Decorating With Class

Last days in Idaho

With the master bedroom and secondary office projects now finished for this trip, tomorrow is my day to take down the Christmas tree and get the house prepared for leaving.

I was just thinking about when I was young, I would watch those old black and white movies. The ones where people would own stately vacation homes with the large columns outside and circular driveways and as they walked in to the home through massive double doors, all of the furniture would be covered in sheets. I thought how cool that was and someday I would have the same. Funny how I associate the sheets with a stately mansion!

Well, I don't get the stately mansion with the large columns outside, though the circular driveway winds through the forest then up around the back side of the house rather than the front, and I don't have the massive double doors, I do get to cover all of the furniture with sheets. I laugh every time I leave the house remembering that.

Tomorrow my mind will switch gears from home decorating to designing products for home decorating as I get my mind back to work before I actually hit the office.

I have so many new decorated rooms to put up on the website and am anxious to show off the talents of those who have sent them to me. Some are truly awesome and I know you will get ideas from them. Watch for those in the next two weeks at www.VictoriaLarsen.com, along with new designs in both molds and stencils to make your decorating much easier and exciting.

Happy New Year to everyone! May it be a year that you find you are at your best and your home is at it's most beautiful!

Decorating in a style that you love

When you walk in to your home after a hard day at work, do you feel instant relaxation? Entering in to a place that you really love being? A place that fills you with calm and ease? A place you hate leaving and can't wait to get back to?

If not, you owe it to yourself to make it so. Why? Because you deserve it! You deserve a place of beauty that truly appeals to your emotional sense of well being. A place that you feel proud of, a place that shows off who you are.

Many times we feel restricted in our decorating. People who rent homes or apartments, spousal disapproval, lack of funds, fear of trying something new or just being lost in what should be done to accomplish that goal.

But there is always a solution if you just look for it.

Apartment and rental home dwellers can decorate with removable decor (a subject I will touch on at a later time), spouses can be compromised with, budgets can be adjusted to acquire the necessary instruments needed to design your dream home (other than expensive furnishings, most decorating can be done on a very limited budget) and as to where to start to improve your surroundings, look within yourself and ask yourself: "What do I dislike about my current decorating?" and "What type of decorating do I love?" Look to magazines for help and clip photos of styles that appeal to you for guidance.

Change the things you dislike by adopting the things you love.

Our home in Seattle is quite lovely and it was surely a labor of love. You would never tell that I did it all on a shoestring with paint, plaster, fabric and color choices. Even much of the framing for art came from thrift stores and was re-gilded or repaired. Many of my treasured furniture pieces were yard sale items that I will keep forever.

But I made a mistake with the Seattle house and that was to hold the reins on some of the decorating I would have loved to do. Why? Because I knew at some point we would sell that pretty place and move in to our dream home here in Idaho.

My thought at the time was that if I decorated in too much ornate plaster, if I painted murals on the walls and ceilings or if I used a little too much "gold" accent (I'm a gold FREAK!), that the house would somehow be less appealing to potential buyers.

As I've spent the past few years making the Idaho house a true extension of my personality and my art with cast columns, wall and sky murals and gold decor items in nearly every room, I've realized that I shorted myself in not doing the same in our Seattle home.

I've found that though I decorated that house to please myself and my husband, I was also decorating it for potential buyers from the moment I moved in. By doing that, I kept myself from enjoying things I am now creating in Idaho. Things that make me happy, things that I have loved in other homes but didn't feel I could do to my own because it might displease a future owner.

My whole point to this post is that your home really is your "castle". No matter how long you are meant to be there. Decorate for YOU. Decorate to please and comfort YOU and your family. Don't worry about what the future might hold.

The most important thing is to make your home a special place that is meant to be enjoyed "today".

So if you want brilliant red walls, go for it...

If you want to decorate in high style, have a ball!

If you want to paint your walls black and carpet in white shag, then that's what must be done!

In closing, I want to quote Eleanore Roosevelt:

"Life has just got to be lived ~ That's all there is to it".

Website of the day: http://www.foamcrownmolding.com/id107.htm

This company makes super affordable, dense foam moldings that are just awesome! No need for miter saws or even nails and a hammer! They cut clean with a kitchen knife and are put up with glue! Check it out!

Decorating in the Idaho Forest Part 4

In our last days at our home in the forest of Idaho, it seems we are making the most progress.

I've finished casting the plaster for the sky mural surround, Dana, my husband, has ripped out the nasty old florescent ceiling lights in the kitchen and we took a trip to Home Depot to find not only new kitchen lights, but to also pick out our new appliances and hard wood flooring that will be installed in May.

