Saturday, July 14, 2012

Faux polished onyx-bookshelves

The floors had more of a golden ochre color. The walls and trim are all an off-white, probably Ben Moore's Linen White. We went with a terra-cotte glaze for the faux polished stone.
This is a rendering of faux onyx done on
 the back of some bookshelves.

The glazing was topped off with a gloss varnish which does yield the effect of polished stone and the wonderful depth that has.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

contemporary dining room near Eagle Mountain Lake

Got a call a few years ago from an aquaintance who had a dining room she wanted to do some work on. The walls had already been hand-textured and had a coat of satin sheened gray on them. The trim had previously been enameled in a neutral off-white. You can see the furnishings that were already in the room. Very smart and confidently executed design. The dining table and chairs are a wonderfully warm, rich brown. The floors have mid-tones of taupe, tan and gray. Classically elegant treatment of a terrific space.
Nikki has very good taste. Easy to do color for her because she can see "it" before "it" is on the wall. Something with a pewter metallic was the obvious first choice for one of the glaze colors. A few sample boards later and we had a wall finish.  This is a two-tone glaze combining the pewter with a slighter darker gray that is was in the base color. Technique was executed with sea sponges and Neon Leons-nylon stipple brushes. I used Faux Effects materials to mix glazes and a semi-gloss latex varnish. Varnish just takes a finish like this to another level. It is not unlike polishing a nice piece of marble. A clear coat gives the finish depth that really makes it sparkle.
Wall fixtures were added after the work was done and such a great fit.