NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. HOW TO PAINT NEW WALLS TO LOOK OLD Here’s my first coat: Make sure to get good color coverage in the corners. On old walls, the corners tend to not wear away as much so they are often darker. With a brush, I painted two coats of teal in the corners to be sure they’re good and dark. Step 4. Sponge rivers of paint down your wall. OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" MOROCCAN STYLE: TALITHA GETTY & BILL WILLIS That is because of Bill Willis. He restored and revived zellij mosaic tilework and brought it into the 20th century with a “modern ideas with Moroccan materials” mentality. Now, because Bill Willis outlived Talitha by many decades (she died in 1971, he in 2009), he had far more time to do his work. Bill’s design legacy in Marrakech

began

DIY: AFFORDABLE FAUX FORTUNY FABRIC DIY: Affordable Faux Fortuny Fabric. Have you ever lusted after Fortuny fabrics, the luxury Italian brand where pillows can cost $500+? I’ve written about Fortuny fabrics before — how they can be costly, and how you can frame inexpensive sample sizes of Fortuny fabrics and hang them on a wall as art. Because Fortuny fabrics are

works of art.

DIY TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE WRINKLE-FREE PAPER DECOUPAGE Turn the paper over and brush a thin layer of Golden Gloss or Matte Medium on the other side of the paper. Let the medium dry. Choose a surface you want to adhere the papers to. You can use a heavier scrapbook paper as a base. Some collage artists recommend using thick 140 lb watercolor paper. A SHIMMERY METALLIC COPPER WALL WITH MODERN MASTERS Copper metallics are hot right now. Williams-Sonoma is selling copper kitchen equipment and utensils this season. Home decor magazine pages are full of copper. Copper is a current wedding decoration trend. It’s a warm and welcoming metal, perfect for cozy homes in the fall and winter. I recently created a luscious shimmering copper accent wall Continue reading "A Shimmery Metallic WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?" TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WITH SCRAPBOOK PAPER BEYOND Amazon – Get bargains on many papers + free Prime shipping. Joann – They often run “1/2 off” sales, or use 40-50-60% off coupons that you can get in emails and online. Blick Art Supplies – High quality harder-to-find papers + high quality archival glues and

paints.

HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. HOW TO PAINT NEW WALLS TO LOOK OLD Here’s my first coat: Make sure to get good color coverage in the corners. On old walls, the corners tend to not wear away as much so they are often darker. With a brush, I painted two coats of teal in the corners to be sure they’re good and dark. Step 4. Sponge rivers of paint down your wall. OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" MOROCCAN STYLE: TALITHA GETTY & BILL WILLIS That is because of Bill Willis. He restored and revived zellij mosaic tilework and brought it into the 20th century with a “modern ideas with Moroccan materials” mentality. Now, because Bill Willis outlived Talitha by many decades (she died in 1971, he in 2009), he had far more time to do his work. Bill’s design legacy in Marrakech

began

DIY: AFFORDABLE FAUX FORTUNY FABRIC DIY: Affordable Faux Fortuny Fabric. Have you ever lusted after Fortuny fabrics, the luxury Italian brand where pillows can cost $500+? I’ve written about Fortuny fabrics before — how they can be costly, and how you can frame inexpensive sample sizes of Fortuny fabrics and hang them on a wall as art. Because Fortuny fabrics are

works of art.

DIY TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE WRINKLE-FREE PAPER DECOUPAGE Turn the paper over and brush a thin layer of Golden Gloss or Matte Medium on the other side of the paper. Let the medium dry. Choose a surface you want to adhere the papers to. You can use a heavier scrapbook paper as a base. Some collage artists recommend using thick 140 lb watercolor paper. A SHIMMERY METALLIC COPPER WALL WITH MODERN MASTERS Copper metallics are hot right now. Williams-Sonoma is selling copper kitchen equipment and utensils this season. Home decor magazine pages are full of copper. Copper is a current wedding decoration trend. It’s a warm and welcoming metal, perfect for cozy homes in the fall and winter. I recently created a luscious shimmering copper accent wall Continue reading "A Shimmery Metallic WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?" TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WITH SCRAPBOOK PAPER BEYOND Amazon – Get bargains on many papers + free Prime shipping. Joann – They often run “1/2 off” sales, or use 40-50-60% off coupons that you can get in emails and online. Blick Art Supplies – High quality harder-to-find papers + high quality archival glues and

paints.

HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. DIY PROJECT: STENCILED COASTERS DIY Project: Stenciled Coasters. This is a super short and sweet DIY project! Dress up your drinks with stenciled coasters. I made dramatic coasters with a mix of metallic and black paints: I made these stenciled coasters for our apartment in India. It’s hot DIY: FRAMED FORTUNY FABRICS DIY TUTORIAL FOR FRAMED FORTUNY FABRICS. It’s ridiculously easy to make a framed collection of Fortuny fabrics. If you’re using a ready-made frame: Open the backing. Remove the product marketing fillers. Pop the fabric into the frame (add a small piece of tape if you feel a need to secure it, but I did not do this, the frame pieces

fit

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 5: HOW TO PAINT AN "OLD WALL" LOOK Wow, the One Room Challenge has really been a journey! Originally I wanted to makeover our basement into a light, bright, creative studio for blog DIYs, a creative business, who knows the future when you have a big inspiring room to play in, right? But in Week 3, the basement flooded. In Week 4, it Continue reading "One Room Challenge Week 5: How to Paint an “Old Wall” Look" HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY Here’s a motley little crew of inspiration images. They scrolled across my screen on Pinterest, and each made me stop and look longer than average. Maybe you’ll find surprising new ways of seeing things here too I’ve written a few business plans the conventional conforming way, but I really wish to write one that Continue reading "See Things Differently" ADINKRA CLOTH: SYMBOLS TO TELL A STORY In the U.S., we don’t usually wear our hopes, dreams and wishes on our clothes. Well, except for when you want your sports team to win! We don’t weave talismans and protections into our fabric, even when we feel vulnerable to things that affect us. Should we? There is a way to do it without Continue reading "Adinkra Cloth: Symbols to Tell a

