Monday, October 18, 2010

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

Okay, I admit it, we don't actually have yellow bricks, but we do have red ones! Here's how it started.

We did lots and lots of research and shopping before moving into this huge space. For months I scoured the antique stores and flea markets searching for anything that I thought would fit into our new concept. After buying the architectural pieces, I began thinking about the floor. It was HUGE and it was covered with a very old linoleum that was in terrible condition.

It was obvious that the floor had to be covered or painted. I had some experience in painting floors; I had previously painted the floor in the great room in my home and I thought it would be a good idea to give it a try. But before the floors were to be painted, we needed to develop the rooms.

My good friend, Dennis Birchler (an architect), and I spent months planning the entire area. He was instrumental in incorporating the architectural pieces as I designed the various "rooms." Wanting each room to have it's own character, I designed the floors throughout.

To complete the project, I contracted with a faux painter who used an oil-based paint to complete the project.  The photo below shows a faux tile with a fleur-de-lis placed sporadically.


The cobblestone pattern was painted using several colors of paint, a large stencil, and the shadows painted by a very small brush. Yes, it took forever!


And finally... the bricks. The stencil that he used made painting this section  a little faster.

So there you have it.  Watch your step!

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