Fauxology: Studying the Visual Magic of Faux Finishing and Interior Design (brought to you by Garay Artisans)

Well, here I am writing to you from our hotel in Land O’Lakes, FL.  The AC is sweetly humming and I’m happily nestled in my room.  We are out of town on a jobsite and although it isn’t too far from Orlando, it’s farther than you would want to drive roundtrip daily.  Our project is a beautiful brand-new clubhouse with an elegant, upscale Western theme.  It is slated to officially open in about three weeks.  They have chosen two finishes for the public bathrooms: Bandanna for the Ladies and Snakeskin for the Men.  (We love these designers — they always have such cool projects.)  At the site, we received a tremendous welcome and quite the interest in our work.  (”The faux painters are here everybody!  Check it out!”)  We have phone numbers to call in case we get in trouble and were set up immediately with the Best Places to Eat and other equally important facts.  BTW, here’s a peek at the samples:

One of most interesting pieces of information we received (a bit on the late side) was that Land O’Lakes is apparently not the home city of the dairy company but is, in fact, the nudist mecca of North America.  Here’s a FauxGirl tip for you — let’s say you find yourself out-of-town working and would like to have some fun after-hours with the crew.  If you come upon a bowling alley that is definitely open but has black curtains drawn so you can’t see in…anticipate an au naturel setting.  I think our new motto is going to be Expect the Unexpected.  Apparently, the clothing-optional market is a $400 million dollar a year business — who’d have thunk it?

I’ll post up some pics of the completed work — we still have a lot of layers to go but we’re looking forward to the end result.  Until then!

As much as I love working, I love to live as well.  I was initially reticent to schedule a vacation since it’s hard to leave your own working business — someone called me a “blissful workaholic” recently and it kinda fits.  However, now I’m counting down the days to my upcoming California vacation! ;)  The hubster and I usually pick up a Frommer’s, fly to our destination and then road-trip it from there – he’s the best and funnest person to be with so I’m giddy with excitement.  Of course, I had to start the vacation by taking a workshop but really, who doesn’t? 

I found these two pics and they put me in a relaxing, getting-ready-for-my-vacation mood.  Enjoy!

Wouldn’t this be an amazing view to wake up to?  I wonder what my homeowner’s association would say to a few changes to my backyard… 

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. 

Isn’t that second picture yummy?  Well, here’s to all of us taking some time off and enjoying ourselves! 

I’ve been seeing and working with a lot of gray samples and gray design schemes lately.  It’s a beautiful neutral that’s easy on the eyes — alone (or with another neutral, like taupe, white or off-white) creates a relaxed, modern ambience and paired with a bright warm color adds a bit of punch to the overall design.   It can be used as a wall finish with blue-gray, brown-gray or even white with gray undertones and also mixed in with other colors and tints.  Here’s a few pics I’ve had in my idea books that were found in shelter mags:

Yesterday, I received the latest Vahallan Papers postcard and it had a familiar scheme…  This particular design is new and called Veyda II.

The weather here in Florida looks like it’s following some designs: gray, gray, gray.  Tropical Storm Fay (or “Stay”, as my friend Monica calls always-circling back storm) is just dumping buckets of rain here in Central Florida.  We’re leaving for an out-of-town commission tomorrow but there’s no break — it’s still here in Florida, LOL! I’m also working on putting together The Wallnuts post – it’ll be up soon.  Have a great day!

By having a website and a blog, the opportunity to meet cool, like-minded people throughout the world is mind-boggling.  I’m sure some find it hard to be fond of friends whom you’ve technically never met, but that’s the beauty of the online world.  One of those people is fellow Talk Faux moderator, Mindy Harrell.  She is a fun person and someone who is not shy about sharing her knowledge — which works perfectly since she owns and operates Faux Assured Studio near Park City, Utah and has her own blog. In the midst of her hectic schedule (I mean, just one project has her glazing 45,000 square feet of wall space), she kindly took the time to let us get to know her a bit better and give a peek into her studio. 

Tell us a little bit about the studio and its philosophy and style.  What advice would you offer our blog readers with regard to choosing which studio and/or workshops to attend? 

At Faux Assured Studio our goal is very simple, to set the foundation for success.  We have three specific criteria set forth in order to achieve our mission:  1.  Solid Foundation in Training  2.  Superior Support & Mentoring program  3.  Recruiting knowledgeable and business savvy instructors.

