It was very nice to relax and take some time off at the end of December, but now it’s time to get January under way! It’s always interesting to see who is going to call me the first few weeks of a new year to help them follow through on some of their home improvement resolutions, so it’s typically an exciting time of the the year for business.
Last week I finally had the pleasure to meet a long time client of mine, whom I have known since 2004, but had actually never met. In 2003, I did all of the finishes in the condo she subsequently bought in 2004. Luckily, the previous owners gave her my contact info. Since 2004, I have returned 3 or 4 times to make some minor repairs, but this current owner lives in NY and uses this condo for her second home, since she often visits her children and grandchildren in the area. Recently, there was quite a bit of structural work done to the building, and her unit sustained some serious damage to the finish the bedroom.
I have to say, I was ahead of my time with the finishes done here and they have held up extremely well. I am still doing these exact finishes today, since they are all quite current.
Here’s a look at the main living areas. I call this finish "Mother of Pearl" and it is done by layering various plasters and glazes. The finish was done in the entry, dining area and living areas, which all connect.
The entry ceiling has a galvanized steel look and is found in the entryway as well as the bathroom, pictured below.
The room I was called in to repair has a brown striae finish that I was never happy with. The previous owners loved it, but I never liked the way it came out and they would not let me redo it. I thought for sure when this unit was sold, that room would be painted over! Well, much to my dismay, that finish is still here to haunt me. The new owner has agreed to let me just use straight paint on the damaged wall, since that is a focal point wall. I can see a great pattern on this wall, but straight paint it is, at least for now. I do find the other three walls much more palatable now with this solid wall!
Here is the finish on the other walls. Remember, this was done in 2003 and has faded quite a bit!
I really enjoyed meeting the owner and working with her to find a solution to not only salvage this room, but to make it look better.
Next, I will show you some detail of the repair work done to this same brown finish on the soffit.
