Faux painted Tile

In the category of unique solutions – this recent project had me faux-painting board to look just like the surrounding tile.

The contractor who called me in had a tough challenge.  To make the required updates and repairs meant ripping out the existing tile – but when he ordered the replacement tile it did not match!  The client liked the existing tile and did not want to switch out the tile in the rest of the bathroom – so the contractor had to figure out how to make his repaired area blend in – which is when he called me!

I was able to paint and seal the board he installed to look exactly like the surrounding/existing tile – and the client was thrilled! 

I only took one “before” photo before I painted the first coat.  The other “before” photos show my first coat of paint (the color of the grout) and my tape for the grout lines before I painted the tile colors.

 Enjoy!

Jason

Before #1 (raw surface and the beginning of the base-painting

After #1

Before #2 (showing beginnings of establishing the grout lines)

After #2

Before #3 (showing the other end of the tub surround)

After #3

After #3a

Train Table Mural

I was honored to be a part of this custom train table mural project for the Burlington Library.  The table was funded by the Jackson Walsh Memorial Fund, and is dedicated to Jackson Walsh, a one-and-a-half-year-old boy who unexpectedly passed away.

Working with the Jackson family and Library Director Michael Wick, our goal in the mural design was to acknowledge and honor Jackson and his love of trains, while also creating an experience for Burlington area families that would be engaging and pay homage to the area.

 We decided to use bright colors depicting Burlington landmarks, while also including the Walsh family and a cardinal, which is meaningful to the family.

Working with Michael and the builder, Jonathan Ota of Gunner Grey Furniture, we were on to configuring the table top – complete with the track layout and a hole for kids to be able to pop in the middle if the train. With this in hand, I was on to designing the mural.

Below are pictures of the end result – which has already been enjoyed by many children visiting the Burlington Library!

The train table in place at the Burlington Library

Depiction of the Walsh family

Depiction of the library and cardinal in honor of Jackson

Depiction of Burlington Town Hall and Mill Pond

Depiction of Burlington town green gazebo, the Francis Wyman House and Mary Cummings Park

Abstract Mural in a Stairwell!

One my favorite things about what I do is the variety of projects I get to work on – and my recent abstract mural in a stairwell is a perfect example!

In the process of re-imagining their downstairs space, my client and her designer envisioned something fun, colorful and contemporary on the stairwell wall to brighten the space and make a dynamic impact… which is when I got called in!

After talking through ideas, I decided to show a concept painting using bold blocks of color painted to look like a large postmodern work of art – which they loved!

With everyone on the same page, I was on to painting the mural in the final space with my colleague Joan – which accomplished all of the client’s goals!

Enjoy!

Jason

View from the bottom of the stairs

View from the top of the stairs

Westwood Library Murals

The goals of each of my mural projects are different – and in the case of the Westwood Library, it was fun to do a 2-part mural that tells a story!

The Westwood Library is re-opening its Islington branch in a brand-new location, and they called me in to add a special touch to the children’s section.  One unique challenge in this case is that the space I had to work with was broken onto 2 distinct sections – one smaller section of wall is to the left of a bank of windows, and the other is to the right.  When brainstorming with the Library team about content, they wanted something bright and fun, and suggested it include a book, a ladybug and a butterfly.

With all of this in hand, I was on to the design process!

 Since I had 2 spaces, I wanted to tie them together somehow – so I decided to use them as 2 “pages” of a story.  Since they wanted me to include a book, I wanted the book to play a key role in my story that would unfold from the left from top the right.  When I started thinking of my design in this light, I came up with the idea of growth – and quickly decided on using the “baby” ladybug (nymph) and butterfly (caterpillar) of the left – and them the “adults” on the right.  I then used the title and content of the book to tie the images together with each other, as well as the library – with this design:

My design for left of the windows

My design for right of the windows

I presented this to the library team and they loved it!  With their approval in hand, I was off to painting the final mural!

The final mural - left of windows

The final mural - right of windows

Enjoy!

Jason

High-End Finishes for a High-End Showroom

It’s not too often that I get to do metallic plaster, silver leaf, Venetian plaster, gold paint and a mural all in the same location – but I recently did just that at the SDI showroom in Needham!  SDI is a provider of high-end home automation, theater, lighting and sound.  Their products are amazing and their team is even better – and I was honored that they chose me to add the dazzle to their new showroom on Highland Ave!!

The project started with a brainstorming session with owners Alexa and Angel before the walls were even up in their new space.  They knew they wanted the finishes to give the space an elevated feel, and they had the beginnings of a color scheme in mind – but from there, it was all about coming up with ideas as a team. 

