Pros: easy-to-follow, lots of excellent photos, extremely inspirational, unique ideas
Cons: I wish there was more!
The Bottom Line: After a fierce fight for my door, FABULOUS FINISHES helped me create a masterpiece I never thought possible. This book is a must-for high-class low-cost painting.
Caprig's Full Review: Fabulous Finishes for Your Home Step By Books
ENCOUNTER WITH THE NAZI DOOR STALKER
It was a beautiful day. The crisp winds of autumn were lacing the warm breezes of the day. The leaves were just starting to turn brilliant shades of yellow and orange. The autumn harvest was about in full swing. Mouth watering peaches filled the bushel baskets in our kitchen accompanied by the cheery red of sweet juicy tomatoes.
We were going to Mr. 2nd's - a factory outlet of Grossman's, which is a building supply sort of store. We had a special discount coupon for 20% off of anything purchased within a 3 hour period for "preferred customers only".
It was going to be a nice day.
Before going to the store, we had cased the place by studying the Sunday ad in the paper. That was when I saw it. $400 doors with leaded glass windows for only $189. With the 20% off, they would be cheaper than a regular clunky old door.
We needed a basement door to help keep our house better heated in the winter, so here was the chance to actually have a nice front door.
We arrived at the store and cars were already lining up in the parking lot. I called out to my husband that I would be on "door duty" and he could meet me there. Then I bolted into the store like a crazed woman at Macy's the day after Christmas.
I looked around frantically for the doors. Finally, as I was careening down the second aisle for the third time, I saw it. Our door. Our beloved door.
There were only 2 doors that would fit our front entryway in our house. One of the doors was OK, but the second door was gorgeous. I clung to the door like a dying woman in the ocean clinging to a raft.
I HAD to have this door.
The only problem was that someone had really beat on the door at the bottom. The white door had been slightly dented and then sanded with metal sand paper so that the raw metal was showing.
I did not care. The window in the door was so beautiful that I would find SOMETHING to do with it!
As I looked around for my husband a woman came bursting around the corner, her eyes wild as if being pursued. She stopped suddenly as if she ran into a wall. She stared at me as if I were a terrorist ready to take her captive. After what seemed a long time, she spun around on her heel and stalked off angrily.
After a couple more minutes, many people later, and still no husband to rescue me, I saw the stalker woman casing me out. The third time she walked by she was dragging a man I assumed was her husband and an older teen, which I gathered was her son.
She got up in their faces with a menacing tone and barked orders to them like an army sergeant. Then she spun on her heel again and marched off. Sheepishly the two men stood about 3 feet away from me and watched me as if I were a movie.
I became even more anxious for my husband to appear. As if willing him to show up, I finally saw his familiar face. Ahhh. A friend in enemy territory.
Clinging to the door like Anne of Green Gables when she clung to the bridge post after her boat sank, I tried to talk to my husband. Because of the crowd, he kept saying ,"WHAT?".
At last, he was close enough to hear me. I quickly explained the situation, and he laughed. In his excruciatingly annoying way (used when he wants to show someone that HE is in control) he took his time and studied the door. He wanted to make sure that the damage on the door could be fixed, and he was NOT to be hurried.
Finally, "Nazi Door Woman" stomped back to her embarrassed accomplices. She sighed. She switched her feet so often that you could assume she was barefoot standing on hot tar.
After endless signals that fell uselessly on undaunted ears of my husband, she could not take the stress anymore. She stalked over to us and demanded, "ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THAT DOOR, OR WHAT?".
"Well, now," replied my husband in his slow drawl reminiscent of Andy Griffith or Matthew on Anne of Green Gables, "I don't know yet."
I thought that this woman was going to burst a blood vessel. Losing composure, she fluttered over to her companions, only to find that they had vanished. In just a few seconds, she was dragging them over to resume their post.
Slowly, painfully methodically, my husband continued to study the door. It took some time, but the woman finally became exasperated and stormed off. She had admitted defeat.
After she had left the area, my husband looked at me, a slow grin spreading across his face, and said that he had every intention of taking that door, he was just having fun driving that woman insane.
It was quite a task to get everything else we wanted while we guarded that door. It seemed that EVERYONE in the store wanted that door.
Once we got it home, I was faced with a problem. The window was so nice that I hated to just paint it white and have dents in it. I was tired of everything in our lives having rips, tears, dents, and abrasions in it.
THAT is where this book, FABULOUS FINISHES comes in.
WHAT IS THIS BOOK ABOUT
My husband took us through a million + dollar home that he helped to work on. The home was sold for the benefit of an orchestra in a city not too far away (that is rural talk for it is really far, but not as far as the other end of the country).
In that home they had done tremendous things with faux paint. The effects were awesome, but the methods were very easy. After all, my husband had seen it all done.
