Kitchen Colorwash

Here is a kitchen that I painted in Lynden. The homeowner wanted a wall finish that blended the decorative elements and added depth and richness to the space. I started with a warm taupe base coat, then built up layers of glaze, brushing on and ragging off. I even added a subtle touch of metallic.

With new walls, countertops and glass tile backsplashes, this family loves their new kitchen!

The Mao residence

Anthony had me repaint his entire 3 story house before he moved his family in. They had liked the layout and neighborhood, but not the colors inside, which were all cool blue/green. We painted all the ceilings dover white, which is a warm and complimentary color. For the walls I chose 3 shades of creamy taupes. I added this accent wall in the dining room. He wanted texture and warmth, so I did sweeping swirls in plaster, then painted it the color, at his suggestion, of an old copper penny.


In the master bedroom I used a similar color, in suade paint, for a soft, cozy feeling.

Faux Brick, using American Clay plaster

I first primed the wall with the American Clay sanded primer, tinted a grout grey. Then I applied 1/4 " tape where I wanted to show 'grout'. After that I troweled on an even coat of red plaster. While it was still tacky we peeled off the tape, and like magic we had- bricks!


To lighten the bricks and add depth I scraped back over all the surfaces. It sure looks like the real thing! Close-up view.

The new bricks were still a little dark, and didn't quite match up with the fireplace brick, so I highlighted over them with light clay. Here is the finished result.

Another view.

Tiled Bathroom

Here is one of the bathrooms I tiled in August. People are always thrilled with how tile transforms a room, adding style and substance.

Kitchen cabinet facelift

My client had a kitchen with tired but still fully functional particle board cabinets. He wanted to improve things asthetically without the cost and hassle of pulling out and completely replacing the cabinets. I suggested that with a relatively quick and easy paint job I could transform them into new "wood" cabinets.


Ta-dah! A completely new feel. The cabinets now tie in nicely with the pergo floor, the backsplash is "tinned", the out-dated wallpaper is covered with new texture and paint. A completely updated kitchen for only $2000!

Close-up of the wood graining, done by glazing one coat of paint over another with a graining tool.