For the walls in the main space, we settled on metallic plaster as a way to add some interest and dazzle as customers walked in the door – without being too busy or overwhelming.  For the color, we looked at available colors and decided to do some testing with a mix of colors to get the champagne tone they wanted, but to make it a lighter than the stock colors.

In the main space, there are also two tray ceilings that they wanted treated with special finishes.  For the smaller of the 2 ceilings toward the back of the showroom, we settled on silver leaf to complement the wall colors and also call attention to the lights displayed in the recessed area.  For the larger ceiling right inside the door, we took an idea from my website where I used directional gold paint (meaning the paint shows the direction of the brush strokes due to the actual metal in the paint).  For my past project, I did swirls – but to keep things a bit cleaner and more formal, we decided to try to do “tiles” – square of paint with the brush strokes going in alternating directions.

As an additional accent, there was a column being built to display a particular product that they wanted highlighted.  We wanted to create some drama with this finish and also tie in with the other colors around it (including a large custom display case they were having built). To accomplish these goals, we decided to use a high-gloss Venetian plaster finish in black.

In a separate listening room, we decided to continue with the metallic plaster to make it flow with the main room, but we went with a lighter silver color to brighten and differentiate the space.

Finally, in the back of the showroom, Alexa and Angel wanted me to do a “paint drip” mural similar to something I did a while back in their home!  In this case, we went with silver paint to keep with the overall look of the showroom.

As usual, I was off to creating test boards!  For the metallic plaster colors, I did a few boards showing different mixes to make sure we had some options to choose from for the perfect fit.  Showing what the “tiled” gold paint ceiling would look like was also important – so I did a scaled-down version for everyone to see.  With these, along with the silver leaf and black venetian samples – we laid them all out and saw that the overall scheme was just what they wanted!

Once construction was done and the walls were ready, I was on to making all of these plans a reality.

The project is done and the showroom is now open!  Feel free to stop by to meet the SDI team, look at their amazing products and enjoy the beautiful showroom!

Enjoy!

Jason

Metallic plater in main space

Directional gold paint “tiled” ceiling

Venetian plaster column

Close-up on Venetian plaster

Silver leaf ceiling

Silver paint drip mural

Faux Finish Repairs

One of the trickiest things I do is matching an old faux finish that was originally created by someone else.  The final look of a glazed faux finish appears to be one color – but it is made up of a base color and then a translucent glaze of a second color – creating the appearance of a mottled 3rd color that is very difficult to reverse engineer!

In this case, I had actually already done the heavy lifting of matching these colors about 2 years ago, when I did repairs for the same client due to some water damage.  Unfortunately, they had more water damage that took out another wall! 

While I knew the colors I needed, the challenge was not over.  After mixing and painting the base color, I had to experiment with the application of the glaze to get it just right (having the right color is not enough!).  Additionally, because the damage extended to the adjacent 2 walls, I had seams between the old finish and my repair to contend with.  When this happens, you can’t overlap the glaze – because it just makes the old finish darker.  Instead, I had to make a sharp seam between new and old – and then blend those seams with 2 additional paint colors to make them disappear!

With this part done – I was on to the fun bit of matching up the mural vine that started to the left of this wall and originally extended just a little to the right of the wall.

In the end, there was no way to tell there was ever any damage!

Enjoy!

Jason

The wall before my faux repairs

And after!

Camouflage Mural on Electric Box

“You painted what?”  “Where?!” Are often responses I hear when explaining some of my projects… and my recent job is no exception!

Adding to the list of interesting things I have painted, my challenge on this job was to make an electrical box blend into nature but be beautiful at the same time… an “attractive camo” mural if you will. 

The conversations with my client began with her vision to do a mottled faux finish - but when I did a test board, she decided it didn’t blend enough. As we discussed options, I proposed more of a mural approach, using overlapping tree patterns.  My client liked this idea and wanted me to dance a fine line between traditional camouflage and an attractive mural of trees.  As always, I did a test board of the pattern I proposed (below), and my client was on board (no pun intended)!

From there, it was on to painting the panel.  The biggest challenge was working with all of the shapes in the panel while still keeping a logical flow of the trees/branches – which also made this a lot of fun to paint!  The ¾ front view is how you see the box from the parking spaces and the back view is what you see from the road – so these angles were a particular focus (although all views are completely muraled).

In the end, my client was thrilled with how well the panel blended and how it transformed a utilitarian box into a work of art on her property.

