I was trying to get a bit ahead of my blog writing and stumbled onto a post I had started in 2011! I had so much fun looking back at how some of our techniques have evolved and especially how my house has changed over the years!! I thought you would too…

You’ve probably heard the old saying that a cobbler doesn’t have shoes. Well, that doesn’t apply to me. In my case, a finisher definitely has finishes!! If you look at the “My Home” section of this blog, you can see that no space has been left untreated! My family cringes every time I start carrying a particular sample around the house, saying, “I love that sample!!! Where will it go?” Here are a few samples that have struck me that way!

We made a sample of a dramatic, elegant finish for the interior panels of an elevator. It was gold leaf topped with a hand-applied, Gracie-inspired tree and flower design. I loved it so much I wanted to frame the sample!! I placed it on the display shelf in my office trying to decide where to put it.

Well, it just landed there – and I ended up redoing the cabinet to match it!!! I loved the piece before, but I really love it now! So much so that I can’t put the display shelves back in, which would cover up the art. In the above pic, I was styling the piece for an ad in Antique Shops and Designers magazine years ago. I pulled the pillows from my living room, the curtains from my den, and the crewel antique piece from my bedroom for the display.

Well…of course, since this was written years ago, the room has changed! There’s now an exercise room in its place!! But what about those beautiful cabinets?

I have such a hard time getting rid of anything I like, so I found a way to repurpose it!!! If you peek through the iron doors from ACI Metalworks, you can see the door fronts from the original cabinet in my office. I took the two sides and placed them together to make a built-in armoire in my pantry!! Now I get to see them everyday!

I just adored the colors in this bathroom I worked on with designer Nicole Zarr and builder Allan Edwards. I loved the whole space – the way the colors blended between the stone, the cabinets, the walls, the art!!! We plastered the walls and ceiling and then tweaked the colors of the antique cabinet to blend. The plaster was just so soft and dreamy – I had to have it!!!

This was my music room before with Venetian plaster(15 years ago). It was beautiful, but I wanted the soft, quiet sophistication of gypsum-based plasters. So I decided to make a change!!! But you know how one thing leads to another…

Both versions are great, but there is something about sitting in a room that’s been plastered in this fashion. I love the subtle sheen and the quietness it evokes. Of course, once this was done, the furniture had to be revamped!! The crown treatment and some of the furniture were left as is, but I recovered and rearranged the pieces for a more contemporary feel!

But since 2011, the room changed one more time during our last big renovation!!!

Once the new staircase and windows were put in, the music room needed to be re-plastered! A soft gray-white was my choice this time! I love this tone because it feels light and neutral, and better yet, it seems to go with both warm and cool tomes! My inspiration: Benjamin Moore Sea Pearl!!! It was so fun to be reminded of the many different faces this room has had in the past! The transformation of my home will be featured in the new Segreto Vignettes, complete with sources and tips!!!!!

This bathroom for The Owen Group and Stonehenge Classic Homes has a hand-painted design over plaster. I love the way this elegant treatment mixes the old with the new!!! I had to have those walls!! With absolutely nothing left to do in my own home, I plastered the old entrance to Joyce Horn Antiques and hand-painted this design on top!! Since I shop there often, I figured at least I would get to see it!

Little Charlie made the perfect model, oh so many years ago!!! We have since come up with so many different designs, and my favorites are always the ones painted over plaster!!! We were taking pictures for an ad I was working on.

Here is the one we used for the ad, the color is a bit more accurate in this picture! (I can’t believe Charlie now 9 was ever that small!!!)

A bit off-topic, but Charlie reminded me of a recent art show I went to at Back Row Home where my cousin Cathy was a featured artist. I know Segreto Gallery also paints pet portraits, but she’s amazing at it, and this cute little one was too sweet not to share! After seeing this slightly abstract version of the pooch, I gave her pictures of all three of my dogs to paint! I just had to have that sample!

Here’s Cathy, as pretty as she is talented! Look at how diverse her art is… Truly amazing! She sells many of her pieces at The Accessory Place. Stop by when you are picking up a Segreto book there and take a look at her masterpieces!!! If you want a pet portrait done, feel free to contact me, and I will connect you with her!

Hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane!!! It’s so interesting to think about how our styles have evolved through the years… but a great finish is always timeless!

Segreto Vignettes will be here mid-September! Pre-order your copy today! You’re going to love this one for yourself or to give as a gift! Or both!!

Remember, less than 2 weeks left! Time is winding down to cast your vote for Segreto Secrets to win Best US Interior Blog!! Thank you so much!

Have a great week! Till next week!!