fauxplusdesign

Countdown to Leesburg, or, It's My Turn to Play with Annie!

Most of you who read this post need no explanation about the title.

Those of you who have been living under a rock need to know about Annie Sloan and her Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. The best paint in the world. Girls paint, but boys can use it too! Often imitated but never duplicated.

I am looking around my studio for a painted piece to offer for the vignette displays in Leesburg on Annie's American tour, March 31st.

Oh my. What is Annie worthy? Not too big (to fit in the van.) Not too small (and potentially overlooked.) Just right.

I am pushing the deadline here, dwelling on the just-rightness of what is Annie-worthy, as she will be viewing our pieces showcased only in Leesburg!

I just figured it out. Maybe having my eyes dilated by the eye doctor this morning did it. The world was so bright for a few hours that it was painful to look. Just look. So I just thought.

Annie will touch and feel. Enjoy the coloration. The technique. How the piece spoke to the Chalk Paint and the end result.

But what I do know about Annie from near and afar is that she will look through the piece, into the heart and soul of the painter. And know that the process and execution, the thought and love that went into the piece was more than the sum of furniture, chalk paint and wax.

Amen.

The seats in Leesburg are almost gone!

This opportunity may not come again soon,

so register today at the link above!

A Painter Paints for Herself, or, Black Friday in the Studio!

Everyone but everyone was out shopping.

But me.

I was alone in the 600,000 square foot, 100-year-old Mill where I paint day in and day out for my amazing clients.

I'll admit that sometimes I get jealous of those clients.

 

They get the best of me and my work and I just wanted to finish a little project for our living room.

 

A really tiny table that has needed some ooomph for years.

 

Did it!

Well, I did it will a little help from Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

 

If you are passionate about doing paint projects yourself, visit my website at ilovefaux.com where you can learn about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and the amazing and addictive workshops I offer!

 

All you need is a little inspiration - a color, a picture, or even a single pillow!

 

Let's paint!

   For more info be sure to visit AnnieSloan.com and AnnieSloanUnfolded.com

 

 

Studio redesign redux, or, here I go again!

There is one thing my dearest friends know about me. I love change.

Design change is uplifting, exciting, motivating and transforming.

Three years ago as I planned my new studio design, I was on the way to Marrakech, so, it became distinctively Moroccan, featuring treasures from my faux adventure there. Citrus-colored rugs and warm layers of color.

Check out the old design here.

Now? Well, see for yourself! I believe I have morphed.

 





 


 



Now it's sort of crusty industrial.

I like it here so much, I want to work 24/7...

 

Foilin' A Focus Wall, or, Art-Loving Clients Get Happy for Their New Year's Party!

Scott is an artist. His canvas is hair. His tools are scissors and color and more.

Scott's wife Kelly is also an artist. She speaks several languages. And paints with words.

Scott's gorgeous salon, The Industry, is near my studio in Revolution Mill Studios. He saw my recent foil madness at Bellissimo Advanced Skin Care, also here in the Mill, and he wanted FOIL in his home on a focus wall in a room lacking, shall we say, focus.

Their home is very contemporary. And full of stunning abstract artwork. Large. Full of color, shape and texture.

So, without further ado, here is what the three of us concocted for their New Year's Eve party:

We created a much more artsy party room wouldn't you say? Wish you could really see the holographic gold that moves with you.

By the way, Scott stopped by...looks like I'll be doing a lot more foilin' around!

 

DESIGN SOURCE:

Foil - Prismatic Painting, Cincinnati. Tell them I sent you!

 

Copper junk chic, or, learn how to create awesome art and furniture at the Chic Chateau Lunch & Learn!

Well, I'm about to tell all of my secrets! OK, some of my art-related secrets...

Join me Wednesday, September 29 at the Chic Chateau Designer Showhouse "Lunch and Learn" and witness how I turned a pile of found objects from around the studio from this:

Into this!

This is one of several pieces of art I will be introducing this fall at the High Point Furniture Market at the P. Chrisley International showroom at Hamilton Square.

You'll also see what I did with a small table using only leftover faux materials!

Join us for a delicious lunch and find out a little about the magic of the Chic Chateau!

11-11:30 am -  New Garden Nursery, "Container Gardening"

11:30 to Noon - Faux Design Studio, "Transforming Your Consignment Store Finds"

12:30 to 1:30 - "Separating Your Trash from Your Treasures" with David Kane

My desk transformation, or, a black and cream patterned beauty.

This week I worked on countertops and a tabletop (photos to come) and this adorable desk redesign for a neighbor across the hall from my studio. He and his wife like traditional but with a little twist.

I love how it turned out. Bought the little allover stencil many years ago and finally had just the right project to use it.

