Happy New Year!

I didn't want to wait any longer before wishing you a Happy New Year! Best wishes for 2008!

It's been crazy busy for the last month. We've done a powder room, a large kitchen/great room, and currently finishing up a small wine cellar, and getting ready to work on a new chiropractic clinic. All that and the holidays made for a very busy calendar. There was some time set aside for holiday cheer, decorating and busting out the sewing machine to craft a few gift items.


The images on these pillows were found in vintage children's books. Reading 'Twas The Night Before Christmas was a Christmas Eve family tradition which my sister has passed on. I hope my sister enjoys her new pillows. I had such fun printing these out on fabric then assembling them. The sachets are filled with cinnamon and cloves. They are ornament size to help fill a tree, or hang on a door knob for holiday greetings, or can be placed in a drawer for seasonal scent. A perfect handmade gift!


There will be more decorative painting project photos soon -- stay tuned. Thank you for all your suport in 2007!

Fabulous Nursery Or Teenage Room

Are you ready for a lovely transformation? A gorgeous nursery for a baby girl due early January.


The only evidence I have that this is actually a before photo is the bedding. Almost everything else in this nursery is brand new. Babies don't sleep in beds you say? Well, the room also remains a guest room for now. Since the baby hasn't arrived yet, the crib hasn't made it into the room. But the new gorgeous furniture has!

The idea for this treatment came from the Faux International Magazine. When I saw the finish I immediately made a sample for my portfolio in hopes that a client would fall in love with it -- it has been in my portfolio since early Spring 2007.

I knew someday I would walk into a room that screamed for this treatment. Even the base paint in this room was a perfect fit. It was meant to be!

I'm not a fan of builders mudding the walls so thick they create a brocade substrate, but our final treatment in this room actually enhances the plaster technique and creates more ambiance with sparkle.

Don't you just love the two pink chandeliers? Fabulous!

Glamorous Bathroom Walls

In this business we do a lot of dramatic powder room and bathroom finishes. I think its because its a space that allows clients to be over-the-top dramatic - like you would see in a restaurant. Bathrooms are a good jumping off point when adding ambiance and drama to any home. Perhaps I'm showing my idealistic side and its really because most budgets fit this size space, but I'm going to continue to think its because I have clients that want the beauty of a fine finish to be seen by all.

This client's home which has been published several times is full of the most gorgeous interior designs. Word started spreading about this very talented homeowner who as a result of all the successful press and his innate talent for design has recently started his own design business.

The moment I walked into this Portland Foursquare and saw the living room I fell in love. The entire house is spectacular! I didn't want to leave. After listening to the clients telling the tale of this historical home and how they came to live in it, and discussing potential projects I asked for a tour. A tour helps me determine how I can create the best finish that suits the clients. We had been discussing a possible project in their guest bathroom. They had explained that they designed the guest bedroom to feel like a San Francisco boutique hotel suite, and the attached bath was now feeling a little flat. When I reached the second floor landing and saw the guest bedroom I almost screeched. My favorite color of green mixed with black and white and loads of glamor and glitz to make any girl swoon.


Once I saw the bedroom I knew immediately what I wanted to do in the bathroom. When I delivered the sample board a couple of weeks later that clients were so excited. I wanted the bathroom to accent that bedroom and have an updated, yet historical feeling. Most historical Foursquare Craftsman homes were either wallpapered or stenciled. So I created a custom plaster finish tinted to match the sheers on the window. Then I created a custom stencil pulled from the design in the bedding and randomly placed that over the vertical stripes.


This past May the clients were gracious enough to invite me to participate as a volunteer in The 2007 Irvington Home Tour so I could promote my business and talk about the finish. I planted myself in the corner of the bathroom which has two doors so I was able to talk to people about the walls as they flowed from the hallway into the bathroom and then into the fabulous guest room. Most of the people that came through thought the walls were wallpapered. It gave me a chance to explain my process which is a specialty plaster that has an iridescent quality.

Here's a before photo of the bathroom. Don't mind that fantastic Cymbidium getting watered in the tub.

So, if you don't have a huge budget for decorative finishes - start with a powder room or bathroom and go from there. You'll often have fantastic results!