Decorative Painting in Naples Florida: To Faux or Not to Faux That Is My Question
I can’t tell you, how many times during my thirty-something career in the faux finishing industry that I have heard a client or a designer say “ I thought faux was out”. I also can’t tell you how many times I cringe when I hear this as well. The thing is, I get it. There are plenty of awful finishes performed by people who have not perfected there craft, and have left a bad taste in clients and designers mouths (ex: the photo below); this shouldn’t bring down an entire industry. So, let’s talk about why designers and homeowners have started making these statements.
When I first started in this trade in the early eighties it was more of a secret club or a sub-culture to the painting industry. There were only a handful of schools around the country that taught faux finishing and you had to be very lucky (like I was J) to have a chance to work with an old master to learn this secret trade. It was not easy to get your foot in the door back then; the few who got through, were appreciative and dedicated to the trade. It was not about making a quick buck. it was about dedicating yourself to a trade that would take lots of practice and lots of discipline; similar to mastering the craft of an instrument to become a concert musician.
Fast forward to the 2000 to 2012 era of Faux and a lot has changed. Everyone and their cousin is a faux finisher! How could this have happened? Well, faux finishing schools started sprouting up in every town and it seemed on every block. Home depot started carrying faux finishing supplies for the do-it-yourselfer. You could take a two day class get a certificate and you were a certified faux finisher. Or take a Sunday afternoon class at home depot or Lowes and there was no need to hire a pro. All you needed was your natural sea sponge and a few colored paints and you were all set.
The economy was booming in the late nineties and early two thousands and building and remodeling were going through the roof! There was an increase in demand for faux finishing during this time; the only problem was, there were not enough quality finishers to do the work. On top of that, so many clients were not educated on faux finishing and could not tell a good job from a bad job. I could not believe the poor quality of work I was seeing. The funny thing was, most decorative painters didn’t even know how bad it was then; just the idea of having faux finished walls was exciting to most!
Well the years went on and designers and clients started getting more educated on the subject. The economy in 2008 hit bottom and nobody could even sell there houses. If you had some bad sponge painted walls “faux-get-a-bout-it” nobody wanted to buy your house. So, designers and brokers started advising clients to just paint out the rooms with a flat off white or taupe if they wanted to sell there house. This started the bad taste in many peoples mouths about faux. They started thinking if I want to resell one day it will be harder to sell, with this crazy sponge painting all over there house.
WELL HERE IS HOW IT ENDED AND HERE IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY
When the economy hit bottom the whole world changed. People lost there houses and only the very talented and strong willed faux finishers survived the crash. Many of the wannabe faux finishes have drifted out to see and are pursuing all sorts of different careers. I wish them all the best, but, now it’s time to rebuild the faux finishing reputation in this world. Well, in short we are. There are less schools and more serious students. The work is looking better and better out there. The clients and designers are more educated and can tell the difference between bad, good and sensational (like Spiegel’s Decorative Finishes) work these days.
CONTEMPORARY DESIGN IN NAPLES FLORIDA IS ON THE RISE AGAIN
There is a new surge in Naples, Florida for contemporary design in lieu of the Old World Tuscan look, which was the rage for years. Many designers I have spoke with see no place for faux finishing and tend to paint every room in a flat paint. Can you see me just cringing again every time they say that! If they would just experience one of our contemporary finishes such as Lusterstone in a soft pearlescent grey or our Venetian Plaster treatment in a taupe color with a pearlized mica wax polished over it, they would never look back! Decorative painting in Naples Florida by Spiegel’s Decorative Finishes will give your interior a touch of grandiose design!
FAUX FINISHING DOES NOT GO IN AND OUT OF STYLE, COLORS AND DESIGN TRENDS GO IN AND OUT OF STYLE
If I am lucky enough to explain to someone on the fence about faux finishes being in style or out of style, here’s what I usually say: Faux finishing is a design medium just like wallpaper is. Applied correctly, in the right color & texture, with a talented set of hands, will always be an enhancement to a space. Any enhancement to a space; creating a mood with elegance will NEVER go out of style!
SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, TO FAUX OR NOT TO FAUX!
THE ANSWER IS GO FAUXIT!
FINAL ANSWER: YES, GO FAUXIT!
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