Sette Design: faux finishes

Showing posts with label faux finishes. Show all posts

Painted Bohemian Side Table

I must admit that I never liked this little piece of 1950’s furniture that I found on the street. But we needed it and the girls liked it.

Recently it had been a bit discarded and I thought I’d give it a new look. I think now I almost love it! I work so much here in Italy painting stores and homes for clients often in the tones of white, cream, taupe, gray, which I understand is calming to the eye. Yet, it is making me crave some color and motif.

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Painting My Floor Kiwi Green

Sette Design

I want to ask you to take a deep breath before you continue on, now try not to judge me on the hideousness, the profoundly abusive, ugliness of the before shot my linoleum floors. If it hurts you to look at for a moment on the Internet, think what it has done to me and my family, all these years. O.k I’m being silly…kind of.

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Architectural Elements - Corbels

I love the idea of architectural elements lying around in interiors and in the garden. Rome is full of them with ancient Rome present in daily life. You might be walking down the street and come across a dirt space and a huge Roman head or column just there – gorgeous and shocking.

architectural elements in interiors

I once drove over the boarder to Mexico from California with girlfriends to go shopping and what did I come back with but a huge concrete ball. I kept it for years lying around my various apartments. I wish I still had it now here in Italy. If you put a piece architecture in your space it makes the space look interesting instantly. Corbels, columns, architraves, pieces of stairs, a newel or chunk of a banister, capitals, arches, leave them on a beautiful floor or lean them up against a wall, put a bowl of floating flowers and candles and there you have a scene of tranquility and antiquity.

the writing desk is from the 1700's Italian (certo!)

If these Corbels were for me I would have painted them a great color like sapphire blue or ruby red. In San Francisco I had a pair that were attached as a true architectural support under a square archway and I painted them a chalky rich pink. Man did they look great! In this situation I must do what the client wants alas.

There were previously messed up in an electrical fire blacken with smoke, but no real damage done. They are made out of terra cotta.

Corbels before shot

I painted them taupe in acrylic and then dry brushed over them in oil color (raw umber).

The project took a few days for drying time, but the actually working time was minimal. It was fun because it was such a quick transformation.

Corbels as book supports

I am wishing a Happy Sunday to all my lovely readers around the world.

Kind regards,

Natalie

I'm linking with these fun parties:

Between Naps on the Porch

Cozy Little House

French Country Cottage

Savvy Southern Style
Ivy and Elephants

Shabby Chic Italian Library

Now that it is the new year doesn’t it make you want to clear everything out and start fresh? Here is a job I did recently that is a good example of new beginnings.

Sometimes it is hard to paint over the dark wood especially in a library setting.

Here is the before shot.

First I painted the ceiling an antique rose. I believe that painting the ceiling a color is way hip, especially here in Italy where the ceilings are often so high that it makes the space seem empty and cold. Color above right away makes the space glow with warmth.

Then I painted the walls a creamy white that had a tiny hint of pink in it. You can’t really see the pink on the wall, but I could see it in the paint bucket and once the walls dried it gave the effect that the ceiling was reflecting pink onto the walls. Which it was, but I helped it along.

This room really shows the changing light of the day. Under gray skies it has a splendid effect of tones of white and off white. Then with the sun out a blush comes over the space.

the doors are almost an oyster off white
(not green tinted) it's the light

here I left the wood of the desk natural

I did the Shabby Chic effect on the bookshelves, this way the shelves looked more aged in this antique room.

the glass is definitely half full

I painted the bookshelves the same color as the walls only in acrylic paint with a satin finish. I didn’t prime them since I wanted the wood to come through easily. Here there is 4 coats of off-white, one to two coats of polyurethane.

Then I sanded just the edges of the bookshelves, painted on some brown wax, waited a half an hour and rubbed it off with a piece of wool (an old sweater). I left the wood of the desks as it was, touching it up some with Mordente (wood stain) and the white shelves ethereally rise above.

painting on the brown wax for Shabby Chic effect

I love this apricot color tile floor

Shabby Chic bookshelf

Shabby Chic distressing detail

This client was going relocate the hat collection and put the books back in, plus some colorful art on the walls.

Isn’t this Italian Library just reeking of a fresh start with hope permeating the air? I love the view of the secret garden ensconced inside our crazy city.