Story"

DIY CABINET MAKEOVER: FROM DANISH MODERN TO "ANTIQUE 1. Chinese Hardware. To get the look, it’s most important to get Chinese style hardware. There’s an eBay store called Chinese Hardware that sells reproduction “antique” Chinese hardware of all sizes and styles. I love the quality of their hardware. It’s very heavy and substantial feeling, and they even included the antiqued

brass

WALLPAPER IN FRAMES

This is an innovative use of wallpaper, by Woodson & Rummerfield in Christina Aguilera’s home: If you like the idea of curved corners like this in molding, here’s a place to get it for a decent price. Shared at Houzz by Maison21, this is a perfect alignment of framed wallpaper to highlight this table, lamps and benches: TILE SKIRTING VS WOOD BASEBOARD MOLDING Tile Skirting vs Wood Baseboard Molding. Oh, all the details!! By pure chance during conversation this week, I discovered the plan in our Chennai apartment was to install tile skirting where the walls meet the tiled floors. I had been envisioning a thick, wide wood baseboard molding there. All the tile will be installed very soon, so a quick

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. HOW TO PAINT NEW WALLS TO LOOK OLD Here’s my first coat: Make sure to get good color coverage in the corners. On old walls, the corners tend to not wear away as much so they are often darker. With a brush, I painted two coats of teal in the corners to be sure they’re good and dark. Step 4. Sponge rivers of paint down your wall. OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" DIY: AFFORDABLE FAUX FORTUNY FABRIC DIY: Affordable Faux Fortuny Fabric. Have you ever lusted after Fortuny fabrics, the luxury Italian brand where pillows can cost $500+? I’ve written about Fortuny fabrics before — how they can be costly, and how you can frame inexpensive sample sizes of Fortuny fabrics and hang them on a wall as art. Because Fortuny fabrics are

works of art.

DIY TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE WRINKLE-FREE PAPER DECOUPAGE Turn the paper over and brush a thin layer of Golden Gloss or Matte Medium on the other side of the paper. Let the medium dry. Choose a surface you want to adhere the papers to. You can use a heavier scrapbook paper as a base. Some collage artists recommend using thick 140 lb watercolor paper. A SHIMMERY METALLIC COPPER WALL WITH MODERN MASTERS Copper metallics are hot right now. Williams-Sonoma is selling copper kitchen equipment and utensils this season. Home decor magazine pages are full of copper. Copper is a current wedding decoration trend. It’s a warm and welcoming metal, perfect for cozy homes in the fall and winter. I recently created a luscious shimmering copper accent wall Continue reading "A Shimmery Metallic WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?" HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WITH SCRAPBOOK PAPER BEYOND Amazon – Get bargains on many papers + free Prime shipping. Joann – They often run “1/2 off” sales, or use 40-50-60% off coupons that you can get in emails and online. Blick Art Supplies – High quality harder-to-find papers + high quality archival glues and

paints.

THE BRONZE URLI

The Bronze Urli. Urlis (also spelled uruli and uruly) are heavy bronze vessels traditionally used for cooking in Kerala, Southern India. They can also be decorative and used to float flowers and little candles . Via Villa Jacaranda: They can be used as sinks in powder rooms . From MakaZai, an urli in the Sabyasachi store in Mumbai:

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. HOW TO PAINT NEW WALLS TO LOOK OLD Here’s my first coat: Make sure to get good color coverage in the corners. On old walls, the corners tend to not wear away as much so they are often darker. With a brush, I painted two coats of teal in the corners to be sure they’re good and dark. Step 4. Sponge rivers of paint down your wall. OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" DIY: AFFORDABLE FAUX FORTUNY FABRIC DIY: Affordable Faux Fortuny Fabric. Have you ever lusted after Fortuny fabrics, the luxury Italian brand where pillows can cost $500+? I’ve written about Fortuny fabrics before — how they can be costly, and how you can frame inexpensive sample sizes of Fortuny fabrics and hang them on a wall as art. Because Fortuny fabrics are

works of art.

DIY TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE WRINKLE-FREE PAPER DECOUPAGE Turn the paper over and brush a thin layer of Golden Gloss or Matte Medium on the other side of the paper. Let the medium dry. Choose a surface you want to adhere the papers to. You can use a heavier scrapbook paper as a base. Some collage artists recommend using thick 140 lb watercolor paper. A SHIMMERY METALLIC COPPER WALL WITH MODERN MASTERS Copper metallics are hot right now. Williams-Sonoma is selling copper kitchen equipment and utensils this season. Home decor magazine pages are full of copper. Copper is a current wedding decoration trend. It’s a warm and welcoming metal, perfect for cozy homes in the fall and winter. I recently created a luscious shimmering copper accent wall Continue reading "A Shimmery Metallic WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?" HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WITH SCRAPBOOK PAPER BEYOND Amazon – Get bargains on many papers + free Prime shipping. Joann – They often run “1/2 off” sales, or use 40-50-60% off coupons that you can get in emails and online. Blick Art Supplies – High quality harder-to-find papers + high quality archival glues and

paints.

