Hallway Faux finish – Espresso brown railing

faux finished hallway railing
faux finished hallway railing

This railing was white as almost everything in this home.

To add some contrast my client and I decided to faux finish the railing and give it a warm espresso brown. This was a great idea. The hallway looks completely different now! It is very stylish!
If you are thinking of remodelling your hallway but don’t want to buy a new railing, this is the alternative.

It is less expensive, not messy at all and can be done in a short time. No annoying construction delays and errors – it will be a smooth transition.

Call 818 470 2932 for a free estimate.

Romantic Old World Italian Mural with Angel

Old Master Mural
sleeping angel

The sleeping angel is part of a very romantic mural featuring one of greatest  European ballerinas.

In-midst a French old world landscape the angel has no intentions, no interference – it is pure - it is a forgotten part of a world which was full of detail, romance and love.

If I could go back in time I would go back when life was easier and you could find the love for details everywhere. If you see the Ballerina  on my website you will understand…

How to make a room look bigger

Tropical Mural

  • Choose a templateFor the bathroom I got a picture (in this case from the Interior Designer) and I used it as a template;  it was a tropical scene which the client liked a lot.

    Step 2
    Make the draft (design)

You can do a little drawing or use your painting computer programs such as Photoshop. I always take a picture of the blank wall and copy and paste the mural elements into the photograph. For the tropical mural I took some elements of the photo and combined them with other ideas like hibiscus flowers, tropical plants and so on.
I will show you a detailled draft in my next article.

Step 3
Paint the mural
If the mural needs a light coating you would do this first. For the tropical landscape I used a white surface because of the different colors (sky and forest)
Then you do the outlines; I use charcoal – I would not recommend pencil or any other paint.
Fill in hte background colors for the sky and forest, so a foliage green and sky blue which I . Use light colors and systematically add the details. You can do them freehand or project them. For this mural I used the projector only for the plant named bird of paradise in the right corner.

Step 4
The mural’s details would be added at the end, some highlights, deeper tones and little lines here and there. It has to come alive.
After it was finished I sealed the mural with a matt finish to protect it from moisture.

Faux Finishes for any rooms

Faux finish with ornamental drawings
Faux finish with ornamental drawings

Faux Finishes are not out!
If you might have thought that this traditional wall finish is not trendy any more, you must know that it is still an option to bring life into your home.
I have done many faux finishes in homes which were completely white.  All the walls. The hallway, the bathrooms – white, white, white with no contrast at all.  

For a mansion in Bel Air I faux finishes these 3 niches in the hallway and added French style ornamental drawings inside.

Foxtrott of the good ol’ days!

My home is my castle – Old World Mural Pacific Palisades

Hallway Old World Mural
Hallway Old World Mural

Beautiful Old World style Mural for an entryway in private residence of Pacific Palisades.

First I did a faux finish, then added the pomegranate tree and finally the vines with two humming birds.

The entry way corner is now the focal point of the whole downstairs area. The mural is enhancing the space and created some old world charme.

Go for a hike in the mountains – Panoramic Mural Beverly Hills

Alpine Panoramic Mural for a Beverly Hills residence stretching over the door and all walls 
Swiss Alps in a bathroom
Swiss Alps in a bathroom

Ocean Mural – Beverly Hills

wall before the mural

wall before the mural

This mural brought additional space into the pooll billiard room 
 Size: 27 feet

blue cliffs
blue cliffs