Saturday, July 12, 2008

faux paint techniques~

Another post about Charleston (I'm still processing it all and you guys get to participate...aren't you lucky?) ~

Nikki and I decided to visit the Nathaniel Russell House during our day touring Charleston....for the price, it was well worth the 35 minutes you get to spend in that lovely house.

I won't go into the history of the home, suffice it to say that it is a long one and includes such stories as the one where a cannon ball fell through the roof when the "first shot" was heard in the War of Northern Aggression/War between the States/Civil War (call it what you want - depending on your heritage I guess). Although as a genealogist I was interested in the history, I was there more as an old house enthusiast then a genealogist that particular day.

The restoration of the old house included the long and arduous process of stripping layers and layers (19 if I remember correctly) from the walls and doors. After the tedious job was completed, the original colors and patterns were discovered and restored.

What I found most amazing were the faux techniques that were used...for example, in the round music room, faux marble (blue) had been added to the baseboards and how, throughout the private rooms, simple pine doors had been stained to resemble oak or mahogany.

Today, home decorators use a lot of different faux techniques....from marbleizing to leather-izing (Frottage) to achieving a "linen" look (Dragging) and I must admit, I was a bit of a snob thinking that "faux" didn't just mean "false" it also meant "cheap"....that is until I walked through an elegant historic Charleston Home and saw faux was an accepted technique by a rich merchant who built his home in 1808......

So, let's see, what can I paint...and what faux technique can I use?

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