THE BRONZE URLI

The Bronze Urli. Urlis (also spelled uruli and uruly) are heavy bronze vessels traditionally used for cooking in Kerala, Southern India. They can also be decorative and used to float flowers and little candles . Via Villa Jacaranda: They can be used as sinks in powder rooms . From MakaZai, an urli in the Sabyasachi store in Mumbai:

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. DIYS WITH STENCILS & PAINT As you can see, you can stencil anything: fabric, furniture, boxes, glass, leather, books, tiles, wood, paper, lamp shades, even clothes! Click on images below to get how-to tutorial posts. Some links go to posts I made as a Contributor at the Paint+Pattern blogzine. If you want me to make something awesome with your company’s products OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WITH SCRAPBOOK PAPER BEYOND Amazon – Get bargains on many papers + free Prime shipping. Joann – They often run “1/2 off” sales, or use 40-50-60% off coupons that you can get in emails and online. Blick Art Supplies – High quality harder-to-find papers + high quality archival glues and

paints.

SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY Here’s a motley little crew of inspiration images. They scrolled across my screen on Pinterest, and each made me stop and look longer than average. Maybe you’ll find surprising new ways of seeing things here too I’ve written a few business plans the conventional conforming way, but I really wish to write one that Continue reading "See Things Differently" HOW TO MAKE AFFORDABLE SCRAPBOOK PAPER WALL ART Here’s the steps to make this wall art: 1. Choose nine coordinating but contrasting scrapbook papers. For help, visit my Guide to Where to Buy Scrapbook Paper. The paper is usually 12″ x 12″. Use thicker scrapbook paper. Thin scrapbook paper tends to wrinkle much easier. 2.

VASTU SHASTRA

Vastu Shastra. Our India pied a terre is situated to take advantage of key principles of vastu shastra, which is believed to affect the health and fortune of occupants of a home or workplace. It’s an ancient Indian science of architecture. Kitchen is in the southeast corner, because this MOROCCAN STYLE: TALITHA GETTY & BILL WILLIS That is because of Bill Willis. He restored and revived zellij mosaic tilework and brought it into the 20th century with a “modern ideas with Moroccan materials” mentality. Now, because Bill Willis outlived Talitha by many decades (she died in 1971, he in 2009), he had far more time to do his work. Bill’s design legacy in Marrakech

began

GLOBAL STYLE: FISH TRAP PENDANT LIGHTS Please don’t judge this post by its title! If you haven’t heard of “fish trap” lighting before, you might be wondering if this post will be any good. Yes, it sounds weird. But these lights are actually beautiful. And this is a story of a vision to use something in a way that’s very different from Continue reading "Global Style: Fish Trap

Pendant Lights"

TILE SKIRTING VS WOOD BASEBOARD MOLDING Tile Skirting vs Wood Baseboard Molding. Oh, all the details!! By pure chance during conversation this week, I discovered the plan in our Chennai apartment was to install tile skirting where the walls meet the tiled floors. I had been envisioning a thick, wide wood baseboard molding there. All the tile will be installed very soon, so a quick

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. HOW TO PAINT NEW WALLS TO LOOK OLD Here’s my first coat: Make sure to get good color coverage in the corners. On old walls, the corners tend to not wear away as much so they are often darker. With a brush, I painted two coats of teal in the corners to be sure they’re good and dark. Step 4. Sponge rivers of paint down your wall. OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" MOROCCAN STYLE: TALITHA GETTY & BILL WILLIS That is because of Bill Willis. He restored and revived zellij mosaic tilework and brought it into the 20th century with a “modern ideas with Moroccan materials” mentality. Now, because Bill Willis outlived Talitha by many decades (she died in 1971, he in 2009), he had far more time to do his work. Bill’s design legacy in Marrakech

began

DIY: AFFORDABLE FAUX FORTUNY FABRIC DIY: Affordable Faux Fortuny Fabric. Have you ever lusted after Fortuny fabrics, the luxury Italian brand where pillows can cost $500+? I’ve written about Fortuny fabrics before — how they can be costly, and how you can frame inexpensive sample sizes of Fortuny fabrics and hang them on a wall as art. Because Fortuny fabrics are

works of art.

DIY TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE WRINKLE-FREE PAPER DECOUPAGE Turn the paper over and brush a thin layer of Golden Gloss or Matte Medium on the other side of the paper. Let the medium dry. Choose a surface you want to adhere the papers to. You can use a heavier scrapbook paper as a base. Some collage artists recommend using thick 140 lb watercolor paper. A SHIMMERY METALLIC COPPER WALL WITH MODERN MASTERS Copper metallics are hot right now. Williams-Sonoma is selling copper kitchen equipment and utensils this season. Home decor magazine pages are full of copper. Copper is a current wedding decoration trend. It’s a warm and welcoming metal, perfect for cozy homes in the fall and winter. I recently created a luscious shimmering copper accent wall Continue reading "A Shimmery Metallic INDIA'S MAGNIFICENT MUGHAL ARCHES Many of India’s most famous views are framed by the Mughal arch: This shape of arch was used in the great architectural monuments that were built by Mughal emperors centuries ago. India isn’t the only place where you’ll see this arch though – the Mughal emperors were influenced by Persian designs and Islamic architecture of Continue reading "India’s Magnificent Mughal Arches" WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?" HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. HOW TO PAINT NEW WALLS TO LOOK OLD Here’s my first coat: Make sure to get good color coverage in the corners. On old walls, the corners tend to not wear away as much so they are often darker. With a brush, I painted two coats of teal in the corners to be sure they’re good and dark. Step 4. Sponge rivers of paint down your wall. OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" MOROCCAN STYLE: TALITHA GETTY & BILL WILLIS That is because of Bill Willis. He restored and revived zellij mosaic tilework and brought it into the 20th century with a “modern ideas with Moroccan materials” mentality. Now, because Bill Willis outlived Talitha by many decades (she died in 1971, he in 2009), he had far more time to do his work. Bill’s design legacy in Marrakech