I finished applying the wall frames to the master bedroom as he hung the new lights. Just seeing the old ones disappear was such a thrill! The new lights are twin chandeliers that hang on either side of the kitchen. I will post photos as soon as I get back to Seattle.

Today I cast the plaster pieces for the secondary office and sealed them with 1/2 white glue and 1/2 water then painted them gold. I also began stenciling the new raised plaster border design in gold. Delta puts out a GREAT gold paint called "Metallic 14 K Gold" that is the most realistic gold around when it comes to paint. It shines like gold leaf with just one coat! It's available in your local craft store or Walmart in the crafts section.

As I close, I stare out at the new chandelier hanging in the kitchen with a sense that things are finally starting to come together in this house...that we are making progress as I watch the transformation from such a plain home to one of ornate beauty.

Tomorrow I will finish the gold application and call it a day on the secondary office, then sand and finish the master bedroom frames with faux finished marble.

Snow fell all day today and it was lovely. I wasn't sure if I could handle the winters here with all the snow but so far I am loving it. How could anyone hate all that beautiful white draping every tree and bush in site? I hate to think about leaving here but it's nearly time to get back to Seattle and ring in the new year with many new designs and some surprising new products to be introduced in May.

Decorating in the Idaho Forest 3

The last of the holiday guests left this morning and I fell backward in to a chair, flopped my feet straight out in front of me and sighed....then, as I watched them drive down the long driveway and disappear from sight, I jumped up and dashed in to the master bedroom to get back to work after a 4 day break to enjoy Christmas.

For decades I have admired the detailed molding work on walls and ceilings that I've seen in magazine photos. You've seen it as well and maybe haven't even noticed how it adds such architectural interest to a room.

Before I left Seattle, I had been working on such a design within my mold collection. Since I must cast and try each design before I put it on the website for sale, I decided that I would do it on the walls here in Idaho in our Master Bedroom and in my office.

This particular mold set was created to make molding "frames" on the walls. They came out spectacular! Each is a cast plaster frame measuring 38" across and 14" high, with inwardly curved corners. I am in the process of applying them to run horizontally around the bottom 1/3 of each wall. They will also be used in my office to create longer, vertical frames on the walls.

Inside the frame, I have used the same marble technique that I used on the faux columns I did in the room which serves to tie the two details together. I have marked the wall 1/2 way down for the eventual installation of 3" molding that will rest above the frames. This will help to break up the very plain walls and create visual interest.

Next, I will create a new stencil design to stencil over the top of the marbling inside the frames and do that project when I come back over here in May.

For the moment, I am continuing to cast the plaster pieces needed to complete the last 3 frames. They should be ready in about an hour. In order to ensure that they are completely dry before I apply them to the wall, I will bake them in the oven for 60 minutes on 300 degrees. This action saves me DAYS of drying time and speeds my project along.

I am doubling my efforts by also casting the pieces I will need to surround the sky mural I did on the ceiling. Since I need over 100 pieces for my 15x8 foot mural frame, (I have chosen to use a small design, therefor the need for so many pieces) I will probably only have time to get them all cast but not applied during the time I have left here.

I did take time to finish the plaster stenciling in the second office and have decided to paint it gold. It looks beautiful! Since we are currently using that room as a guest room, I dared not have fresh paint odor for our guest to have to breathe during their stay so I put off the completion of the project until later this week.

I've made a lot of progress during this trip and am looking forward to seeing most of it finished by the time I leave.

For all of you, I hope you enjoyed your Christmas holiday and that you are looking forward to making some decor changes in your home after the first of the year.

Embedding Items in to Wet Plaster for Fabulous Walls

Answer to posted comment by "T. McDonald".

For fabulous walls and adding to furniture pieces,  you can certainly embed items such as beads, jewels, broken glass, etc in to wet plaster and allow it to dry. If finishing with a paint finish, lightly rub these items with mineral oil or baby oil after the plaster is dry to prevent paint from sticking to them. (Do not use oil on items before you inset them in to the plaster as the slick surface will not adhere as tightly and you may risk loosing the piece at a later date).

As you paint, wipe the embedded items off quickly so paint doesn't collect. Consider other items such as jewelry findings (find them cheap on Ebay in wonderful styles!) and small glass tiles as well. The possibility of design is endless with this technique.

A Forest Christmas

Yesterday, I finished off the painting project of the secondary office in our Idaho home by plaster stenciling a large corner design in each of the corners on the ceiling. It's a new design that will be featured in January on my website. I haven't decided yet if I will replace the stencil over the top and paint the design gold then use the same stencil with gold paint as a border on the wall. I'm toying with the idea and think it would look just beautiful. I'll save that idea until after Christmas.

