Faux Marble Floors

One of my all time favorites is Decorative marbleizing or faux marbling is the preparation, painting and finishing of a surface to imitate the appearance of real polished marble. It has been used in buildings where the cost or weight of genuine marble would be prohibitive. Over the centuries it has become a most sought after art form. Faux marbling is a special case of faux painting used to create the distinctive and varied patterns of marble – the most imitated stone by far.

“The Italian school was loose and artistic; the French school was formal and realistic. It typically took an apprentice ten years or more to fully master the art. The sophistication of the techniques are such that visitors are frequently unable to distinguish between false and real marble in many churches, palaces and public buildings in Europe”. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Strie/ Glazing PART 1

Strie / glazing- Part 1 Strié is a popular form of faux painting using glaze and paint brushes to create a soft natural striped texture. Strié is a negative glaze technique. The glaze is generally rolled over the entire surface, and then removed with a tool such as a brush. The word strié can be used to describe this process of painting, or to describe the actual finish created. Before rollers and latex, paint was a thick emulsion that went on with tedious brushing. Bristle marks were often visible and they became more prominent as years and dirt accumulated. The strie technique mimics the look of centuries-old paint altered by dust and sun. It’s best used on paneling or other woodwork; in white, it’s perfect for creating French country kitchen cabinets and furniture. It can bee seen in many French chateau interiors. Above photo fro an a article on strie technique on This Old House by my friend Pierre Finkelstein.      Here are some different  color samples      Below are more aged and distressed Strie. Strie technique is popular on French and Swedish style furniture and interior design. Combined with gilding the results are stunning Strie over faux damask decor of “Prince Diaries 2”        A pink Strie by one of my favorite designers Charles Spada. Another child’s room – Strie walls Strie can be done over stenciling for an aged look. Decorative  ornament and  molding accents can be strie-d. Strie also goes well with gilded striping on paneling or boiserie. In our next news letter we will look at some other applications and cost effective alternatives. Here are a few Marbling projects we just completed. A Custom Ebony Finished Oak Floor

Floor Stenciling Part 1

Restoration of turn of the century stenciling, NY