began

DIY: AFFORDABLE FAUX FORTUNY FABRIC DIY: Affordable Faux Fortuny Fabric. Have you ever lusted after Fortuny fabrics, the luxury Italian brand where pillows can cost $500+? I’ve written about Fortuny fabrics before — how they can be costly, and how you can frame inexpensive sample sizes of Fortuny fabrics and hang them on a wall as art. Because Fortuny fabrics are

works of art.

DIY TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE WRINKLE-FREE PAPER DECOUPAGE Turn the paper over and brush a thin layer of Golden Gloss or Matte Medium on the other side of the paper. Let the medium dry. Choose a surface you want to adhere the papers to. You can use a heavier scrapbook paper as a base. Some collage artists recommend using thick 140 lb watercolor paper. A SHIMMERY METALLIC COPPER WALL WITH MODERN MASTERS Copper metallics are hot right now. Williams-Sonoma is selling copper kitchen equipment and utensils this season. Home decor magazine pages are full of copper. Copper is a current wedding decoration trend. It’s a warm and welcoming metal, perfect for cozy homes in the fall and winter. I recently created a luscious shimmering copper accent wall Continue reading "A Shimmery Metallic INDIA'S MAGNIFICENT MUGHAL ARCHES Many of India’s most famous views are framed by the Mughal arch: This shape of arch was used in the great architectural monuments that were built by Mughal emperors centuries ago. India isn’t the only place where you’ll see this arch though – the Mughal emperors were influenced by Persian designs and Islamic architecture of Continue reading "India’s Magnificent Mughal Arches" WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?" HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver DIYS WITH STENCILS & PAINT As you can see, you can stencil anything: fabric, furniture, boxes, glass, leather, books, tiles, wood, paper, lamp shades, even clothes! Click on images below to get how-to tutorial posts. Some links go to posts I made as a Contributor at the Paint+Pattern blogzine. If you want me to make something awesome with your company’s products SCRAPBOOK PAPER DIY PROJECTS AND TUTORIALS DIYs with Scrapbook Paper. You can do so much more than make scrapbooks with these papers! The endless supply of colors and patterns are like a treasure trove for scrapbook paper DIY crafts. Here are projects I’ve made and shared the how-to’s here, so you

can do them too.

NAIL HEAD TRIM PATTERNS Something popped out at me on Pinterest the other day. Nail heads. Thankfully not physically because that might have hurt. But I did get hit with inspiration. This is an innovative use of nail heads on a door. These images were uploaded to Pinterest and I’m not finding them anywhere else online, but I think Continue reading "Nail Head

Trim Patterns"

SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY Here’s a motley little crew of inspiration images. They scrolled across my screen on Pinterest, and each made me stop and look longer than average. Maybe you’ll find surprising new ways of seeing things here too I’ve written a few business plans the conventional conforming way, but I really wish to write one that Continue reading "See Things Differently" ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 5: HOW TO PAINT AN "OLD WALL" LOOK Wow, the One Room Challenge has really been a journey! Originally I wanted to makeover our basement into a light, bright, creative studio for blog DIYs, a creative business, who knows the future when you have a big inspiring room to play in, right? But in Week 3, the basement flooded. In Week 4, it Continue reading "One Room Challenge Week 5: How to Paint an “Old Wall” Look" ADINKRA CLOTH: SYMBOLS TO TELL A STORY In the U.S., we don’t usually wear our hopes, dreams and wishes on our clothes. Well, except for when you want your sports team to win! We don’t weave talismans and protections into our fabric, even when we feel vulnerable to things that affect us. Should we? There is a way to do it without Continue reading "Adinkra Cloth: Symbols to Tell a

Story"

GLOBAL STYLE: FISH TRAP PENDANT LIGHTS Please don’t judge this post by its title! If you haven’t heard of “fish trap” lighting before, you might be wondering if this post will be any good. Yes, it sounds weird. But these lights are actually beautiful. And this is a story of a vision to use something in a way that’s very different from Continue reading "Global Style: Fish Trap

Pendant Lights"

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WITH SCRAPBOOK PAPER BEYOND Amazon – Get bargains on many papers + free Prime shipping. Joann – They often run “1/2 off” sales, or use 40-50-60% off coupons that you can get in emails and online. Blick Art Supplies – High quality harder-to-find papers + high quality archival glues and

paints.

HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver DIY CABINET MAKEOVER: FROM DANISH MODERN TO "ANTIQUE 1. Chinese Hardware. To get the look, it’s most important to get Chinese style hardware. There’s an eBay store called Chinese Hardware that sells reproduction “antique” Chinese hardware of all sizes and styles. I love the quality of their hardware. It’s very heavy and substantial feeling, and they even included the antiqued

brass

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. HOW TO PAINT NEW WALLS TO LOOK OLD Here’s my first coat: Make sure to get good color coverage in the corners. On old walls, the corners tend to not wear away as much so they are often darker. With a brush, I painted two coats of teal in the corners to be sure they’re good and dark. Step 4. Sponge rivers of paint down your wall. OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" MOROCCAN STYLE: TALITHA GETTY & BILL WILLIS That is because of Bill Willis. He restored and revived zellij mosaic tilework and brought it into the 20th century with a “modern ideas with Moroccan materials” mentality. Now, because Bill Willis outlived Talitha by many decades (she died in 1971, he in 2009), he had far more time to do his work. Bill’s design legacy in Marrakech

began

A SHIMMERY METALLIC COPPER WALL WITH MODERN MASTERS Copper metallics are hot right now. Williams-Sonoma is selling copper kitchen equipment and utensils this season. Home decor magazine pages are full of copper. Copper is a current wedding decoration trend. It’s a warm and welcoming metal, perfect for cozy homes in the fall and winter. I recently created a luscious shimmering copper accent wall Continue reading "A Shimmery Metallic DIY TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE WRINKLE-FREE PAPER DECOUPAGEACID FREE TISSUE PAPERACID FREE TISSUE PAPERACID FREE TISSUE PAPER USESAMAZON ACID FREE TISSUE PAPERLINT FREE TISSUE PAPERSMALL TISSUE PAPER Turn the paper over and brush a thin layer of Golden Gloss or Matte Medium on the other side of the paper. Let the medium dry. Choose a surface you want to adhere the papers to. You can use a heavier scrapbook paper as a base. Some collage artists recommend using thick 140 lb watercolor paper. GLOBAL STYLE: FISH TRAP PENDANT LIGHTS Please don’t judge this post by its title! If you haven’t heard of “fish trap” lighting before, you might be wondering if this post will be any good. Yes, it sounds weird. But these lights are actually beautiful. And this is a story of a vision to use something in a way that’s very different from Continue reading "Global Style: Fish Trap

Pendant Lights"

HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WITH SCRAPBOOK PAPER BEYONDHOW TO STORE PAPER SCRAPSUSING UP PAPER SCRAPS Amazon – Get bargains on many papers + free Prime shipping. Joann – They often run “1/2 off” sales, or use 40-50-60% off coupons that you can get in emails and online. Blick Art Supplies – High quality harder-to-find papers + high quality archival glues and

paints.

WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?"

NOMADIC DECORATOR

This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. HOW TO PAINT NEW WALLS TO LOOK OLD Here’s my first coat: Make sure to get good color coverage in the corners. On old walls, the corners tend to not wear away as much so they are often darker. With a brush, I painted two coats of teal in the corners to be sure they’re good and dark. Step 4. Sponge rivers of paint down your wall. OLD WALLS, OR MADE TO LOOK THAT WAY The walls in our India pied-à-terre are very new, and I want them to look very old. Walls are on my mind lately because when we visit Chennai soon, I will paint. I will plan the ideas, I will do the tedious prep work, I will transform with color and textures. I will savor the whole process — the fun Continue reading "Old Walls, Or Made to Look That Way" MOROCCAN STYLE: TALITHA GETTY & BILL WILLIS That is because of Bill Willis. He restored and revived zellij mosaic tilework and brought it into the 20th century with a “modern ideas with Moroccan materials” mentality. Now, because Bill Willis outlived Talitha by many decades (she died in 1971, he in 2009), he had far more time to do his work. Bill’s design legacy in Marrakech

began

A SHIMMERY METALLIC COPPER WALL WITH MODERN MASTERS Copper metallics are hot right now. Williams-Sonoma is selling copper kitchen equipment and utensils this season. Home decor magazine pages are full of copper. Copper is a current wedding decoration trend. It’s a warm and welcoming metal, perfect for cozy homes in the fall and winter. I recently created a luscious shimmering copper accent wall Continue reading "A Shimmery Metallic DIY TUTORIAL: HOW TO MAKE WRINKLE-FREE PAPER DECOUPAGEACID FREE TISSUE PAPERACID FREE TISSUE PAPERACID FREE TISSUE PAPER USESAMAZON ACID FREE TISSUE PAPERLINT FREE TISSUE PAPERSMALL TISSUE PAPER Turn the paper over and brush a thin layer of Golden Gloss or Matte Medium on the other side of the paper. Let the medium dry. Choose a surface you want to adhere the papers to. You can use a heavier scrapbook paper as a base. Some collage artists recommend using thick 140 lb watercolor paper. GLOBAL STYLE: FISH TRAP PENDANT LIGHTS Please don’t judge this post by its title! If you haven’t heard of “fish trap” lighting before, you might be wondering if this post will be any good. Yes, it sounds weird. But these lights are actually beautiful. And this is a story of a vision to use something in a way that’s very different from Continue reading "Global Style: Fish Trap

Pendant Lights"

HOW NOT TO USE KRYLON LOOKING GLASS SPRAY PAINT The paint was sprayed so you don’t see the “front” of the paint. It was not sprayed on a glass object. And now we know how NOT to use Krylon Looking Glass paint. And keep this in mind when dreaming up ideas about what to do with this paint! An alternative if you want a shiny look on a non-transparent object is to use silver foil or silver TOP 10 THINGS TO DO WITH SCRAPBOOK PAPER BEYONDHOW TO STORE PAPER SCRAPSUSING UP PAPER SCRAPS Amazon – Get bargains on many papers + free Prime shipping. Joann – They often run “1/2 off” sales, or use 40-50-60% off coupons that you can get in emails and online. Blick Art Supplies – High quality harder-to-find papers + high quality archival glues and

paints.

WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?"

ALL DIY PROJECTS

All DIY Projects. These are DIY projects – many with international flair – made by me and shared here so you can do them too. I hope you try some! If you do, leave a comment or email. I’d love to hear

what you do.