With family coming this weekend, I spent the day decorating the house. I've begun using tassels on my Christmas tree which combined with antique ornaments and shining crystals, give the tree a Victorian look that I love.

Being in the forest gives me easy access to plenty of evergreen boughs for decorating. I lay branches of cedar, pine and fir across tables then place candles on them. This year, I decided to decorate the top of the wood holder on the hearth by creating a spray of pine bows, tying them to the top of the circular holder with a wired gold ribbon.

Creating long ribbons of cedar branches then draping them around mirrors give the bathroom a festive feel.

I found a great "White Spruce" fragrance spray from Caldrea.com that I use daily to keep my tree and evergreen arrangements smelling of fresh cut greenery. Give it a try, I think you will love it.

I won't post now until after Christmas as I have many chores and plans to get completed before Christmas arrives.

I wish you all Happy Holidays!

Decorating in the Idaho Mountains part 2

The sun shines brightly on the snow covered ground this morning. Our home, a 4,000 square foot chalet style home, sits amidst 20 acres of forested evergreens. Out each window is a stellar view of trees and mountains that is so inspiring when it comes to decorating.

I lean toward bringing in more natural flavors in to my decorating scheme such as rich woods, designs that feature trees, branches, leaves, palets of browns, greens and golds that mimic the colors of the forest. I plan to introduce stone such as granite and flagstone which are abundant here in Idaho appearing naturally along the cliffs that surround the highways and mountain roads. On our property, we have a beautiful large rock of pale gray and black granite that has become a focal point to plan future landscaping. With this house currently being void of any such detailing, I get to begin with a blank canvas.

Each morning, my ritual is to sit in the living room with my cup of freshly brewed coffee, go through my favorite decorating magazines, Traditional Home, Architectural Digest and Veranda, as I gaze out on to the postcard scenery and plan my decorating day.

Each day here is a day devoted almost entirely to the beautification of this house. An opportunity I cherish.

The second office is now freshly outfitted with a new butter cream color so I can move on to casting the plaster for the ceiling surround in the master bedroom sky mural. A new, Victorian style ceiling fan was purchased yesterday from a specialty shop here in Sandpoint for the living room and will be installed today. I'm excited!

As I take breaks throughout the day, I can visualize exactly how this house will look when it's completed. It's wonderful, comfortable and soothing. Just as a home should be.. a place to kick off your shoes and relax, to find comfort in, a beautiful place that is yours alone. Soft colors, rich textures, hand crafted detail that was done with loving care. We won't permanently move here for another two years, but already, this is Home and my dreams are slowly being realized.

Decorating in the Idaho Mountains

We arrived at our Sandpoint, Idaho home late last night. Snow covers the ground and it's chilly, but a toasty fire in the fireplace solved that dilemma right away.

This morning I awoke to two HUGE moose in the back yard. Good grief! I've never even seen a moose before! I was in awe of this enormous animal, and as it chewed away on tender branches of bushes, I saw that whatever efforts I make towards creating a garden oasis around this home are sure to be met with resistance by hungry animals.

Today I tackle the deep green bedroom (which will become one of my offices in two years) with a coat or two of primer. Maybe tomorrow I will be able to begin painting it. That room will stay rather plain since it will be a production room.

However, my office will be a room of sheer elegance with a beautiful crystal chandelier, cast plaster frame on the ceiling with a mini-mural around the light fixture.

The colors I have chosen are a deep cream with cast plaster frames of gold on the walls. Inside the frames, I am painting the background color slightly darker then adding muted designs for an antiqued look. The plaster will get cast and applied while I am here this trip. I love watching a room come to life with simple transformations.

I have plans while I'm here to begin casting the plaster pieces for the sky mural I did during my last trip over here. I'm surrounding it with a frame to offset the design from the rest of the ceiling.

How to Paint Ceramic Tile

Just as it's easy to paint and add faux effects to a Formica counter top, it's just as easy to do the same to a ceramic tile wall, back splash or counter top.

Here's how you do it:

First, choose the type of finish you would like your tile surface to be transformed to. Granite? Stone? Marble? Sponge painting? Or just an all over single color. Find a sample on the Internet of the desired results and print for a reference.

Purchase the appropriate color paints and BIN primer.

Clean the tile and grout surface well. Remove any residue by rinsing with vinegar and water.

Prime the entire surface (including the grout) with BIN primer. This primer will stick to ANYTHING and is just wonderful! Allow to dry completely.