With affection,

Natalie

I'm linking with:
Miss Mustard Seed

Between Naps on the Porch

French Country Cottage

Creativity Living Blog

First Anniversary

Happy 1^st Anniversary Sette Design Blog

I started this Diario di Design a year ago today and I remember that it had snowed on the mountains around the city that we live in here in Umbria and I thought I’m going to write about the color white, just delve in Nat, you can do it. I took the plunge and now here we are a year later. I am so thrilled you are here too.

one candle in sette design studio

I want to Thank You for hanging around and taking part in the fun and inspiration that I hope is Sette Design.

oh the possibilities

It was so pretty, I had to put in my macho work boot.

I love it that we have a little-BIG creative community around the world and around the corner. Everyone is full of positivity and joy and encouragement, it is quite astounding.

love wins

in my studio

I made a wish for Sette Design.

happy birthday sette design blog
homemade cinnamon, sugar oat bread Yumm

A few dreams-goals:

I want to complete the E-course I am creating on painting techniques and creativity. It is going to be so gorgeous with little films, and photos and stories and ideas.

I want to organize a Furniture Painting and Art Class here in Umbria, Italy that you can come to. Imagine learning Venetian Stucco and Frescos painted as motif on furniture or panels, taught easily as process and technique so that anyone can do it. Then going to find a cafe to sit in and have a cappuccino.

AND

I want to encourage you all to go after your dreams, to stop and pause and figure out what those dreams are. Right now start some project that you want to do and if you just can’t possibly start it now. Then pull out a notepad and write down what it is you have in mind to do. Then you will have already begun it by writing it down. It’s in the works! It is that simple.

HAPPY One Year!

Let’s go for 2. It is going to be an adventure.

Cheers,

Natalie

Painted Pear Box

Happy November first, can you believe it!

Here we go with the pears again. This time I am going to try to let the photos speak for themselves.

You can see where I took my creative influence.

A silver bowl and some luscious pears.

natural pear stippling - heaven

simple life- still life,
a book, sage and pears in a silver bowl

Then I thought I would try to copy the finish of the pears on this box, simple as that.

Acrylic paint, some silver leaf and some stippling in dark brown with a tiny brush.

I like the irregularly applied silver leaf
on the box closure hardware

It somehow humored my heart to paint this project. Later I gave it as a birthday present for a 9 year old friend, filled it with candies and gave the pear too, wrapped separately. It is funny to give someone a pear as a birthday present, they never expect it! It is good to throw them off, especially those tricky friends. I am sure you have some tricky friends. Did a whole hoard of them cross your mind just now with yourself leading the pack?

painted pear box

It is fun to look around and find your inspiration anywhere. I would love to do the bathroom walls or a laundry room, some small space stippled like a pear.

With affection,
Natalie

I'm linking with:

French Country Cottage
Romantic Home
Between Naps on the Porch

A White Kitchen

Here now is the White Kitchen that I spoke of earlier in the week. I will try to let the photos speak for themselves.

The kitchen is in a house build in the 1600’s and that makes it splendid. Fireplaces, a small hand painted church (praying room), wooden “trave” ceilings, views to die for, terracotta floors, all set in among olive groves.

I hope this post will make everyone “rethink” how easy it is to change your kitchen. That said, it was a lot of work and a lot of paint, yet the effect if grand.

Ready for the before shots it's a shocker. Do you like it better? I do, it makes the dark narrow space so refreshing to me.

before photo

I sanded it, two coats of base coat, three coats of off white with a grey tint, a faux effect with oil paint on the corners and then finally two coats of polyurethane.

I painted over the glass motif with metal paint in flat white. It made the etched glass design look cool and the amber colored glass punched up to look much prettier than before. The roses on the glass before were a pretty bad, bright red with green leaves.

metal paint on glass

I also painted all the metal handles with metal paint, about three coats.

It is a roll up your sleeves kind of job. But I did it all on saw horses in my studio, even resting the doors on little supports of blocks of wood or even with screws poking out of the wood to let air pass under once I have flipped the door to paint the other side.

This house has an amazing room right off the kitchen with a wood stove and lots of windows, here you can see the gorgeous antique ceilings that are the same in the kitchen. This client has a good eye, very feminine and cozy with attention to detail.