Spring--Really?

It's been a remarkably warm winter this year--hardly any snow--cool with me. Not out of the woods yet, I fear. Last March, on the first day of Spring we had several inches of heavy wet snow. The old saying "It always snows on the Daffodils" seems to never fail. Crocus in my yard never fail to bloom the first few days of February--snow or not. Happy Spring, almost.

Transitional

After the housing bubble burst, many of us are staying in our homes and updating the decor. Sorta making a new house out of the old one.

So, the remodeling industry has taken over the new housing market, and I'm finding myself working in a lot of remodeled homes. New additions, particularly family rooms and kitchens rule. But what if you just want to update the look of your home, modernize, er transition--as the newer generation calls it- without a huge budget to blow out the walls? The simplest answer is paint. As with fashion, trends in home decor change very frequently. Paint can go a long way to freshen (and transition) your current home into a new era.

Seems everyone that owns a home built during the building boom of the 80's has golden oak cabinetry. How can you set your kitchen apart from every other neighbor on the block? Paint, glaze, or both in combination can drastically change the appearance of your cabinets without sacrificing the solid wood construction for a mail order kit or factory finished big box store look. Here's just one example.

The clients home had golden oak cabinets, top and bottom, and an oak floor. The grain of all that wood not only looked dated, but was in a war with itself--very busy. Now that the base cabinets are painted black and distressed and the uppers are glazed, the room is more streamlined, updated, and modern. Transitional--cool word.

Merry, Merry!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Veggie Tales

My last project was fun. It pays to be versatile as an artist, you never know what's gonna pop up! Scenes from a kitchen soffit--bold colors and detailed veggies and fruit make for a colorful kitchen in this artistic, creative home.

Interior Design: Jill Rice

Goodbye Summer, Again

Though it has been a beautiful Fall season, it's always a little sad knowing what's coming. You all know how I hate winter! Parting shot. Oh to be sitting in the garden on a warm summers day---

Playing with Light

I've been so negligent with posting lately, so sorry. I recently finished a table that literally glows with light. Formerly a somewhat dated faux marbled lacquer piece, it was sanded, primed, and repainted in a subtle, warm silver metallic. A form of graining, it now has an updated modern feel that works well with the style of her home. Personally, she is wonderful at photographing changing light on perfectly balanced vignettes and tablescapes throughout her home. I'm hoping for more photos in the future.

Down on my Knees

Recently finished a concrete basement floor painted to look like old wood planks. Lots of crawling around for an old guy like me, but the results were the payoff.