Design Tips

Today we're going to discuss an easy method of faux finishing. It's called a color wash. Instead of using glaze, which is nice but can be a health hazard as well as expensive, we're going to use water.

First, select something as your focal point for color reference. In this case I'm using an area rug in my guest bathroom. It's a rust brown with shades of gold, tan, and accents of black with a leaf pattern.

Next, I choose a base color of tan. I'm going to use flat paint for the base color and a satin finish for the colors I apply over the base color. By mixing water in a 50-50 ratio with the satin paints I can achieve that lustre that comes when you use glaze. I apply the base color with a roller and brush and let it dry for 48 hours.

Then I apply the other colors with cotton tee shirt material that I dip into the paint/water mixture and rub over the base color. You can use any motion you like to apply the satin paint. In my guest bath I used a swirl motion as I wanted to achieve a "cloud-like" effect. The result was beautiful and I wound up repeating the process in the guest bedroom on an accent wall behind the bed's headboard. That way the 2 rooms were unified in both color and theme.

By using water instead of glaze we have saved both money and time and achieved results that rival the use of glaze! Plus there is no health hazard using water, whereas you must be careful using glaze as it carries a health warning with the use of the product.

So next time you have a hard time deciding what to do with your wall space, try this easy and inexpensive way to solve your decorating dilemma!

Design Tips

Traveling and shopping seem to go hand in hand don't they? I know when I go on vacation I automatically think of it as an opportunity to refresh my decor at home. By that I mean souvenir shopping.

The important thing to remember when souvenir shopping for something to take back home for the house is "where will I put it?" You should remember a couple things when picking out that "must have" item to show in your home. One is the theme of the room you're considering putting the item in, and the other is the colors used in the room. Will that new "object d'art" work with what you already have in the room? Or will you have to redo the entire room around the new found souvenir?

Over the years I've been told I've saved my client's alot of money by teaching them to remember these two considerations. So, before you spend money for something that won't really work in your decor, remember these two points: 1) will it work with the theme of the room? and 2) are the colors right? Color can be a unifying element if used properly. But a 6 foot statue of a giraffe won't really work in a brown and gold room if the room is done in a Victorian theme. Until next time, Happy Decorating!

Next time: Easy "faux" finishes

Design Tips

Probably for me the most important design tip of all is this: LESS IS MORE. By this I mean that it is more important to have a few good pieces of furniture (patio furniture included), and/or accessories, than alot of pieces of substandard quality. As they say "you get what you pay for".

I like to shop around to see what's available when I first get an idea for a space so I'll have some idea of where I want to go with it. I go to stores as well as looking through catalogs and checking out the internet. There are many different elements of design to consider so I like to have as much of as selection as possible. But I realize that it is equally important not to go overboard in accessorizing. Too many accessories can make your space look cluttered.

Next time: Souvenir shopping for those accessories that you just "have to have"!

New Artwork

Hey everyone, I've added a couple new pieces of artwork to my patio site, www.patiopizzaz.com. Check them out and be sure to check back every week as I'll be adding more each week as I continue to add more and more to my site. And remember, each purchase helps others who are in need as we donate a portion of all proceeds to charity. For a partial list of those we help go to our "links" page on our site. Thanks again for your support!