‘Featured Finishes’ Series: Episode 7
It’s getting sunny out there! Everywhere I look there are hues of greens, yellows and blues filling the landscape. This week we’re bringing summertime fun-time into the studio to pay homage to the approaching season! The sun is shining and maybe a passing shower or two, but the trees are in bloom and the water below & sky up above are glowing with color. It’s almost like a child’s drawing of crayons scribbled everywhere!
This week, let’s have… Summertime Fun-time
Lake Tahoe in her summertime hues
Summer to you might be rolling down a Grassy Knoll in the park or kicking off your shoes at the Beach House. However you enjoy the season, it’s brimming with feelings of warmth, relaxation & a bright, cheery spirit! Filling your space with colors of summer like blues, yellows, greens and other bright tones, it’s hard not to feel uplifted and joyful. Your surroundings can really have a strong affect on your mood, so why not put a lively piece in your design for a little summertime pick-me-up?
Furniture and home decor are great places to add texture, patterns & multiple colors for a ‘pop’ in your room. Solid colors can quickly embellish an accent wall. Pair that color splash with a piece that is dry brushed with a mix of bright colors and a linen effect. You’ll have a stellar duo!
Grassy Knoll is the epitome of a warm summertime day. This finish is base painted a light greenish-yellow color. Wanting to add more vibrant green and white accents, a chip brush is the perfect tool for making horizontal and vertical strokes (with a pretty dry brush) back and forth across the piece. These brush strokes will create a linen or burlap effect which you can make as subtle or dramatic as you want! Get creative and layer in as many colors and brush strokes until it’s perfect.
Another approach to summer is to decorate your space like a beach house, unless your lucky enough to have a beach house, and then you can just decorate that! Either way, you’ll feel as if the sand is only steps away!
The Beach House finish is similar in approach to Grassy Knoll but holds a more horizontal pattern. Choose your base color for the piece that will be the backdrop. I used a yellow-honey color for the sample shown. Then the array of colors is up to your liking. I put in vibrant blues and greens as well as a little ‘splatter’ of reddish-brown to finish it off! Keep adding colors and layers until you love it!
The only step left is to seal your creation. Some people like to use wax as the final step and others want something a little extra and chose to seal with a varnish or clear coat. This is a personal preference. Some of my pieces I love the look of wax and others I want a little tougher exterior and clear coat them. Experiment and see what works best for you! Happy summertime fun-time!
Check out the Finish Gallery for more inspiration.