 Enjoy!

Jason

Front of the box - view from the parking area

Back of the box - view from the street

Faux Brick Painting Hides HVAC!

So much of the work I do is about making a space beautiful with a mural, decorative paint finish or specialty surface treatment --  but I also enjoy the challenge that comes when I need to make things blend in with faux painting!

This was the case on a recent project where I needed to make an HVAC unit and the surrounding pipes disappear into the background of the surrounding bricks.  In addition to matching the various colors of the bricks and mortar, I also needed to replicate the aged look and the distressed whitewashing.

First, I needed to prime the unit (my “before” picture is partially primed) to insure the adhesion of the paint.  With this complete, I painted everything the colors of the mortar – which I achieved with 4 colors to get the textured and speckled look.  Once this was dry, I needed to tape off the brick pattern, leaving the mortar covered.  I then painted each brick – making sure to match the colors and also include the variation of the original bricks.  Each brick was individually painted with multiple colors to make them look authentic.

Once my brick colors were complete, I was able to create the look of the distressed whitewashing as well as some of the staining of the area around the unit.

In the end, my client was thrilled!  These shots were taken up close from the surrounding garden.  When viewed from the driveway (another 6 feet back), the pipes and HVAC unit blend right in!

Enjoy!

Jason

The HVAC unit and pipes before faux painting (partially primed)

Starting the painting of the bricks!

The final result!

Painting Wallpaper to Look Like Patinaed Gold

Sometimes I paint specialty finishes that look like wallpaper – but on a recent project, I actually painted on wallpaper for a specialty finish!

This was not your standard wallpaper, however.  Made by Lincrusta, this wallpaper is embossed – creating a three-dimensional pattern that looks like decorative plaster.

My client Cathy had the vision to enhance the Lincrusta paper in her dining room by painting it green and then having gold paint applied to the raised surfaces to create the effect of embossed gold that had aged with a greenish patina and had the raised surfaces burnished by years of wear.  I loved this idea and was excited to collaborate with Cathy when she called me in to help make this vision come to life!

As always, the first step was to create a test board to make sure I was getting the look Cathy wanted before painting the walls.  In this case, Cathy had done tests on her own and already had a good start on the best technique for the desired effect!  I took a scrap of the paper back to the studio and worked up a sample to show how I could make this work across the room.

When I returned with the test, Cathy and I collaborated further and I was on to the wall.  One lesson I have learned over the years is to always start on the most inconspicuous part of a room – which I did in Cathy’s dining room to get her final approval on the look for the rest of the space.  With the thumbs up on my first section – I was on to transforming the rest of the room.

It was extremely gratifying to have accomplished exactly the look Cathy was going for – and to help her create an amazing space!

Below are some pictures of the final result

Enjoy!

Jason

Sneak Peek of the Winchester Library Murals!

I just finished my weeks-long project at the Winchester Library Children’s Room!  It is not open to the public yet, so at this point we are only releasing a few sneak-peek pictures of the 20 mural vignettes throughout the room.

 The Children’s Room has a whimsical nature theme - with animals, birds, insects, twisty tree and giant flowers throughout the space.

 There will be more to come soon!

 Enjoy!

Jason

Sneak peek!!!

It has been fantastic working with the Wellesley Library team again on another project!  This one is in the main library branch and includes 8 murals ranging in size from 9’ high by 4’ wide all the way up to 6’ high by 25’ wide.  I am working with an origami theme for all of the murals and have been fortunate to partner with the Origamido team and using their designs as my subjects.  The opening is planned for October and the reveal will be a surprise – but this one small origami detail is being sneaked as a teaser for the many critters (and more!) that are underway.  More to come in October!!

Enjoy!

Jason

Now That’s a Statement Wall!

Many of my clients want subtlety… subtle beauty, subtle interest, etc… But not this recent client!!

I partnered with my colleague Joan on this project in Bedford, MA – where the goal was to do something bold and different.  Our client Jack was interested in samples we showed him using rust (yes, rust!) and metallic plaster.  He liked the idea of fading one into the other, as well as a fade with the plaster colors – so we were on to creating his bold statement wall.

The rust is an amazing product.  You first paint an iron-infused base coat and then apply an acid activator that creates actual rust.  This gives all the natural variation of real rust with the flexibility to apply it wherever you want it.  We started with this at the top and let it drip down a couple of feet from the ceiling. 

For the metallic plaster, Jack and his wife liked greens and wanted us to create an ombre effect – fading up from darker, more saturated greens to lighter colors and ultimately up to the rust.

