Sunday, January 10, 2016

Faux Painting: Knock On Wood

Faux Painting: Knock On Wood

2016 is going to an Amazing Fabulous year….KNOCK ON WOOD!

Ever rapped your knuckles on a table as you said the phrase “…knock on wood”? Do you know why we do that? Historically it’s thought to have come from Germanic Folklore wherein dryads lived in trees and could protect the speaker if they rapped onto wood. A similar belief is found amid the folklore in England, Romania, and Bulgaria, to name a few and even throughout the Middle East. The U.S. took its own spin in the 18th century when men would knock the muzzle loaders onto wooden doors to settle its black powder so it wouldn’t accidentally discharge.
Today we’re “Knocking on Wood” in a much different manner… Faux Finish Wood Grain! Having natural wood features on the exterior of the homes here in Southwest Florida can mean a lot of upkeep. In a previous home I had a gorgeous mahogany wood front door installed. Every year it had to be sanded and re- coated. My children had a wood jungle gym in the backyard complete with a double-decker playhouse, swings, and slides. My goodness the up keep over the years was often tortuous!  But living in almost 365 days a year of sunshine is worth it… and even more so if you can enjoy the gleaming sunbeams and not have to do the upkeep. How? By faux painting the beauty of wood onto the  doors and architecture of your home.

This Naples private gate community home had a typical white fiberglass door and sidelights. Faux Painting a wood grain finish gives the entrance the grandeur the home deserved.



A close-up view of the front door detail: 



The faux painting is done a series of layers starting a good primer ( see below ) followed by  bright yellows, vibrant orange, or bright cream depending on the wood species. Then layers from burgundy brown, black, or ash are glazed through. The final coats are clear urethane.

It’s a little trickier working on garage doors where there isn’t any shade from the blasting sunbeams. And in this homes case, the final clear coats where topped thickly and with several of us working at once. But the final product is stunning and their garage door is now the best in the neighborhood:

Garage Door in early morning light: 



Garage door in later afternoon light:


Close-up detail view: 


To have your home’s doors stand out with Wood Grain Faux Finish, contact Swan Studios Inc: http://www.swanstudio.net/

And please join us at:



·         Notes : A good primer and top coat are a must! For the above doors Zinsser 1-2-3 ( http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/zinsser/primer-sealers/bulls-eye-1-2-3-water-base-primer ) was used as a primer and Spar Urethane was used as a top coat http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/clear-protective-finishes/interior-exterior/minwax-helmsman-spar-urethane

#mural #murals #muralist #muralpainting #art #artist #artblog #fauxpainting #fauxpainters #fauxfinishes  #woodgrain #woodgrainfauxpainting #fauxartist #capecoral #capecoralmurals #capecoralmuralist #fortmyers #fortmyersmurals #fortmyersmuralist #naplesflorida #naplesfl #naplesmurals #naplesmuralist #naplesfloridamuralist #capecoralfauxpainting #capecoralfauxpainters  #fortmyersfauxpainting #fortmyersfauxpainters #naplesfauxfinishing #naplesfauxpainters #bonitasprings #bonitaspringsmurals #bonitaspringsfauxpainting #bonitaspringsfauxfinishing #bonitaspringsfauxpainters   #martywisher #swanstudios #swanstudiosinc #minwax #zinsser 



No comments:

Post a Comment