DIYS WITH STENCILS & PAINT As you can see, you can stencil anything: fabric, furniture, boxes, glass, leather, books, tiles, wood, paper, lamp shades, even clothes! Click on images below to get how-to tutorial posts. Some links go to posts I made as a Contributor at the Paint+Pattern blogzine. If you want me to make something awesome with your company’s products HOUSE TOUR | NOMADIC DECORATOR After many years of blogging, I finally added a House Tour here! The pages linked below show our home in the northwest Chicago suburbs. We’ve also been working on an apartment in India — the India pied-à-terre — and you can see progress there in the Construction and Decorating posts. I’d say my style is “Natural Nomadic Luxe” with things from Continue reading "House Tour"

DIYS WITH FABRIC

Here are DIY tutorials showing how to make projects using fabric — pillows, curtains, lamps, cushions. For many projects, I also show how to decorate the fabric yourself, using stencils and paints. Be SCRAPBOOK PAPER DIY PROJECTS AND TUTORIALS DIYs with Scrapbook Paper. You can do so much more than make scrapbooks with these papers! The endless supply of colors and patterns are like a treasure trove for scrapbook paper DIY crafts. Here are projects I’ve made and shared the how-to’s here, so you

can do them too.

NOMADIC DECORATOR

Decor and DIY inspired by travel. Global Chic Style and DIY projects with paint, texture, pattern, textiles and papers.

WELL-TRAVELED HOMES

After spending an evening with the book The Well-Traveled Home, great examples of well-traveled home decorating were popping out all over Pinterest. I tend to pin these styles anyway, so I studied them more to see what worked in them. And, what I liked about them. I call my style “natural nomadic luxe” – mixing different Continue reading "Well-Traveled Homes" WHAT FAUCET GOES WITH A COPPER SINK? It was The Weekend of the Kitchen Faucet. By Sunday night, we had to have The Chosen One. A major deciding factor for faucet finish is that the farmhouse sink is hammered copper. I was leaning toward dark oil rubbed bronze or other very dark finish. We’ve never boarded the ORB Bandwagon before. But it seemed right for Continue reading "What Faucet Goes with a Copper Sink?" ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK 5: HOW TO PAINT AN "OLD WALL" LOOK Wow, the One Room Challenge has really been a journey! Originally I wanted to makeover our basement into a light, bright, creative studio for blog DIYs, a creative business, who knows the future when you have a big inspiring room to play in, right? But in Week 3, the basement flooded. In Week 4, it Continue reading "One Room Challenge Week 5: How to Paint an “Old Wall” Look" ADINKRA CLOTH: SYMBOLS TO TELL A STORY In the U.S., we don’t usually wear our hopes, dreams and wishes on our clothes. Well, except for when you want your sports team to win! We don’t weave talismans and protections into our fabric, even when we feel vulnerable to things that affect us. Should we? There is a way to do it without Continue reading "Adinkra Cloth: Symbols to Tell a

Story"

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Posted on

WHITE-WASHED DAMCHIYA I will be honest, I get a bit frazzled in India. The action, heat, horns, lights, everything can be energizing, and it is also over-stimulating to me and wears me down after awhile. Because, it’s the flip opposite of the very quiet acre of land full of only nature and trees we’re used to living on outside of Chicago. So after a long day out and about in the middle of things in Chennai, the India pied-a-terre is an escape. This might be why the India pied-a-terre is not full of the energizing colors you would expect me to use there, like hot pink! It’s full of light and white. With actually, black as an accent color. I’m not sure what people think of using black as an accent color in India, but I like the edge it brings to a room. And, I use deep paprika orange and copper metallics. It’s hard to stay disciplined and stick only with these, so there are some touches of blue and one room does have hot pink paint stencils on a wall. But I keep the “hot” to a minimum! So in keeping with the light color theme, I’ve written before about

white jharokhas

and

layers of white global patterns

.

Today I’ll talk about white damchiyas. Just inside the main door

,

we need a place to set keys, handbag, hat, wallet, shopping bags, phones, pieces of paper, etc. Right now, all this stuff winds up carried further into the apartment, and it all gets piled up on the dining table of all places. When we want to eat, we have to clear all this stuff off. It’s like squeezing a toothpaste tube, though. All the stuff winds up thrown in a hurry on the sectional in the living room, then. It doesn’t belong there either! Living minimally leaves you with few surfaces for stuff. So, you have to be even more conscious of how you live, and what you need, and what annoys you, so the few things you do choose serve a good purpose for you. We need a horizontal surface just inside the main door! But not just ANY surface. Here’s my “moodboard” for the space inside the main door: I would love a white washed damchiya to go with this look. There’s a space to the right of the door where a damchiya could fit perfectly. Let’s look at some! Here is one from Stone House Artifacts

.

They travel to India and find the best of the best. Though this is a white-on-white theme, it is not boring. The wood brings warmth. The pattern is visually interesting. I know the tribal look would contrast nicely with the more simple modern things in the

room.

Here is one from Mugal Gallery that has shisha mirrors embedded on it. You’ll notice in my inspiration moodboard above, there are pillows with shisha from John Robshaw in it. And another, gorgeous, from Aadi Ambe

:

I know people are excited about IKEA coming to India. There are a few things from IKEA USA in the apartment – things we could fit in our suitcases. But I don’t anticipate buying IKEA furniture for the apartment. I’d rather we find things with history and a story to tell, that we take care of for awhile before passing them on to others who will care just as much.