Students look for schools that can offer them the greatest range of training, support and knowledge when it comes to selecting their next class. We like to feel that our school is not just the “next” class, but an extension of their future endeavors; just like an extended family.   Creating beautiful finishes is a very important part of our curriculum, but it is only a small part of the overall picture towards success in the industry.  We believe that every successful business owner has a successful mentor in their back pocket!  We have many avenues to foster this philosophy through and on-line private student forum, private hot-line for immediate support, open studio on selected dates and of course calling the studio to speak with one of our knowledgeable staff members.  In our classes, we will thoroughly cover product knowledge and the “make up” of all the materials used.  We offer quality instruction from experienced teachers who are also field finishers.  

Our instructors own and operate very successful commission-based businesses and collectively bring forth over 20+ years of experience in the decorative paint industry.  We have one instructor and one assistant at all times during classes to help maximize learning.  Our techniques used in class have been tested in the market to ensure their ease of application.  We begin, by introducing the amazing product lines manufactured by Faux Effects International.  It is with their advanced technology that we are able execute complex finishes in less time with traditional and modern applications.  If you are a new finisher or someone in the field who is not familiar with the Faux Effects line, we suggest starting off with our CCI: Core Curriculum One class.   This class is the building block or the foundation to the more advanced classes we have to offer.  

What are some of your favorite color and/or product combinations to work with? 

My favorite product line hands down is the Rs Series.  Since the inception of the Rs Series line manufactured by Faux Effects, my business has grown by double.  It allows me complete control over the finished product.  It’s ease of application allows me to create the “look of complexity” in very few steps, adds revenue to my business and I don’t feel as exhausted at the end of the day!  This is a must have class where even the 20 year veteran will be rejuvenated!

What are some of your favorite websites, blogs and/or message forums on the internet?

Talk Faux all the way!  

What’s the best piece of professional advice you have ever received?  

“If you put yourself out of the marketplace, the marketplace will put you out of business!”  I keep this bit of advice in the back of her mind everyday.  I never stop marketing no matter how busy I get.  I’m always talking to people about what I do, handing out cards, looking for events to guest lecture, home shows, press releases, newsletters, etc..

What is the best thing that has happened to the faux profession in the last five years?

Besides having a lot more resources for the actual finisher in products, tools and forums, people are finally beginning to see the real value in adding a custom decorative paint finish in their home and business.  It’s all about educating others in the true meaning of “faux”,  which is basically the art of deception.  When my clients see what we create with our hands, they very quickly understand that this is not “ragging or sponging.”   

Do you have a personal teaching philosophy?  

I teach real wall applications and give my students the knowledge they need to execute high quality finishes.  All of my trade secrets are disclosed on the Do’s & Don’ts when it comes to finishing work!  Oh yes, and to keep it fun and exciting!  That’s what our work is all about at the end of the day.

Professionally, what do you still hope to accomplish?  

I would like for people to say that Faux Assured Studio provides a learning environment where it’s like the “old school” where we are involved, we care about our students and want to see them flourish.  Artistically, I would still like to sell some canvas art work when I get the time.  I literally have hundreds of ideas flowing through my head.  I’ve always wanted be a fine artist in the traditional sense, but knowing what I know now it changes the way I approach a canvas!

Here are some pics of the studio and a recent class taught by instructor Jason Lucas:

Aren’t they yummy?!?  My fave is the metallic with reliefs…gorgeous.  Even after being in this business over a decade, I feel it is important to go to at least 1 - 3 classes per year.  There is always something new to learn, great finishes and recipes to add to your arsenal and advances in product abilities.  I always think of the workshops as investments in my future clients.  I’ll be spotlighting other studios throughout the year but thought to start off with a fantastic one.  Hope you enjoy looking through Faux Assured Studio’s site!

As you can probably tell, I never conceived the Fauxology blog as solely a journal of our company’s work.  Sprinkled in here and there, sure, but not the total focus.  However, I just noticed that I’ve been seriously lacking in putting up some of our own pics lately.  I figured that at some point, I have to have something showing that I actually do this for a living, LOL!  There are two other commissions — woodgrained exterior doors and a fabric ceiling — that I’ll put up a little later on this month in the midst of all the other blog posts.  Hope you enjoy these in the meantime…

Here’s a pretty Master Bathroom with a subtle metallic glaze on the walls and stencilling on the ceilings.  These clients liked light elegant touches.  We used metallic mica powders in the glaze to create just the right hint of metallic. 

