Our
most recent project was very creative and very fun. Our client lives in
Blackhawk, an exclusive community near Danville, California. She is a very
accomplished artist and graphic designer from Portugal, with a strong affinity
for primary colors. As we discuss later, her choices are cutting edge.
Finish of the Month - Soffice
Our task was to reincarnate the dining room, which was drab, dated and out of step with the rest of the house. As usual for our custom jobs, we spent a lot of time on the initial consultation. She showed us pictures of various rooms and spaces she had collected. We showed her samples of our work. We looked over the furniture, and many of the paintings that she had done to get an idea of what she liked, and what she was trying to achieve. The common thread was strong, very deep colors. Our client loved blue, so we knew we needed to create a plaster finish in a vivid blue. Our first challenge had to do with the light --even though one wall was mainly window, the lighting was still a bit limited. Also, wide stained molding and trim throughout the room that was going to stay gave us more dark surfaces to work with, and presented a challenge in terms of the type of plaster finish that would fit yet not be jarring to the eye. Through numerous samplings we came up with a very deep blue tint that we incorporated into a particular plaster that gives a soft, almost undulating look to the walls. In order to help with the lighting situation and enhance this look we decided to use an iridescent plaster for the ceiling in a snowflake white color. This finish picked up the light and threw it around the room, while also complementing the blue walls. The makeover was quite dramatic; creating a beautiful, colorful and inviting space that gives the feel of being in a different country. See our before and after below:
Before . . . . After
If you would like a sample of the finish of the month, call or email and ask us for "Soffice".
New Trend -- Colors of Cuba
In decorative finishes, it is essential that an artisan constantly work on enhancing his/her skills and getting new ideas. To that end, I have studied with many of the best decorative artisans across the country. My latest training was with Master Artisan Barth White, the man responsible for many of the faux finishes you see when visiting Las Vegas (Caesar’s Palace, the Venetian, Bellagio and the new Wynn resort to name just a few). I came back with many new finishes and a lot of ideas. (If you would like to see the new finishes, just give me a call, I would be glad to stop by.) Also, Barth introduced me to a fresh trend; the colors of Cuba (For inspiration, check out this website with travel photos of Cuba http://www.lumika.org/cuba.htm ). Or look through some design books of homes from Cuba –they are alive with Colors: Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Blues, and Mangoes. Decorative plaster finishes are one of the best ways to bring vivid colors like this to walls. Flat paint makes vivid colors like this look just that – flat. Look for this to be a coming look.
Molto Bene Bucks
We deeply appreciate the referrals we get from designers and architects, and wanted to find a way to thank and acknowledge you above and beyond whatever working arrangements we had in place. To accomplish that, we are pleased to announce Molto Bene Bucks. For every job referred to us, we will give the designer or architect a credit in Molto Bene Bucks equivalent to 5% of the cost of the job referred, which can be used toward a plaster finish in their own home or office. This is in addition to any other arrangements you typically have with craftsmen. If you have referred work to us before, give us a call or email and find out how what your Molto Bene Bucks balance is!
Survey Question
What percentage of your clients prefer a do-it-yourself approach?
There are a lot of reasons to give me a call
right now -- take a look at some of my new finishes, determine what your Molto
Bene Bucks balance is, find out about an up and coming project of mine that may
be of significant interest to you or a client. Give me a call today at 408
448 1683, email me at molto@earthlink.net,
or use this form to set an appointment with me.