Reminds me of a tuxedo somehow. Classy - just like the clients!

BEFORE

 

AFTER

FINISHING MATERIALS - Faux Effects

ALLOVER STENCIL - Royal Design Studio

More Chic Chateau transformations, or, I'm going dotty!

I'm still getting revved up to transform more furniture for the upcoming Chic Chateau Designer Showhouse in September!

New pieces are arriving at the studio this week awaiting their turn...

Here is another fun project from last year's Showhouse.

BEFORE with Designer Lisa of SSI Design Group

AFTER in Lisa's Game Room

This desk needed some TLC prior to painting but look how amazing it turned out!

Very cute and very SOLD!

Follow the 2010 Chic Chateau Designer Showhouse on Facebook!

Reuse, recycle, reinvent, or, it's Chic Chateau time again!

A year ago I received a huge delivery. Furniture from all over - Habitat, Barnabas and numerous participating local consignment shops.

My mission?

Work with the fabulous designers of SSI Design Group to transform about 11 pieces for the first-ever Chic Chateau house, the brainchild of my longtime dear friend and flea-market shopper-partner Michele van Gobes.

Here at the studio over a very frantic two weeks, my daughter Mia and I lovingly cleaned, sanded, primed, basecoated, decorated, and clearcoated each item. Then they were trucked to the show house transformed and ready for sale, with proceeds going to four home-related local charities. (Not to mentioned I actually worked my real faux job simultaneously...)

The event was a giant success and we are well under way, finalizing home number two, debuting at the end of September!

Here is an example of our work! (Stay tuned for more photos and event details.)

BEFORE with designer Gina

 

AFTER in Gina's Chic bedroom setting!

 

Check out the Swarovski crystal accents...

SOLD! (Imagine a little happy dance performed by the charities.)

CHIC CHATEAU - Greensboro, North Carolina

DATES - September 24, 25, 26 & October 1, 2, 3

House Beautiful says small is the new big, or, redoing the tiniest powder room!

Quite a while back I mentioned that I was working on the smallest powder room imaginable. Ours.

How small is it?

So small only one of our four kitties can come along while I tinkle.

So small we have to use it before we eat.

So small it has a pocket door... you get the picture...

So, here goes.

THE BEFORE

1970s crummy cabinets. A refinished laminate countertop that our (former) housekeeper cleaned with Tilex. A very brassy faucet. Glazed tissue wall finish.

THE AFTER

  

New wall finish - right over the old glazed tissue. New copper and bronze foil ceiling. Still tweaking it, but I'm making progress.

Refinished countertop - right over the old finish. Smooth as a baby's tushie!

 

The old cabinet box with newly-made doors and fresh paint. A cabinet guy owed me a favor.

New "Herkimer Diamond" pulls. Design source - Faux Design Studio, Inc. Me!

Contact me if you need some!

Newly-framed old lace made by an elderly nun in Paris who was a friend of my aunt. Also a nun. Yes, I agree, the frame needs to be square. Another day...

Newly-framed prints I found in a street bazaar in Italy - architect's drawings for a lovely gentleman's study in Paris during the early twentieth century. Hit the jackpot in the frame clearance section at Michael's.

Still love my custom rusty, crusty mirror and sconces. 

It's almost dinnertime, so excuse me as I run to the powder room while I can still fit...

More fauxing around at home, or, eek! it's so much tougher being the client!

After twelve years in the full-time faux biz, I have seen and done more fabulous finishes in even more fabulous homes - here, there, and across the Atlantic. I can obviously have any amazing finish in my own home. In fact I often joke with myself that I probably couldn't afford me if I were the client!

Recently both of our daughters moved out on their own (sigh... yippee...) and it goes without saying that their shared bathroom needed - HELP!

We live in a custom 70's bungalow that we have much improved over the years, keeping the flavor of the home intact, but with a certain flair. No giant rooms with soaring ceilings. No bathrooms with ocean-sized soaking tubs and acres of magnificent tile here. Our style just doesn't require all of that.

Much to my continuing amazement, my personal design taste is changing. More neutrals. Fewer in-your-face colors.

Olde world eclectic is morphing to "a little olde world plus simpler finishes plus cleaner eclectic." A mouthful wouldn't you say?

So without further ado - the revitalized former daughters' bathroom, now husband's personal, no girl-stuff guy space...

 

A little low-key finish on the walls in - egad! - a neutral. A refreshed countertop in - ohmygosh! - another neutral! Refinished original cabinets - very crusty. Plus a simple stencil,  a smattering of old and new accessories, an accent color here, a can of etching spray there, new custom paladium drawer pulls from friend Nancy Brooks of Sleepin' Dog Enterprises...

Do I hear you asking for Before pictures?

Oh no, no, much too scary...