So, I had joined the Decorative Arts Book Club, which includes a department on faux painting. I took the newsletter to the library and got out every book in the bulletin. The book that I was most impressed with was FABULOUS FINISHES by Karl-Heinz Meschbach.
WHO IS KARL-HEINZ MESCHBACH?
At the age of 14, Karl-Heinz began his training in Berlin in a prestigious decorative arts program. He studied under masters in the tradition and in the European Guild tradition. He won many awards and medals, the most prestigious being Certification from the Berlin City and Guild.
In 1961, he escaped East Germany and went to West Germany. In 1962, he emigrated to the US, moved to Chicago and joined the US Army.
While stationed in West Germany, he held his first solo exhibition. The year was 1965. Until 1973, he worked as a paper hanger, muralist, house painter, and fine artist - and he published over 100 pen and ink drawings.
Over the next 20 years, he relocated several times from Western US and settled in Pennsylvania. He has a studio there and works with da Vinci, a traditional German brush maker, helping them expand their decorative arts brush line.
His list of accolades is very long and prestigious.
WHAT IS THE BOOK LIKE?
This book is like a mini pictoral encyclopedia of faux finishes for your home.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I mention this page, because it is very valuable to the book. On this page spread, in each part of the book (there are three), there are thumbnail photos of samples of each technique covered in the chapter. The title of the technique is under the photo along with the page number.
I find this very valuable as you can quickly pick what finish you want and go directly there without being bogged down with reading.
INTRODUCTION
Everything you need to start faux finishing. Tools and materials are explained well and thoroughly. It is important to note that this book is designed for WATERBASED MEDIUMS. That is nice because I do not like to work with oils with kids and pets around.
It is hard to find a faux painting book that focuses only on waterbased media. That is a very big PLUS!!!
HOW TO PREPARE A SURFACE
What you need to do to make a surface look best under faux paint.
WHAT IS A GLAZE?
KEY issue to faux painting. Answers the question well and very important to learning any of these finishes.
FINISHES
The finishes included in this book are beautiful. They range from easy and quick (sponging on) to intricate and more time consuming (verde)
Here is a list of the finishes included in the book.
sponging on and off
ragging on and off
mottling
wash (like watercolor washes)
frottage (uses paper, or plastic wrap to get various looks)
strie (woodgrain)
stippling (uses brush tips)
heartgraining (looks just like paneling)
moire (gorgeous replication of taffeta)
combing
antiquing
crackling
verdigris (copper that is turning green)
veining marble
bravura marble
bravura mahogany
bravura burl
straightgraining
verde (green marble)
malachite (look at the bookcover with this review)
basketweave
travertine(like square stones)
WHAT IS A PROJECT LIKE?
Each project starts with an indepth history and description of the technique. Things to remember about the technique are also here. Ideas for use of the technique are here as well.
There is a list of materials in a colored box, making it easy to see.
Each step is accompanied by a very clear and excellent quality photo.
RESOURCES
At the end of the book are resource listings for obtaining materials for faux paining. If you can not find a Michael's, or Sherwin Williams store around, you can send away to these places (or find them on the internet).
HOW DID I LIKE THE BOOK?
Remember my coveted door? Well, having never done any faux painting EVER in my life, it was a gamble to work on a door first time ever.
So, to experiment, I did the old clunky metal door that had been on the front of the house for 10 years. I did a sponging on technique with metal paint I found at Michael's Arts and Crafts Store. I used 8 different colors and the effect is magnificent.
With a few decorative flowers (something I had NEVER done) and lettering I got from another book from the club, the door looks like a masterpiece. I have had others wanting me to do their doors too.
After such success with my old door, I decided to try the beautiful door. On the outside, I did a verde marble. It is an Italian marble look which is made of white, green and black woven in with it.
This technique was reputed to be very challenging and difficult. But I wanted it badly, so I was willing to take the chance.
I did not have the equipment in brushes, and I had to improvise.
After only one day, I finished the door and the results were breathtaking.
I did the inside of the door in a white marble with veining. Again, very difficult to do and I did not have all of the equipment- no veining brush or feather even. I had to improvise.
Again, the results were amazing. The instructions were so excellently done that even though I was a very inexperienced beginner, I got results I never dreamed possible.
My husband even remarked that I had done better than the faux painting experts that he had worked with in the expensive homes.
RECOMMENDATION
FABULOUS FINISHES is a book you should try to get out of the library. It is a beautiful feast for the eyes and highly inspirational. If I can do it, anyone can.
If you have a wall that you really can not stand to look at, or even a door like I did that needs a facelift, try this book. Start simple if you like and move up from there.
Every time I see the rainbows sparkle through the leaded glass window in my marble door, I am so thankful I got this book.
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