It was fun to do something this bold!  It was also fun to get Jack’s text when the job was done – saying “it’s soooo cool. I love it!”

Enjoy!

Jason

Close up of plaster ombre

Close up of fade into rust

Completing the Grandeur of this Master Bedroom with Metallic Plaster

Sometimes I am called in from the beginning of a design process to collaborate on finishes, and other times, I am called in as a “fix”!

On a recent project – the “fix” started with understanding the original goals.  The challenge was created by a high-gloss wallpaper that unfortunately was flawed, and needed to be taken down as soon as they started installing it.  The project was a new-construction house that was near completion and suddenly the master bedroom became an obstacle to reaching the finish line!

The original goal of the designer and client was to add to the special feeling of this grand master bedroom with the pop of the high-gloss paper.  With that option off the table, the designer called me, and we were back to the drawing board.  To come up with a solution, we started with the goal of making the finish feel special and looked at options I could create.  After considering various specialty products and techniques, we settled on the metallic plaster - which has a rich, velvety textured look that also has a beautiful shine.  Working with the tones in the carpet, we chose plaster colors in white, creamy off-white and slightly grayish off-white that I combined to create slight variations in color in addition to the variations in shine and texture.

And it was a success!  In the end, the client liked the metallic plaster even better than  the look that the wallpaper was supposed to create!

Enjoy!

Jason

Close-up showing texture and shine!

Lime Paint Adds “Wow” Factor to Bathroom

I recently got a call from my interior design friends at Briar Design to collaborate on a specialty finish for the master bath on a project of theirs.

The clients are from Ireland and have an affinity for the old-world look of the aged plaster in Ireland, but also like a clean, more contemporary look.  The wife, Sheri, is also a big fan of color – so we needed something that would work with the adjacent spaces without being too neutral. Most importantly, the finish needed to be interesting and give the bathroom a “wow” factor.

I brought some samples of different finishes in different colors to look at in the space together with Briar and Sheri, and my lime paint sample immediately stood out.  The subtle, natural variation added just enough character to give the interest they were looking for, while still not looking too fussy with the rest of the clean décor.

For the color, we chose this soft grayish green which gave just the right look in combination with the spaces around it.

With the finish chosen – I was on to creating the look!  Lime paint is a multi-stage project that requires a base coat, troweled second coat and then a wax finish to seal it.  The wax finish gives the end result a beautiful soft glow that also has subtle variation (because it is also trowel-applied).

The completed look was a hit!  It was exactly what the designer and client were looking for.

Below is a picture of the final result, with a close-up to show the shine of the finish.

Enjoy!

Jason

Close-up showing the soft glow of the wax finish

Hand-Painted “Wallpaper” Elevates Ceiling!

Creating custom design solutions is a big part of what I do – and this recent ceiling project is a great example.  I was working with one of my interior designer partners, whose client had chosen a wallpaper for her entry hall closet and powder room – and wanted a treatment on the ceiling that would “elevate” the space to a whole new level!

The wallpaper chosen was ornate, but with a bit of an eclectic twist to it that went with the décor throughout the house.  Our challenge for the ceiling was to keep with the ornate theme without making the overall effect too busy.  The designer knew she wanted a painted “wallpaper” look, and it was up to me to create the design.

Working with a sample of the paper, I first chose a palette that built off the cream tones in the wallpaper, using the apricot colors as the accent.  Because green was the dominant color of the paper, I chose not to emphasize this in my pattern.  For the design, I wanted to use some of the smaller elements from the paper so my design did not complete with the walls – so I picked up on the flower buds and the feeling of motion in the wallpaper.  As usual, my first step was to create a sample board to share with the designer and client.  They loved where I I was going with the design, so I was on to painting the ceilings!

The concept board

Using my design as a guide, I drew and painted the design on the ceilings – starting with the closet hallway.  When I had completed all of it minus the green accents, I found that I liked it more without any green in the ceiling at all.  After collaborating with the designer – we decided to leave it without the green and I was off to painting the second ceiling.

The end result accomplished exactly the look the homeowner and designer were looking for!

Both ceilings

Close-up of bath ceiling

The hall ceiling (light fixture still to come!)

Enjoy!

-Jason

Hand painted Polka Dot Bathroom in Boston

It is always great to work with a repeat customer – which was the case with this hand-painted polka-dot bathroom!  Previously, I had painted a faux whitewashed brick wall for my client Nancy, so when she was ready to do something special in her bathroom, she gave me a call.