Posted on

IT’S JUST PAINT! MOROCCAN TABLE RE-PAINT Sometimes your style changes. Sometimes you get new ideas. Sometimes you think, I wish that looked different. Sometimes this happens to me … _with things I painted_! I painted this table with Moroccan patterns years ago and it was

loved.

Hard to see in the photo, but the white lines were shimmery pearlescent. With pink, blue and green veins like mother of pearl inlay. If you want to learn how to paint that, visit my tutorial at

Paint + Pattern

.

We lived with this look for about four years. Then one summer evening, while blasting Queen music probably a little too loud for the neighbors’ liking, I did a “messy metallic” look on candlesticks. I mixed golds, bronzes, coppers, silvers, and made them look burnished and old. This was originally a white farmhouse style

candlestick:

I loved this look. This might not be everyone’s favorite look, but it’s right up my design alley. I wanted to do messy metallics on

MORE and BIGGER.

That’s when I got the idea. I could see the Moroccan table with raised patterns, and messy metallic. I wanted it to look like a bronze table cast with lost wax technique in a sandpit somewhere deep in the Sahara Desert. Maybe the table was made many decades ago, and since then the table sat in a flood for awhile, so patina is darker on the bottom. Or maybe it sat too close to a road, and grease gradually built up on the bottom of it. Dust settled in the crevices between the raised patterns. Edges of the patterns got brighter as hands brushed them and books, tea cups and dishes were dragged over them. Maybe you’d call that a wild imagination. Or a hallucination! But when painting, I’m going for an idea, a feeling, a memory of a place. I wanted this table to travel further back in time and through rough stuff in its life. Before showing the paint steps, I want to say first … _about the roadside grease_ … no we wouldn’t really want grease on our furniture. Right? We wouldn’t really want mold on a table in our living room. We might not want horribly chipping paint all over the outside walls of our house. So, isn’t it funny that so many of us — me included — take pictures in front of things like this when we’re on vacation? Like chippy walls with dirt, grease, and frankly, likely mold, is worthy of photos. We call it patina. “Aged to perfection.” But when the “dirt” or “grease” is just paint, it’s fine in

the house.

STEPS TO DO THIS

After that way-too-long intro (but I’m not cutting it down), here are a few tips to get this look …

RAISED STENCILS

I used the same stencil as the first time the table was painted — Starry Moroccan Night from Royal Design Studio. I did not want to buy new supplies, so I used what I already owned to make raised patterns. I used a Golden molding paste on the top. That ran out. So on the sides, I used Modern Masters Venetian plaster. After the paste & plaster dried, a light sanding knocked off sharp peaks and sharp lines. I left many imperfections, pocks and pits because I want the table to look old and a bit battered. I want some color to settle into the pits. I added a “sort of floral” pattern along the edges. That pattern I believe was from stock photography like iStockphoto or ShutterStock, and I cut it with a Cricut Explore.

METALLIC PAINTS

Gather a bunch of metallics. Lots! I used mostly acrylics: coppers, bronzes, silver, golds from bright gold to old gold, even a shimmery metallic black. And yeah, I used several coppers, several bronzes. This builds up a depth of color and variety. I couldn’t even tell you what metallic I did first, second, third, fourth etc. because I didn’t document and photograph every step. I needed to get into a creative flow with this. Stopping to document really interrupts that. In general, I used gold and silver in the middle, and darker metallics like the bronzes and black on the edges. I used more bronze and black along the bottoms and feathered it out about 1/3 to halfway up. SPRAY WATERED DOWN PAINT & SPREAD IT I wanted “dust” in the crevices between the raised patterns. This was a two-step process. For “dust” to show up, it’s better if it’s on a darker background. So first you paint a dark background, then you do the dust over it. First, fill a spray bottle with water and black paint. The ratio should be 20% paint, 80% water. Maybe even 10% paint, 90% water. Lots of water so the paint is runny. This is MESSY. Protect the surface under your project. I had  a dropcloth on the floor but some black paint splashed on white walls nearby! I sprayed the watery paint lightly over the top of the table, then immediately — before it dried — smooshed it into the crevices with a tile grout spreader. To do this, you simply drag the grout spreader over the surface so you’re pushing the watery paint off the raised patterns, so the color flows between the patterns. The tile grout spreader behaves sort of like a trowel but it has a gentler, rubbery

edge.

Here’s a video showing how to _smoooooosh_ watery paint between the

raised stencils:



Extra water WILL run off your project. You might get drips. Some people like drips, some don’t. Have paper towel on hand to dab watery paint where you don’t want it. Let the surface dry. Now. You might notice my table has six sides. When you do this watery paint spray, you have to spray it on a horizontal surface. So … I had seven surfaces, and all had to dry before I could roll the table over and do the next side! It took forever. But wait, there’s more. Next we add the “dust” over the dark areas in the crevices. Dust is not shiny, so I used matte chalk and clay paints, like a neutral DIY Paint or Dixie Belle paint. I washed the black paint out of the spray bottle, then made another watery paint with about 10-20% clay/chalk paint with 80-90% water. I followed the same steps as above. Spray the watery paint on a flat horizontal surface. Smoooooshhhhh the watery paint into the crevices with the tile grout spreader. And yeah, I had to do this with all seven surfaces, letting them all dry before flipping the table over. When the paint dries, you should see what looks like “dust” in the cracks between the patterns. If the raised patterns have pits and holes in them, the black paint and the chalky paint will settle into those pits and make cool

old-looking patina.

This admittedly looks terrible. When working with lots of paint layers, it looks worse before it gets better!