The stencils used were Modello’s EasBor310…here’s a nice close-up of the design.

                     


On this project, we did both the crown molding and the walls in a kitchen and laundry room.  A close-up of the wall’s Distressed Marmorino is on the right.  The trim was an aged metallic and we used Modern Masters Statuary Bronze as the base.  The wonderful Marmorino was from Safra.

Here’s a shot of that project’s kitchen.  In this area, our client wanted the crown molding and all doors in the same finish as the cabinets.  What do you think of our matching?

                               


Here, we did both the aged schaibin dome and the elegant glaze on the walls.  I do wish our client had decided to go with a darker color around the dome.  To glaze walls like these, normally we have a separate company set up the scaffolding, which looks like the lower right pic here.  Our client didn’t want to invest the monies for that and asked us if we would use regular stacked scaffolding.  I thought “How bad could it be?”.  Folks — lesson learned.  I am never doing that to my team (and myself) again.  It was exhausting taking apart the 3 and 4-tier scaffolds and setting them back up again as we went along the stairs.  Not to mention that we had to do it quickly due to the glaze time.  But my team went through fire with me and for that I am eternally grateful.  Big kudos to McCloskey’s oil glaze for staying workable for soooooooooo long.

Last but not least, a nice dining room ceiling.  The stencils were custom cut and everything was glazed. 

“Talk” to you soon!

You must forgive me if you find some typos…my right index finger was bitten by something over the weekend and now it’s swelled up, red, painful and itchy.  I’m typing with my other fingers so…this oughta be fun. 

Well, Saturday — the first get-together by the Wallnuts (nee The Fauxtastic Four) – was a blast.  We had projected meeting from 10 am to 3:00 pm but everyone cut out of the studio close to 6pm.   We would have continued our party on to dinner but we had a rather large (and loud) lunch.  (By “we”, I don’t mean just the four of us.  Husbands were there, siblings were there, family was there…what a fun day!)  To put it all together will take a few more days than I expected but I hope it will be worth the wait.  The four of us were really surprised at the end of the day when the men came in to set up our podcast.  We thought we were just going to talk into the laptop or something but nooooooooooooo…there was microphones and stands and mixers and stuff I can’t even pronounce.  As we were doing our chosen recipes during the day, we were gabbing and laughing and having a great time.  I really hope the podcast caught some of that energy.  It’s our first one so I’m sure we’ll get more comfortable with it as time goes on.  Here’s two teaser pics of our day:

 (Left) Prepwork: Books, Materials & Coffee   (Right) My microphone…a bit daunting

Well, we’re off to prep for Tropical Storm/Hurricane Fay.  It doesn’t feel like a bad one but you can never be too overprepared.  I’ll try to post more cool stuff in the meantime, if the weather (and finger) permits.  I hope you are having a beautiful, sunny day! 

Hi, Everyone!  Well, tomorrow (Saturday, 8/16) is The Day!  I’ve talked about The Fauxtastic Four before and gave you a preview of what was coming.  Well, we’ve decided to change our moniker and re-christened ourselves: The Wall-nuts!  (No offense is intended to any ceiling or any other surface.  My name is Regina Garay and I approve this message.) 

We are getting together to check out the recipes in Gary Lord’s book “It’s Faux Easy”.  (Do click on the Fauxtastic Four link above to read a little more in-depth about our plan…it’s been a long day and Momma’s tired.) 

My husband, Chris, and Sharon Adelman’s husband, Chad, have been working diligently this week to put our podcast tech tools together to ensure that the four Wall-nuts can talk all about our first adventure.  Thank you so much, Chris and Chad!  I’ll try to post the entries up as fast as I can.  Not sure the world is ready for us gabbing away (someone is bringing Mimosas, I think) but there it is…

Until then!

A few years ago, we helped a designer avoid a crisis with these doors.  Ever since then, I have begun taking a second glance at this oft-overlooked surface…and sometimes the sheer artistry and creative detailing brought to them might take you by surprise. 

