pictures of the progress.

I still have to go back and take pictures with the chandelier. 

This project came out so beautiful - despite my knocking knees.

More to come in future posts.  Just thought I'd show you some pics of the glamorous side of me!!

Using Geometric Patterns to Update and Beautify Your Rooms

If you want to update the look of a room - use some geometric patterns.  If you want your room to exude more energy...add some geometrics.  Do you have lackluster rooms without any architectural interest?  Add some geometrics to it! You can add a sense of height or width to a room by using geometric patterns on your walls (vertical stripes for height...harlequin patterns for width and height).  There are numerous benefits to using geometric patterns in today's interiors. 

Deborah Wecselman

The bedroom above is given extra life and zip through the mix of geometric patterns. Hexagons, vertical and horizontal stripes - even the rectangular and square pillows add to the geometric recipe.  The small hexagons on the wall give this room extra energy.  A bit busy for me (and I'm sure I would have trouble sleeping here), but I love how the designer, Deborah Wecselman, used the patterns to give an energetic, youthful and updated look to this room.

Sarah Richardson

Sarah Richardson, one of my favorite designers, used zigzags, chain stitches and polka dots with great effect in this bedroom. The combination updates and energizes the room - but in such a subtle way that the bedroom is still a very restful and inviting space.

Elaine Williamson via

Adding just one geometric pattern can be the finishing touch to a great room.  The Jonathan Adler sconces update this room in such a stylish way. A more timid designer might have just used more traditional sconces on either side of the mirror.  These sconces give the room a unique twist. The room would have been fairly commonplace and very predictable otherwise.

Elaine Williamson via

In the above room, we see a successful mix of geometrics that updates and makes the room far more interesting.  The diamond-shaped wallcovering helps to widen the room and give it more presence. The pattern on the pillow gives a modern touch and the upholstery tack pattern on the ottoman gives the piece more interest.  Not clearly visible but adding to the mix is the zebra pattern on the rug. Adding some soft curves in the room keeps the space from being too rigid looking.

Alberto Pinto

Designer Alberto Pinto knows a thing or two about adding geometrics to interiors.  Look at this room.  It's all based on geometry. The carpeting to the right is all squares, rectangles and triangles; the carpeting to the right adds circles and rectangles.  The fireplace mantle is a stroke of genius - radiating rectangles from a circular and convex mirror. If he had placed a more common mantle here - the room would have suffered a bit. Add to this the striped pattern on the walls and the shelving and the placement of the artwork - it's all a fantastic study in geometric perfection.

Alberto Pinto

Here's Alberto again with another study in geometric deliciousness.  The rug, the wall treatment, the inset in the wall treatment, the artwork, the furniture, the headboard, the books on the bench - everything is geometric.  If you'll take a really good look at this photo, you will notice that the main wall has only one window.  His deft use of pattern tricks you into not noticing the deficiencies in this room. Truly brilliant! How he uses pattern creates a modern and fresh look in this room but it's also restful and simple.  I encourage everyone to look at his website and study the way he employs pattern - it's truly a lesson in interior design.

Jonathan Adler via

Jonathan Adler mixes geometric patterns like a maestro also.  The dining room he created for maternity fashion designer, Liz Lange in her Westchester NY home, combines zigzags, rectangles, diamonds and circles. The look is very youthful and fresh - befitting someone who designs beautiful maternity clothes.

Some Simple Ways to Start Bringing More Geometrics into Your Home

1) Add stripes not only in your draperies, but also consider using a horizontal striped border in a bath.  Use plain tiles in unique ways - mix up the way you lay them.  Place some diagonally.

Image via

2) Add a splash of geometry with pillows and tufted x benches. Hang prints in 3s over a sofa.

3) Consider adding panels to your walls. The bedroom below would be so bland if not for the panelled wall making a wonderful statement.  If your room lasks achitectural interest - add it yourself. 

Image via

4) In a traditional room, you can punch up its pedigree by adding panels, wainscoting and Palladian windows. Adding these geometric features helps to tame a huge room - making it more livable and warm. Place a beautiful trellis patterned rug on the floor for added interest.

5) I used a vertical stried pattern in the room below to help heighten the space...plus give it great texture and interest.

So whether you need to energize or update a space, improve or add architectural interest, using geometric patterns can help you do the job.  There are so many fabric patterns in the market that will add some pizzaz to your home - so take advantage of them.  Don't forget your walls and floors - adding geometric patterns to them will improve your rooms immensely.

If you need some assistance in updating your rooms, give me a call at 631 793-1315.  I'd be glad to help.  Sometimes just a small change can effect an immeasurable difference in a room!