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How To
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Traditional Water Gilding
19 Apr 2013 by Pierre Finkelstein / 1 Comment
Prior to the 19th century, water gilding was the only method used for all gilding projects. Today, this method is mostly used for frames, furniture accents, restoration projects, and other small and intricate projects. Water gilding takes years to perfect. As you will read, there are many steps that require patience and skill. This type of gilding will allow a high burnish and will actually be more durable than gilding on oil/water-based size.
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“Retro-Metro” A Crescent Bronze Metallic Paint Faux Finishing Technique
05 Apr 2013 by Pat Ganino / 2 Comments
As a manufacturer, Crescent Bronze proactively reaches out to decorative painters who continually bring fresh perspectives and innovative techniques in working with metallic products from Crescent Bronze. The company aligns itself with artisans who are trusted experts to sponsor such opportunities as a You Tube video series featuring Stephanie Gabel of Chicago’s Roux Design. This popular introductory faux painting series is available at http://www.youtube.com/user/CrescentBronze and has enjoyed more than 100, 000 viewings since it was introduced.
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“Degreasing” an Oil Basecoat with Whiting
22 Mar 2013 by Pierre Finkelstein / 4 Comments
When a reversible (beer glaze) or non-reversible (acrylic glaze) water-based glaze is applied over an oil basecoat, it can result in “beading,” whereby the basecoat repels the glaze, causing it to form small beadlike puddles on the surface. This is a helpful how to for degreasing an oil basecoat!
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8 inches to Mural Completion!
15 Feb 2013 by Pat Ganino / 17 Comments
There is something to be said about having projects under a deadline. Recently I just completed a mural for a Vietnamese restaurant and I only had 7 days to do so. I didn’t know that my measurement for the entire mural would be off by more than 8 inches!
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Kona Coffee Table
01 Feb 2013 by Joanne Mudd / 13 Comments
This is a great how to for taking something that you’ve had in your house for a while and transforming it into something new and beautiful!
We purchased this coffee table just after moving into our house 2.5 years ago. It was a Kijiji deal from the same seller we purchased our Ektorp sofas from, the coffee table and matching end table were $40. The are really sturdy and REALLY ugly! -
Distressed Stone Frames
18 Jan 2013 by Pierre Finkelstein / 3 Comments
Today’s how to features a finish from Pierre Finkelstein of New York. This distressed stone frame step by step shows us how you can turn a simple plain frame into something amazing. Watch as Pierre shows us from a technical point of view, how to add weight and texture to this substrate.
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Regatta Stripe Cabinet
04 Jan 2013 by Rebecca Slaton / 2 Comments
When coming up with finishes, there’s always a few elements that really make them enjoyable in my opinion. In the following step by step, you’ll see me combine a few of these techniques and products. I love the combination of Lusterstone with a Damask pattern using variations of colors and textures.
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From Asia to France in 105 Minutes
21 Dec 2012 by Kathy Van Gogh / 7 Comments
I picked up this fabulous cabinet at a garage sale for $35. It has gorgeous brass hardware, good lines and is made of solid wood. Normally, I would wipe this down with a mixture of water, dish soap and bleach, and then throw some baking soda in there overnight, but in this case, I did nothing. I painted it in the booth in between my stage demos so I could create a bit of a buzz. It took me a total of 105 minutes to go from the Asian inspired solid wood cabinet to this gorgeous French stenciled cabinet piece.
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Pietra Dura
14 Dec 2012 by Pierre Finkelstein / 7 Comments
In this wonderful “how to” Pierre Finkelstein shows you the methods he uses in creating Pietra Dura. With over 20 steps this set of techniques is a rare find.
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Italian Plaster with Gold Leaf Motif
30 Nov 2012 by Eli Lucero / 6 Comments
When a client leaves a design decision up to me, I put forth the most elaborate design I can in the given space because I want to maximize the effect and create a gorgeous environment. This particular room had very heavy Spanish style texture on the ceiling. The colors we chose had to blend with the existing fabrics that the client already owned.
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