Nancy knew she wanted the polka dot look, but she didn’t like the idea of using wallpaper in her master bathroom.  She also wanted to be able to choose whatever color she wanted – so she had the idea to have me paint the polka dots using her choice of base color!

After collaborating on the size and spacing of the dots, I was on to the planning stage.  To make the spacing consistent, I made a couple of templates in advance and made a custom “stamps” for the ½” dots.

Once I was onsite and had the base color painted, it was on the plotting out the hundreds of individually painted dots.  I used my templates to space them 4” apart, staggering the rows by 2”.  The tricky parts were balancing the dots on the wall from top to bottom and left to right --- but also plotting the rows as they went around corners and obstacles like the vanity, mirror and toilet!

With a little bit of patience, I got it all to work for this fun bathroom finish!

Enjoy!

Jason

Specialty Plaster Creates an “Ethereal” Ceiling

For a recent project in Weston, MA, my client Andrea called looking for a specialty treatment for the ceiling of her formal dining room.  The room houses a number of beautiful paintings and is used regularly by the family – so Andrea wanted something to make the room feel more special, and for the ceiling to fit better with the overall feeling of the room.

As we discussed ideas for the ceiling, Andrea described that she wanted something “ethereal”.  The solution needed to feel contemporary and impactful, but not too fussy.  She had looked at tea paper and considered silver leaf – but neither gave her the look she was going for. 

After seeing the space, we recommended a specialty metallic plaster.  The plaster is reflective, which would create interesting – and indeed ethereal – effects with lighting.  The application also creates a feel of motion, which creates the interest Andrea was looking for without feeling too structured or fussy.  Finally, the plaster could be mixed to create a color that would tie together the gray walls with some of the warmer and browner tones in the room.

With these notes in hand, we put together sample boards showing different colors of the metallic plaster so we could hold them up and see how they would feel in the space.  Andrea and her husband found an option they felt would be ideal -- so I was off to creating the final look!

After applying the plaster to the ceiling, Andrea was thrilled that we had created just the look she was going for!  Below are a couple of pictures of the final product.

Enjoy!

Jason

Abstract Mural Panels for Contemporary Home

I had the opportunity to do some decorative painting projects at a beautiful new contemporary home that is being built in Weston, MA – one of which is this series of abstract mural panels!

The panels are positioned in a large seating/gathering area that is adjacent to a bar in the lower level of the home.  To create a focal point in the room that is appropriate for the scale of the space, the designer had the idea to use these panels – each of which is 3.5 wide by 7 feet tall.  For the subject matter, the designer wanted something modern to go with the contemporary style of the home and the client’s taste.  Specifically, she had a wallpaper she wanted to use for inspiration, and had me design something similar that would fit the panels and have colors that would go with the furniture that will be placed in the space.

For my process, I first created scale concept paintings of each board – showing exactly how the larger version would appear.  With these approved, I was on to painting the large panels – which were a hit with the designer and the homeowner!

Below are pictures of all 4 of panels together - followed by each panel individually.

Enjoy!

Jason

Gold Leaf Ceiling

Nothing brings interest, shine and richness to a room like gold leaf!  This ceiling in Weston, MA is done in imitation leaf – which looks a great deal like real leaf (it’s made from brass and other metals instead of real gold) without the expense of real gold.

The walls and cabinets of the space are dark charcoal gray (almost black), so the designer wanted to bring some glow into the room with the ceiling treatment – which we definitely did!

Gold leaf (and imitation leaf) comes in 51/2” square sheets that are super-thin (think thinner than tissue paper).  To get them on the ceiling, the first step is to measure out a grid so the squares are centered.  With that done, each square gets glued up one by one – until you get an entire gold ceiling!

The result was worth the effort and the client loved it!

Enjoy!

Jason

Dramatic Lime Paint Finish

I love collaborating with homeowners and designers on specialty finishes – and this recent project in Westwood, MA is no exception!

The dining room originally had white walls with white wainscotting on the lower half.  The client is a big fan of black/dark gray and white as a color scheme – so the designer wanted to work with that, but come up with something more dramatic and interesting.

To make this happen, we used lime paint – which is applied with a trowel like plaster, sealed with wax and then burnished – or shined- by rubbing it with the edge of the trowel.

Everyone (including me!) was thrilled with the results!! We got the richness of the varying colors of charcoal with the motion and variating shine from the specialty finish. It looked particularly good with the homeowner’s fantastic chandelier and vase.

Here are some pictures of the end result – including a close-up/angle shot to show the sheen resulting from the burnishing.

Enjoy!

Jason