I’ve gathered up a few pics I’ve had in my “Idea Book”.  Take a look…

I almost had a heart attack when I saw this pic.  Let’s see…beautiful dominant color?  Check.  Intriguing curved moldings?  Check.  Some decorative work inside the door’s panels?  Check.  Making what would have been just a pair of pretty doors into something extraordinary?  No more calls, we have a winner!  So, I wandered around my house to see which door would be so graced.  To my utter chagrin, no doorways were going to work well.  Oh, how I shook my fist at the faux gods!  Still waiting for that perfect client to come along…

Here are two different examples of decorative painting surfaces on doors– one is the wood itself and other on the tiles surrounding the door.  The painted wood door on the left is from the 18th-century and comes from Morocco.   

These are along the same idea as the first pic but dialed down a bit and executed with the color white.  Isn’t the bird detail so sweet?  I love them both!  

Sometimes, entrance doors can come in just the one color.  It works nicely with some exterior design schemes but you can always throw in a bit of interest.  Here, I like how a bit of gold was used to highlite the frames and center design.  Really makes you appreciate the scrollwork even more.

Thought I’d throw in this door just because it was so interesting.  The pic on the right is a close-up of the detail of the door.  Unusual, no? 

…and this one I thought I’d throw this one in because it’s welcoming…but it’s got a slight Tim Burton vibe to it.  Looks like a lovely garden, too.

Amazing what a difference a beautiful doorway can make.  Even just approaching one with an artist’s mind can open the door to a world of wonder.  (smile)  Yes, I had to go there, LOL!

Thank you for coming to Part Two of our Faux-cus on the Pros interview with Sisters Hands.  If you haven’t yet read Part One, please click here. 

What is wonderful about Sisters Hands is that they are planning to continue sharing their decorative painting knowledge.  Their website, recently launched, will soon feature great articles, recipes and a Q&A area.  A newsletter will also launch in the Fall. They will also have product reviews, fun stories and a few more surprises in mind for all.  How cool is that?!?  I’ll definitely be visiting often — I’m going to nominate myself as a long-lost cousin, LOL!

Here’s Part Two of our interview with the “sisters”…

Professionally, who are some of your inspirations?

Patty Henning says: Early in my career I was inspired by my first FE Instructor, Julie Robinson, who opened my world to professional finishing products and just a hint of what could be created with them.  Where else do I find inspiration?  Other creative artists.  Being an avid web user, I have a natural tendency to seek resources there. With so many fellow artists on forums such as Murals Plus or Talk Faux, I find it a great source of inspiration to see their work, be it a photo of a room just completed or a new finish in the creation phase.  Often, when I feel a connection with an artist’s style, I will check out their website or blog, bookmark it and revisit it in the future.  It’s a great way to get the creative juices flowing.  Professional businesses that offer new and exciting products, tools or design ideas, such as Royal Design Studio, Modello Designs, and Faux by Kathy motivate me. Lastly, it’s not so much who as a what.   I love looking through printed literature that focuses on home design and style.  My favorite author is Betty Lou Phillips.  Magazines and books are a great source of inspiration for me, and a great tool to help a client envision just what I can offer for their space.

What is the most positive/fulfilling project you have ever done? 

Judy Norman says: My most positive/fulfilling project I have ever done was working with a designer who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Denise and I had originally met at a local bible study and worked together for several years.  Her cancer had progressed and she had been extremely ill right before Thanksgiving two and one half years ago. I went to visit her when she came home from the hospital and I asked her if there was anything I could do for her thinking she would ask for meals, housecleaning, etc.. She said her 11 year old daughter wanted her room painted and would I have time to do that before Christmas.  I said we need to do something more than just paint and together Denise and I came up with a color scheme for her daughter. I pushed other work to later dates as I was convinced that she would not live to see Christmas. I gathered the products and went to work painting neon green walls with large black bagged flowers and hot pink centers. I painted the ceiling fan hot pink and used the three colors to create some unusual patterns on the ceiling. Her daughter chose 3 designs from about 10 different samples I had made for her.  I also found a picture frame in hot pink and neon green so she could have a picture of her mom close by. It was such a bright room I imagined the little girl might having some trouble sleeping at night, but she was thrilled with how it turned out and said she sleeps well. Denise wanted to pay me for the room and I said absolutely not!  This is a gift to you and your daughter and it is my pleasure to do this for you. We visited quite a bit over the next 18 months before Denise lost her battle with breast cancer. I can’t express how much joy she gave me in my life and this was such a small thing that I could do for her. Even though it isn’t a fancy high end finish, it is the most fulfilling project I have ever had.

What’s the best piece of professional advice you have received?

