Stars aligned, dream job wrapped, all is well...Amen

Sometimes, everything works out beautifully. A great job comes to me, great clients building a beautiful home in a dreamy development, great builder, agreeable designer. Pinch me. The job I finished today was just such a job. It really was wonderful in every way, this despite the fact that the clients moved in probably a month too soon. Which means they've been living with me, and cabinet makers and stainers and landscapers and pool guys and bobcat drivers and blind installers and bed bringers and rock layers and alarm putter-inner-testers all underfoot, oh just for the last month.

So when I say they are great clients, let me stress how wonderful they are because never once did they express seething hatred for anyone scurrying around their new dream home, in their way, at all hours of their newly retired day. I think I'm going to miss them.


This picture hardly reflects the richness of this kitchen island. I can't say how impressed I am with the Faux Effects Stain & Seal. I was always a Gel Stain girl. But on this job, I didn't kill any brain cells (that I know of) using anything oil-based. Yay for my brain, right?

All the cabinetry in the kitchen is stained a dark walnut-ish stain on knotty alder. They're beautiful cabinets, but the island is set off with an antiqued paint finish. The color is similar to Sherwin Williams' Tatami Tan, but it's really a special mix of Camel and Woody Yellow Setcoat, which makes it so much more durable.

The saying "it's all in the details" is such an understatement with this home. This ceiling treatment is so fabulous. It's in the family room and the man of the home's study/office. Gorgeous.

Are these travertine floors to die for or what? They're laid on the diagonal with the little marble insets. These floors delayed the job oh, a month or so. But I'd say they were well worth it. My client just had to have this chair and its twin. I think they look pretty good with my walls, which are very subtle, not screaming at you "look at me, I'm faux painted!!!!"

Here's another look at the hand-troweled walls. My antiquing finish, what we once called "tea-staining" was a custom blend of Faux Effects Faux Creme Clear, Earth Brown and Italian Sienna.

The powder room turned out really cool. The designer wanted to use one of those new hand-painted wallpapers, but the cost was apparently more than the client felt necessary. I was able to come up with something just as dramatic using a basecoat of Dark Brown Setcoat, plus Lusterstone in Charred Olive, Charred Gold, and a couple of gold Metalglow colors mixed with glaze. It is awesome. The picture above gives you a little bit of a hint, but hardly does justice. I seriously need to hire someone to go take pictures of this house and think I will once they really move in and install their artwork and decor.

So that's what I've been doing. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now that I don't need to drive almost to Boerne everyday. But I'm sure I'll figure out something. La Posada is calling me: "Samiiiiii, I miss you ..... I'm only three hours away ..... I promise no drug lords will kidnap you while you loll about safely beside the pool with the swim up bar ..... "