Bringing an 80's style shelving unit to the new millenium.

This shelve was designed well, but the original color was not so great. The client wanted to find a way to keep it around while the rest of her home was being updated.
I took a bland shelf and mimicked the popular oil-rubbed bronze that is fool proof and full of style. Copper underlay for highlights.

Louisville faux- Tri-level charcoal ceiling.

I rarely get the honor of working with such gorgeous trim work as this. And the carpenter's had skill and technique that was amazing to watch.


















The charcoal/grey tones (this clients favorite color) pair well with the cherry trim.

Louisville Faux- Entry way and columns.

Most of the time clients have areas in their home that already have a nice base coat color on the walls but still want to jazz it up. I have a couple of guidelines when working with an existing basecoat, but if compatible, this is the lovely result.

Louisville faux- One of my top picks.

Even though this is one of my all time favorite decorative finishes, it also receives the award for "Least amount of profit made because I had no idea how long and difficult this would take to finish but in the end it was worth it" award. Finish was done in venetian plaster style with five different colors fading into eachother ranging from aqua to 14k gold.

Louisville faux- Pictures from the archives.

This fleur de lis embossed stencil is from a decorative painting job that I did years and years ago. I am very lucky that when I first started my business I had enough common sense to take pictures of everything I painted and put them on a photo disc. So throughout the month of December, I am going to pull all the photos that still need to go onto my new website, louisvillefaux.com. There's about one hundred left to go. I will post some of my favorites and talk a little about them. This will keep everyone updated in my faux world while I enter the wonderful world of marbling for a client this month. I will post those updates on my Dixon Specialty Finishes, LLC Facebook page. Happy Holidays!

Subtle fauxs are timeless.

I suggest subtle fauxs to clients wanting a decorative finish over a large area. This allows range in decor and you do not tire as quickly from the paint color because the walls are soft and relaxing.

Terracotta Kitchen.

Terracotta reds are lovely to faux. The rust color blends well with brown glazes and compliments kitchen wood cabinets and floors.

Love my kiddie rooms!

This room was a very special case. The walls were textured and very hard to paint. So I made a flower and a dot stencil to apply my own texture. Turned out great with no two colors next to eachother!

Breakfast room with a very unique ceiling.

This space was an addition off of a kitchen. The home owner wanted the panels to have a metallic copper look, and it turned out beautiful.

Attention grabbing jewel cut trey ceiling.

I did this trey years ago and thought that the photo was lost forever. Found it and still think that this decorative finish is very strong and dramatic. Rarely are treys this large, so painting the ceiling was a great opportunity to try something new.

Classy gold kitchen.

Kitchens usually have the best results with a decorative finish because the walls move with the room and the walls vary in size.

Beautiful sisters.

These two pencil portraits were a gift for a friend. I tried a new style of blending and the outcome made for a bright and airy composition.

The ulimate "Tween" room.

Girls between the ages of 10 and 12 are in transition and very ready to make their rooms fabulous. They all want bright colors and sparkle.

Colorwash with brown.

Brown paint can become a stunning, rustic finish when colorwashed.

Cool Boy's Room.

Stripes with highlights make for a very graphic finish in this young man's bedroom.

Children's bath.

This bathroom, with a very high ceiling, had a tropical theme, but we didn't want to paint a mural. After picking the right colors I strategically placed stripes and circles around the space.

Tone on tone with contemporary flair.

High gloss and low gloss paint pair well together when you want to make a strong statement in shape, but not so much in color.

A Grandmother's dream gift.

I did some decorative painting at a wonderful woman's home and she had a little nook that was dedicated to her two grandchildren. We agreed that a portrait of them would be perfect on the wall above the kiddie table.

Shiny, happy blues.

This is not a blue I use often, but it was paired with heavy furniture rich in color.

Monochromatic bliss.

I like to saturate smaller rooms, such as a powder room, with an abundance of similar colors. It allows textures and pattern to shine.

Theatre Room.

This residential theatre room is cozy and not too big. Putting a decorative finish on the walls makes the room inviting.

Bronze and gold trey ceiling.

A rich colorwash was needed in this master bedroom to balance the deep color of the walls.

One of my favorites!

I love, love, love this dining room faux finish. With it's creamy walls, and very tall ceilings,the room become cozy and has a feel that flows great with the home's open floor plan.

Sleeping babes.

I love drawing pictures of sleeping kids. There is an emotion that comes with it. You would think that it's easier to create a picture of a sleeping babe, but it actually takes just as much dedication.

Elegant and traditional.

This is a small detail of a master bedroom that was given a beautiful two-toned colorwash in subtle greens and metallic gold.

Beautiful red kitchen.

This kitchen was painted for a family moving in from out of town. The designer came into the sold home and put special touches around the space to make the new family feel more at home. The walls were colorwashed in rich hues of red which brought out the new granite countertops and other new perks.

Down-to-earth faux for the down-to-earth client.

In my field of decorative painting, we are constantly asked to make things shiny, or sparkly, or just plain out-of-this-world. This project was interesting to do beacause of the beautiful stained trim and the gorgeous paneled ceiling. The walls are textured and treated with a colorwash without taking away the beauty of the stained trim.

Silver and gold.

Silver and gold are used often in decorative painting. So it's fun to use it in a different way, such as this wall with a touch of contemporary.

Mural for a home theatre business.

Movie film carried throughout a home theatre business office adds charm to the space. The ticket on the restroom door holds the office address as the number on the admission ticket, giving it customized appeal.

Tri-colored bathroom.

This bathroom has a unique application of three colors painted in large sections horizontally.

The solution to extra high ceilings.

In some homes the ceilings are very, very high. It can cause a design issue when the high ceiling is in a small space, such as a bathroom. I have found that if you drop the color down and "cap" the room, it becomes more proportioned.

Antique entertainment center.

This entertainment center was a basic white finish and it didn't stand out in the room. Actually,it lessened the visual value of the room because it lacked color. By glazing the cabinet with three different hues, the piece comes to life and takes on a new identity. It goes from boring to fabulous in less than 48 hours.

Embossed stencil.

This is a detail of an embossed stencil over a creamy colorwash faux in a powder room. Adding the textured details adds a custom touch.

The advantage of eye-hand coordination is..

Handmade gifts. This portrait of my daughter was a great family gift. Graphite on acid free paper.

A manly man's decorative painting.

Sometimes it takes some convincing to persuade the man of the house to allow me to faux paint in "his" space. With this office, I matched the floor covering to the walls making sure to keep the room somewhat masculine. Perfect backdrop for golf themed pictures!

Luxurious ceiling with dome.

A beautiful blue dome looks elegant next to a subtle gold colorwashed coffered ceiling.

Contemporary purples.

Purple can be striking, but not offensive if chosen wisely. I prefer a purple with a little bit of black in the pigment to shade down the brightness.

Decorative medallion.

Medallions from your local home improvement store can be stunning if the color works well with the light fixture it anchors.

Contemporary colors.

French cabinets.

Rich yellow ochre with blues and greens look so wonderful with the true marble countertops. Goldleaf highlights the appliques.

Multi-colored medallion.

Medallions can give a design that final touch tht it needs. Hand painted with attention to detail, this medallion looks as if it was bought as a perfect match antique.

Masculine walls for a power office.

Decorative walls in this home office went dark to set off the clients style. A colorwash technique in three tones of black give a textured leather feel.

Rich purples and golds on columns and walls.

Rich hues of purple and gold go well with bright white trim ajacent to light and airy gold walls.