Elaine Castronovo says: I chose to answer this question with somewhat of a twist.  Some of the best advice I have received about my career came from outside of the industry, from individuals and sources that were unexpected but welcome nonetheless.  Sometimes if you take a moment to really listen to what people have to say, it can change your course or keep your head above water. Before attending my first professional class, I ran into a neighbor/friend at a local grocery store.  We stopped to talk briefly.  I don’t know that she will ever know how much her words of wisdom affected me then and how they still ring true.  When I told her how I was second guessing everything, business decisions and dealing with the guilt of leaving my family to further my education she simply said to me: ”Being a Mom and staying home with children, making them your focus, your world becomes very small.  Go away to your class - you will never regret it.” And oh how right she was.  That first class lead to many more and a whole new me, and a much bigger world. 

Another piece of advice came from a meeting that my husband had at work that was meant to pump up the employees for the benefit of the company.  The man speaking to the audience made a simple statement that still makes me stop in my tracks and I remind myself of this all the time. He asked the audience, “What is the definition of insanity?” His reply: ”Doing the same thing over and over…and expecting different results.”  This small statement keeps me in check every time I want to complain about work or the results I am getting.  And another is a quote from Connie Reeves, a cowgirl: “Always saddle your own horse.  Always know what you are doing.  Go in the direction that you are headed.”  To me, these are words to live by.  Although none of these came from professionals within the industry, they have all been the best advice that has encouraged me to keep steady, not be afraid to grow and know that I will always be learning - thoughout my career and in my life.

What is the best thing that has happened to the faux industry in the last five years?

Julie Young says: To me, the best thing that has happened to the faux industry is two-fold. The first being all of the cool, fun textures - whether it is a smooth Venetian Plaster, Marmorino, Versiplast or PlasterTex. No more sponging or ragging a colorwash to mimic texture. Most of our clients do not want to attempt a textured finish so we are in high demand. The textured finishes are so hands-on that they sell themselves… whether they are metallic or matte in color. Embossing with stencils or patterns is another asset in design. Small thin trowels are great tools for application for folks with petite hands.

The second most exciting thing to happen to the faux industry is the networking and camaraderie. You can go to any class and meet friendly willing partners in the industry. You can network thru message boards.  You can go to SALI/IDAL conventions to find like minded souls. The creativeness in our industry brings people together to collaborate and it is an awesome accomplishment.

Where do you see faux finishing heading in the future?

Renee Holder says: There are many professionals in our industry, including our group, that are making it a mission to educate the public and I believe that people are listening.  I believe that the awareness of faux and decorative painting is currently more acute than in any other time in our recent history.  I also believe that the client is more tolerant of prices now that decorative painting has become more popular and the fact that they are more educated in the time that it takes to not only apply these finishes, but all of the work that goes into a project prior to application.  Not only do we now have designers, architects and builders using our skills, we also have other trades who refer us to their clients as well, such as plumbers, electricians, tile, granite and flooring installers.  Look in any major publication and you most likely will see a decorative paint finish displayed somewhere, if not on walls, then on backdrops in advertising.  It’s basically everywhere!

For the past several years I’ve repeatedly heard that faux is on it’s way out and wallpaper is making a big comeback.  Although I keep hearing this, I’ve yet to see it happen. What I have noticed is that the wallpaper manufacturers are now trying to mimic the finishes that we apply to walls everyday.  Don’t get me wrong, I know that wallpaper will always be around, but I don’t believe it is a competitive worry.  The consumer would much rather prefer a certain look without the seams showing and the labor entailed with hanging and removing wallpaper.  They also take into consideration the fact that they can have custom color in their finishes, which is limited in the wallpaper selections. I truly believe that the future for our industry is going to continue to grow and be a strong influence in residential and commercial settings.         (End)

Well, I had a tear in my eye reading Judy’s story — what a tremendous opportunity to do something wonderful for Denise’s daughter! I bet it meant the world to her. Elaine said something really important as well: so many accomplished women never take the time to do something for themselves…when in actuality, it may be just what their own soul needs the most.  Well, it’s been a pleasure for me to transcribe this interview – I hope it’s been an enjoyable read for you!  They reinforce how rewarding it is to reach out to your fellow artisans and create a group filled with trust, respect and friendship.  In fact, the group as a whole reminds me of that famous quote: “Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.”  Please be sure to check out their individual sites as well as their Sisters Hands site…it looks to become a wonderful resource!  Have a great day!