As with the granite project I told you about in yesterdays post, you will use background colors and possibly secondary colors. The first will be the color you want your grout to be (if different from your tiles).
Using a low nap roller, roll the tile surface with the grout color.
If you wish the entire surface to be the same color, you can simply paint with your finish background color instead.

If you want your tiles a different color or finish than your grout, you need to cut a stencil out of any heavy poster board or mylar plastic. We sell the mylar on our website. Create a stencil that matches your tiles that includes two rows of tiles, staggered so they are easy to repeat. You don't need an entire wall of tiles, just two across and two down will do the trick.

Tape the stencil on to the surface, matching the stencil tile holes to the tiles on your surface.

Look at your sample and decide it's main color. (This will be the overall color of the sample).
Use that as your background color. Paint your tiles that color. Repeat the stencil and process until all tiles are covered.

Decide secondary colors and follow the instructions in yesterdays post for a granite surface, again using the stencil to protect your grout lines.

You can also create marble designs by following the technique I used to marble my columns. It's super easy!
Sponge painting is another way to add a beautiful new look to your tiles. Use two coordinating colors and be sure to blend, blend, blend! This will give a nice, soft appearance in varying tones to the surface.

Feel free to post your questions or comments.

I am headed out tomorrow for our home in Idaho for the next two weeks where I will add much more to my ceiling sky mural.

How to deal with fixed interior color challenges Part 2

In yesterdays post I told you about a neighbor who faced brilliant orange Formica counter tops in her home. Raising little ones on a single mother's salary didn't allow her the budget to replace those counter tops. To her, (as it would be to me), living with those counter tops would be nearly unbearable!

If you face the same sort of dilemma with Formica, or even with ceramic tile, there is a great solution and not at all difficult. Faux finish them! The technique is the same for both surfaces.

The counter tops in our Everett, Washington home were white and very poorly done. We will replace them before we sell the house in 2009 to move to our home in Idaho, but I didn't want to do that until we were ready to put it on the market.

Could I stand the poor glue job one more day? Not a chance. So while friend husband was on a business trip to Italy, I faux finished them to a pale, but rich looking granite. The difference it made was incredible! Here's how:   
Step 1) Go on the Internet and find photos of granite that appeal to you and match your decor colors. Print out a sample sheet to go by.

Step 2) Examine the photo closely. Real granite typically consists of a main, over-all color with "blotches" or dots of secondary colors. Decide what would be the base (background color) would be and the two or three secondary colors. For instance, my granite choice required a deep gold background and dark brown, white and gold as secondary colors.

Counter Before:

As you can see, the counters are plain and provide no interest to the kitchen at all.

Step 3) Clean the surface well then wipe with pure white vinegar to give it a bit more "tooth". On Formica, a very light sanding helps to make your primer adhere.

Step 4) Prime the surface with oil based primer such as BIN or KILZ. Oil based primers give you the best adhesion and durability.

Step 5) Once the primer is completely dry, you can now use water based paints to do your project. Paint the base color over the entire surface and allow to dry.

Step 6) with a brush, blot on your main secondary color (the one that seems to stand out the most in your printed sample) allowing the background color to show through.

Depending on the look of your sample (a very blotchy look or smoother, softer colors) you may want to blend as you go. My sample showed smoother, more blended colors. Yours might be quite spotty with definite "dots" of color. In that case, don't blend.

Step 7) Spatter on 2nd color either by blotting larger dots as with the first color, or by dipping a toothbrush in to the paint color then flicking the bristles with your fingers (Protect the floor and back splash or walls when performing this technique). Repeat the above processes with any further colors needed to complete the look.

Step 8) Allow the surface to dry completely then seal with 3 coats of water based Polyurethane sealer in "gloss" finish. The gloss gives you the appearance of shiny, polished granite. DO follow manufacturers directions when using all products.

The counter tops now bring out the rich color of the wood cabinets and hard wood floors in the kitchen.

There are many styles of granite to choose from and with just a bit of practice on a sample board before beginning, you can achieve basically the same look with just a paint brush and these techniques.
Here are some samples for you to consider

Counter tops done by Faux Artist Joannie Valenti for one of her clients. Notice that she even did the switch plate cover so that it disappears right in to the wall! Background color would be warm brown with darker brown secondary colors in two different shades.

Deep Green Granite. Background dark Olive green, light olive green and black as secondary colors.

Gray Granite. Pale Gray background color with dark gray, brown and white as secondary colors.

Light brown granite. Light brown background with secondary colors of dark brown and cream.

You are now getting the idea and can venture out to find just the right granite color choice for your project.

In tomorrows post I will give you detailed instructions for faux finishing your tiles.