Reader’s color dilemma:
I’m going to turn this into a bistro. Would love some suggestions. The theme is Mediterranean ( mostly Italian). Inside decor will be darker (mostly reds and browns) Any suggestions would be appreciated.– janemuir
Kate suggests:
I think this home will make a cute bistro. While the darker colors you mention could work on the interior I would start with something a bit lighter on the exterior. It will not only make the place look a bit bigger but will give you a canvas to add some details that can carry your theme to the exterior.
I’d start by painting the main part of the house with a color like Valspar 3004-8A Oatlands Gold Bluff or the slightly lighter 3004-6B Oatlands Yellow. Use a creamy white for the trim that has the same undertone.
I would go with a toned gray for the shutters. Something with a bit of color in the gray but not too much. 5001-4C Slate Court could work nicely but before putting it on slap on a coat of reddish brown first and let it dry. You don’t have to do this to carefully because it is an undercoat. Just avoid sloppy paint spills or drips. Once dry give the shutters a nice coat of Slate Court. When completely dry…and I mean completely…hit some of the high points with sandpaper to allow some of the undercoat color to come through and give you an aged look.
You can do the same thing with the door. You could use the same undercoat color as long as it looks different enough from the door color or you could go with a shade of blue or even use the leftover paint from the shutters. Again give the door a nice coat of a color like Valspar 1008-5A Belle Grove Flamestitch Red and then give it an aged look with a bit of sandpaper.
You can try out the look on a piece of scrap wood to make sure you like the way the undercoat looks when it comes through. You should also test out the main exterior, trim, door and shutter color on test boards so that you can confirm that the colors work perfectly before you begin painting.
You don’t mention if you are going to keep the awnings but if you could match them to the main house color, the trim color or do something a bit creative.
Giving the aged finish to the door and shutters will begin connecting your guest with the theme before they even get inside. A bit of landscaping to anchor the house and a few planters that look like they came directly from the Italian countryside and I think your place will say “Italian Bistro– Come on in!”
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20th Aug. '08 ·
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Authored by Kate Smith
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Today’s decorating dilemma:
My walls are a bit textured but I’m REALLY wanting to try this pearl finish. Someone suggested I use a grout trowel or dense sponge to move the glaze around instead of the specified trowel as I don’t think that will pick up the paint in the textured grooves.
Am I just setting myself up for a disaster or could this be worth a try???–Heather
Bethany suggests:
Pearl finish sounds beautiful!! There has been some discussion on previous blogs with sucesses on both smooth and rough wall surfaces. The pearl effect is in essence a swirl or cloud-like effect made possible by the timing, thickness of paint application, and interaction of the tacky paint.
There has been conversation involving different methods of using the floating” trowel that Valspar recommends with the faux finishing kit. So how you swirl the trowel, either in a semi-circular or X pattern determines the effectiveness for the particular texture of your wall. A stroke of confidence (even of a novice!) looks better than going over and over a spot trying to perfect it, especially with a medium that is timing based, like this is.
At any rate, the sheen of the pearl finish is integral to this paint, so if anything, it will add an iridescent quality to your walls, and will accentuate any space beautifully.
I encourage you to go and try it!! Are there any walls in your home of lesser consequence that you could practice on? Try it on a more private wall space, such as a well lit closet, or lesser hallway before you move to a public guest space.
It will be a nice touch that is all your own that has all the promise of a professional look!
See Kate’s original post here…
A few more pictures of Valspar’s Brushed Pearl here…
Read some tips from Valspar…
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10th Jul. '08 ·
Fabric & Wallpaper
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Authored by Jaima Brown
Metallic finishes are the new bling this year, whether its silver patented strappy shoes from Manolo Blahnik, bronzy shiny totes from Yves Saint Laurent or retro inspired mirrored glass dressers, shine has resurfaced with a vengeance back into our closets and home fashion.
Gold conveys the symbolism of wealth, many of the world’s finest sculptures are derived from bronze, and silver outshining them all, emanates a sleek and modern appearance.
Metallic is majestic in all facets of our every day surroundings.
The glitz and glamour of the silver screen era is depicted in our art deco inspired Camden striped wallpaper, the latest development in dimensional wallcovering from Jaima Brown Home. This subtle shimmering wallcovering adds luxury and panache to any room.
BE-DAZZLED!
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One reader shared pictures of the Brushed Pearl on a rough surface and you can see his pictures below.
I think this looks great on the rough wall surface.
I think it looks great and I asked him how he achieved the look and this is what he shared…
“I really don’t know if this is the way the finished job should look like on a non-smooth wall so your instructions were great and that is what we followed except for very rough parts of the wall. We forgot about the half circle movement and just worked the paint in with the trowel in a different manner by using just the very edge of it then the end of it going in a circular motion. I hope you can understand what I mean and sure you can use the pics if you can. Thank you again for your support from your web site.” –SRF
You can see my original post about this product here…
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