DRY BRUSHING

Dry brushing toned down the black streaks: Dry brushing a great for depth and variety of color. After I applied a base of bright gold in the middles and bronzes on the edges, most of the painting was dry brushing one color _after another after another after another_. Until I got the look I wanted. There was some re-doing and re-painting with dry brushing. Sometimes the table got too light — I dry brushed too much silver. Sometimes it got too red — I dry brushed too much copper. Sometimes the gold got too muddy — I dry brushed too much black on

the gold.

None of this is a problem. It’s part of the process and everything can be painted over. The nice thing about dry brushing is you can do many layers, and the paint doesn’t get too thick because you’re applying barely-there feathers of paint. When color was going in the wrong direction, I corrected it by dry brushing another color. I was aiming for a color in my head, and I knew if it was on track or if it

was off.

FINAL RESULT

I’ll be honest, I was getting really tired of this table at the end. Even when it was done, it sat in the sunroom for a few days before I brought it in to photograph it. I was THAT tired of painting it! The work was worth it though. It is exactly the Moroccan table picture that popped in my mind. It looks good between red chairs. I have not sealed it with any wax or topcoat. I worry about changing the sheen of the metallics and/or the “dust.” I worked so hard to get it the way I wanted it, I would kick myself if i put a topcoat on it and the color or sheen changed! Most of the paint is acrylic and the table is not heavily used, so I’m not worried about wear ‘n

tear.

So if you’ve been looking at something that you wish was different — even if it’s something you painted — _it’s only paint_. You can always re-paint. Try it, have fun, play with giving it a different

look!

Posted on

PAINTED JEANS INSPIRATION I’m seeing painted jeans everywhere! And not just because I hang out around people who paint. I’ve seen painted jeans in our local

Sundance store

on

Johnny Was jeans. And believe me, the paint was no accident! You can buy jeans already painted, or you can do your own design freehand with finger painting or brushes, or even stencils. For ideas, see these jeans from Free People

…

Gray print on white jeans – this could easily be stenciled: Faded denim jeans with white flowers (affiliate link) – again, this could so easily be stenciled with white paint. Just arrange flower stencils in random directions like they’re falling down the jeans:

A darker jean

for greater contrast with the pattern: Maybe I would stop the pattern a little lower on the leg, around the knee or low thigh, let it fade out. The patterned waistband is cute. And, I love border prints when they hit the hem of pants. Here’s a different look. These are crochet panels. But you could tape off sections of jeans in squares and paint a pattern like these Free People jeans (affiliate link): These are embroidered. But you could paint flowers in color to look like these Free People jeans (affiliate

link):

Pull out your blue paints and paint the blues on your jeans like this

:

Also please do not think this is only for models of this age or with these bodies. We should all live fun and free and do whatever we want

with our jeans!

Maybe the jean style matters though? I did notice while scrolling all the jeans at Free People, that they’re mostly doing this design on the flared jeans, and not the straight leg, boyfriend, cropped, or skinny jeans. I don’t know, maybe they’re typecasting the flared jeans as bohemian? Maybe paint wouldn’t look so good on straight leg jeans? What do you think? I’m about to go raid my closet for jeans and pull out the paint and

stencils …

Posted on

WHITE JHAROKHA

Sometimes I see an idea and it sticks and I _have to do it_. I’ve followed Bisque on Instagram for years. They are in Byron Bay, Australia and they sell things mostly from India but also Africa and Indonesia with a distinctive look: many layers of natural textures in neutrals. Textures from carvings, weavings, nature’s etchings. They live with this look, they wear this look, they design the look

for others.

Years ago I spotted a row of white painted jharokha in their pictures:

I wanted that look!

My design theme for the India pied-a-terre – our apartment in Chennai, India – is light & white with layers of global textures

.

I intended to buy a collection of jharokha and hang them on a wall, copying the Bisque look with a little bit of shame. So far I only did one! I found the jharokha on Pepperfry.com and in the comfort of our home by Chicago, paid for it in rupees and had it shipped to the Chennai apartment. Gotta love online shopping. There it sat for maybe a year until my last trip to India. It was dark brown. And you can see it was in rough shape. Now, you gotta remember you can’t just go to Home Depot for last-minute supplies in India. So I usually pack things like wood glue and wood filler in our suitcase. You know, along with the toothpaste and antiperspirant! Normal traveling stuff. I appreciate having Amazon.in available, but it doesn’t sell everything in India. The bottom shelf of this jharokha was loose so the wood glue came in handy. However, the wood filler was dried up.

What to do?

Well. I remembered back to my early adult apartment rental days. The time I moved out and had a bunch of holes in the wall from hanging stuff. I wanted my security deposit back. So you know what you do. Yep. Toothpaste. So, I filled all the gaps in the jharokha with toothpaste! It worked! Then I painted it with neutral clay and chalk paints. I first painted it with a darker neutral — Old Ochre from Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan. Then, I added a lighter layer of Vintage Linen

from DIY Paint.

I applied the DIY Paint lightly with a damp paper towel so the darker color below still showed through without brush marks. A fabric cloth or a baby wipe would have held up better, but the paper towel was all

I had handy.

Here you see on the right side how Vintage Linen lightened it up. I wanted it to look like dust in the crevices of white wood. But, not

dust for real.

It’s still in rough rustic shape. I did not have sandpaper. Add it to the list of stuff to take on the next trip. It will eventually be hung somewhere within view of this area, to give you an idea of how it fits in. Time to find a few more jharokha to paint on the next trip! I’m glad I photographed the paint cans, so I remember what colors to pack next

time.

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