Faux Finishes Faux Real

There was a time when I was young enough, nimble enough, and dumb enough, to climb out on a scaffolding, consisting of boards on ladders, over a two-story stairwell, and glaze 1,000 square feet of walls - with ten-foot ceilings. I couldn't reach a particular spot, so I resorted to taking my "booties" off, and utilizing whatever method was needed to do the job. My client caught me in the act with her camera......those days are gone. I think it was all those years of lifting, ladders, glazing, pouncing, and feathering, that led to a bad back, shoulder problems, and ruined wrists...but, I am/was a hands-on designer, and actually enjoyed the process..

This client wanted stripes, but no wallcovering, so I did them with paint...the trick was to make sure that, in the end, I didn't end up with two, very narrow stripes...a bit of math, which is always challenging for me...alot of taping, and about a thousand trips up-and-down a ladder, and this colonial-style dining room turned out just fine.

I love to and still do gold and silver leafing.....these are wooden candlesticks, which I found at the Goodwill (no kidding) for seven dollars for the pair. (I love the Goodwill, thrift shops, etc.). I also silver-leafed the photos of my son...the large one when he was very young, and the smaller was taken during boot camp (he resembles a serial killer in the boot camp one, but is truly a pussycat). It's a time consuming process, and never try to do it when the heating or air conditioning turns on, or you will have a "snowstorm" of tiny flakes of gold or silver wafting around (pretty, but messy). These are in my living room - there's a third one on my mantle.

This giant fireplace mantle, along with the columns and hearth, were all plaster...very,very white plaster...The client wanted a brown marble (and I always strive to give my clients what they want, within reason)...I will tell them if I think they will regret a design decision...but, I am not the "Design Nazi", forcing clients into making decisions that they later hate..

I am a photostylist, and these are two sets, which are glazed with an orange-toned base coat, and then, glazed with burnt umber glazing. It's all an illusion, as there are only two walls, a laid in floor, and we used computer tricks to fill in the windows.

I love photostyling, as it becomes a big scavenger hunt for all the right props, linens, furniture, accessories, etc....lots of work, and then, tearing it all out...oh well..

We just "flipped" the set.........................................I still have many of the props - never know when they will be needed..which leads to a very crowded garage.

This is the home where I was on the scaffolding.....I do know how to do glazing in other colors, just that this is my favorite, and I don't want to show so many that you begin to glaze over...

I designed the fireplace, but it is real stone and stucco...no faux there....

These columns were just drywall and plaster columns...I didn't want to do faux marble on the entire column or base...just touches...

I did this niche just about a month ago....a builder hired me to design a rehab...took a small house down to the studs, and started over...He's on a strict budget (this is a "flip" house), so we used alot of left overs...as in the tumbled marble tiles on the face of the fireplace. I just copied the pattern in the stone in the niche...

There are several tray ceilings in my Texas house; one in the dining room, a double tray in the bedroom, and one in the kitchen...all calling out for a treatment...maybe soon. I started the foyer, and it is still not finished...I have to get another cortizone shot in the wrist before I can finish it...Getting old is not for sissies...