Fresco Refresh

Hi everyone! It’s great to back and blogging again. If you don’t follow me on Facebook you may not know that my blog was hacked a few weeks ago and I was unable to post. I was locked out and it even took the tech guys several days to get in to repair the damage. The good news is....... Read More 

Now Available Online in the USA

So excited! Pure & Original Paint is now available for purchase in the USA. Stock is very limited, but readers of Colorways have an opportunity to purchase through this link:  Colorways and Pure & Original Paint. (This link will only be work while initial stock is available. Don't miss out :)

Problem Solved

Thank you everyone who came to my aid with suggestions to solve the stain/bleed problem, I blogged about here.  With your help I was able to....... Read More

What's Your Favorite Paint Brush?

So many of you have asked about the paint brushes I use in the videos that a post seemed in order. As you can see I use many different brushes....... Read More

New Video Tutorial: Solvents used to Prepare Vintage Furniture for Decorative Painting.

New Video Tutorial  Colorways @ LeslieStocker.com

On the Campaign Trail

What better a color than Annie Sloan Chalk PaintⒸ Napoleonic Blue for this campaign style chest of drawers. Graphite was mixed with Napoleonic Blue and spot layered to add depth, over the first coat of pure NB. It looks brighter in the picture due to too much camera flash. I love this style and wanted to keep it simple to emphasize the clean lines and stunning brass hardware. A solidly built chest of drawers like this is hard to find at a reasonable price (sadly, this is not mine). If you are lucky enough to find one, buy it quickly, or it will be gone.

Paint and Pattern II

This is the same generic bow front chest from Wednesday's post. Again, some of the options involve paint and stencil, wallpaper, and decoupage. But you don't have to limit yourself to preprinted wallcoverings. Almost any high quality print image can be enlarged to suit your needs at a local copy shop. Many posters are large enough on their own.  The Chateau is from a wine label and the Babar image is from a children's book. Old books in general are a great source and are abundant for a fraction of their original price. Even if you can't bring yourself to tear apart an old book ( I never can), you can have the image scanned and enlarged. Remember these are virtual images created on my computer. This next step is to actually start working on that bow front chest in my garage. To be continued.....

Kentucky Derby

 May 3, 2014

Paint and Pattern

There are so many creative ways to enhance vintage furniture beyond simply painting a solid color. Texture and patterns, in the form of stencils, wallcoverings, and illustrations can be transferred, painted on or decoupaged making it a piece of art. My post today explores different options for a simple bow front chest. Pieces like this are easily found anywhere, and depending on the condition or just plain luck can be quite inexpensive. Perfect for trying out new ideas and experimenting. Sometimes I just jump right in. But if it involves more planning, measuring, materials, I will sketch my ideas or take a photo and load it onto my computer. Using a program like Photoshop allows me to think out of the box, push my boundaries, experiment and refine my plan before I begin. 

In my image above, I have tried out four different ideas on the same generic piece of furniture. These are virtual representations, I have not actually painted or decoupaged this chest yet. But it is a great place to start before committing to any one idea.

Antique and Mondrian

My inspiration for today's post is the great modernist painter from the Netherlands, Piet Mondrian. His series of Composition paintings feature a dynamic use of lines, space, rectangles and primary colors. Using Annie Sloan Chalk PaintⒸ on this simple, old, multi-drawered pine cabinet, I used Graphite, Pure White, Emperor's Silk, Napoleonic Blue, and English Yellow for a straightforward interpretation of antique and modern. Or more accurately, modern on antique. Not my usual style, but I think its important to push your boundaries. I am also still trying to determine what to do with the Chinese Apothecary Cabinet I showed in yesterdays post. Consider it a trial run. So what is your opinion? Does it work or not? Love it or hate it? Keep it modern or repaint it in a more traditional antique style?