Faux painting.  Most people think faux painting is only making walls look like something other than boring plaster.  And yes, painting walls to look fancy or warm or elegant is all part of faux painting.  However, take a second and look down.  Under your feet.  Do you have anywhere in your house has a concrete floor?  How about a boring old concrete basement floor?  Well Faux Painting Fun: Tip #1 is to paint a fun design to look like an area run on that boring gray cement.

First of all, you have to clean the cement.  So get out your broom and a dustpan and make sure there is no loose debris on the surface before you begin.  Next pick out a fun base color, like a lime green if it’s a kid’s playroom.  Begin by putting two solid coats down of this color of choice.  Next find the center of the room and begin taping out a fun design for your area rug.  It could be contemporary, elegant, or even a retro style!  Next pick your rug color, such as white on top of the lime green and fill in your design.  Wait for the paint to dry, pull up the tape, and voila! You have yourself a new, fun, updated room at the fraction of the cost of carpet or hardwood floors.

If this all seems a little too overwhelming, call me, The Faux Pro, and I can have this done for you in a jiffy! This cool new play room with a fun floor will be the talk of kidtown. Visit my site to see more faux painting ideas and a sampling of my work.  Any look you want, we can create it for a fraction of the price.  Stay tuned to the blog for more Faux Painting Fun Tips!

Faux is in! Redecorating and renovating are huge right now but big budgets are out, leaving homeowners to look for a way to get big results with a little amount of money.  Faux painting is the perfect solution to the problem.  Here are some of the faux finish trends for this year.

• Suede- this look warms up a room and is an amazing effect for walls. Since olive green is in this year, an olive green suede wall could look amazing.
• Faux Fabric- the linen faux finish gives any room that subtle, warm look. A difficult finish to master but professionals can give you a room with this interesting finish to make any room special.
• Distressing- creating an aged look has been popular for quite some times and will always be around, especially with kitchen cabinets.
• Candlelight- this style uses a specialty topcoat and mimics the glow of candlelight on walls.  It is a beautiful, elegant choice that is hot this year.

If you are interested in redecorating your space to get big results while not emptying your wallet, contact The Faux Pro and we can discuss finishes including Venetian plaster, glazing, marbling, wood graining, textures, Italian plasters, gilding, custom stencils, masking patterns, trompe l’oeil and many other forms of decorative and faux painting.

There is lots of excitement about the trends in color that we’re seeing this year.  I talk to a lot of people in the industry and see a lot of information coming out and the overwhelming trend is that people want “simple.”  We’re in a time where our minds and days are cluttered with bad news, economic hard times and way too many activities on everyone’s to-do list and so we crave a simpler lifestyle.

That reflects in color choices as well.  We see trends toward metropolitan, sleek, urban and contemporary finishes.  It’s about sleek and simple.  Reality refined.  And that’s showing up everywhere – from kitchen cabinets to fireplace finishes to ceiling finishes.

In addition to color trends, we’re seeing use of pattern on a focal wall or a focal art piece.  Using pattern is hot, hot, hot and we’re seeing the use of a focal wall for an all-over pattern in contrasting or coordinating colors.  The use of pattern in all-over wall situations – where all four walls are painted – is more muted with a tone-on-tone effect creating a subtle, yet interesting look.

The science of color is an interesting one, with Pantone being the foremost expert in the predicting and tracking of color trends.  They base their reporting on what’s going on in the economy, in politics, technology and how lifestyle issues are impacting us.  In addition, the “green” movement is having a major impact as well as the effects of our Pop Culture.

According to these experts, consumers will be moving to pinks with a blueish tinge, earthier greens and the bright yellows, turquoises, magentas and the brightest whites.

The Pittsburgh Paint folks tell us that we will be seeing much more of the “Rich and Restful” colors featuring cranberry reds, pumpkin orange, warm browns and deep-toned blues.  Plums and Violets continue their royal look even as we see a trend toward a crispness in colors in primary colors and some peach, mauve and periwinkles.

In general, if you are looking to catch a rising trend, you might want to take a look at the new color palettes with me.  We can see what could work for you with your current decor and start to introduce a new color or pattern.

Check out my website to see some of these trends in action.

Bernadette Forese
106 Sean Drive
Kennett Square, PA 19348
www.thefauxpro.net
Bernie@thefauxpro.net
(610) 368-3899

The Faux Pro has been providing professional faux finishing and decorative painting services to residential and commercial clients since 2002 and will soon be featured in the D.C. Green Living Show Home by HGTV. (More to come on this exciting project!) 

Finishes offered include:  Venetian plaster, glazing, marbling, wood graining, textures, Italian plasters, gilding, custom stencils, masking patterns, trompe l’oeil and many other forms of decorative and faux painting. 

All work is custom and uniquely tailored for each specific project.   Owner/artist Bernadette (Bernie) Forese is also one of the founders of  The Decorative Painting Apprenticeship Program (dpap.org), a nationally renowned program that provides hands-on experience for decorative painting artisans while creating enduring art in public spaces.

The Faux Pro, LLC.
Bernadette Forese
106 Sean Drive
Kennett Square, PA 19348
www.thefauxpro.net
Bernie@thefauxpro.net
(610) 368-3899