faux finishes | John Hiemstra, scenic artist

There are quite a few things going on in this picture, a project completed in Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego) back in 2003. The home itself is a clean line California modern design which the client and designer wanted to push into old world baroque. So in addition to new plush brocade style upholstery and antique furniture in the great room, they brought me in to realize their ideas for the existing hearth.
 
The slate fireplace surround started a typical cool jade green color with light grout, which I first glazed in the purples and umbers of new furniture set. The hearth was originally accented with a simple floating horizontal oak mantel box with no vertical support, which we replaced with a paint grade moulded box I drew up to go with the spiral twist concrete columns that the designer found off the shelf. Once installed, I faux painted the mantel into mahogany wood grain with another burl veneer look in the flat panels– this finish was done with beer glazes and shellac over oil base in true European fashion, a little on the fragile side but indistinguishable from real mahogany even up close. I washed the columns first in a yellow ochre scumble and then an umber antiquing glaze, repeating this treatment on the add-on center ornaments, which are cast resin from Decorator’s Supply in Chicago.
 

Faux finish foreplace mantel and surround