My Dining Room Renovation

I wanted to share with you our Dining Room Renovation for my RRR House. The moment I stepped into our rescue house, I fell in love with the Zuber paper in the dining room. I couldn't believe that there was hand painted french paper in a home that I could rescue. If the truth be told, it was THE REASON why we bought the home. Zuber wall paper was originally introduced in the US by Jacqueline Kennedy

To give you a little history on the paper, Zuber & Cie is a company which claims to be the last factory in the world to produce woodblock printed wallpapers and furnishing fabrics. The company was founded in 1797 and has maintained their production in France. During JFK's presidency, First Lady Jackie on recommendation from Henry Francais du Pont, had an antique copy of the panoramic wallpaper Vue de l'Amerique du Nord installed in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.

Zuber Wallpaper in the White House

Even though the paper was fabulous I knew that we were going to have to tear the wall out to the kitchen and open up the dining room and small kitchen to make it one large room to entertain in. 

Before: Dining Room

In Process

We tore out the wall in between the small kitchen and dining room

 and decided to make it one large room to entertain in

We soon found out that the walls were solid plaster with lathe and plaster and all the pipes were lining the walls behind the wall paper. That was a pretty large undertaking to say the least. 

We were fortunate enough to remove the paper and saw it that was on the wall we removed.

I decided to pull out the darker gray green color in the paper and paint all the trim and panels and kitchen cabinets the same color. That way there would be a flow to the room. 

It would also accentuate the paper even more. 

The white trim made it look so much more common.

After

I also went with a beautiful cotton drape the same exact color as the paint. That opened up the dining room that much more. Because of the size of the dining room, we had to go with a round table. So we made our Capri dining table out of solid curly maple and gilded it in solid 22K gold leaf.

The dining chairs are linen and made to look as though are slipped covered with button closure. I didn't want anything to compete with the walls. 

However, I do like the cut geometric velvet fabric on our Gustavian benches in the windows. I am still deciding on a demilune design to put between these two windows.

We have enjoyed the elegance of the room and how well it flows into the kitchen... we will unveil it next week. 

Presidents' Day

I wanted to wish you a Happy Presidents' Day today. I think often we get caught up in our daily lives and forget to step back and remember what the meaning is behind the holidays that our country celebrate together. 

After taking the time to look and see exactly the definition of "Presidents' Day," "The federal holiday Washington's Birthday honors the accomplishments of the man known as "The Father of his Country". Celebrated for his leadership in the founding of the nation, he was the Electoral College's unanimous choice to become the first President; he was seen as a unifying force for the new republic and set an example for future holders of the office.The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. Revived on Washington's 200th birthday in 1932, the Purple Heart medal (which bears Washington's image) is awarded to soldiers who are injured in battle. As with Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Washington's Birthday offers another opportunity to honor the country's veterans."

I appreciate all that our Presidents' have done for us in this country and am thankful to have a holiday that our country celebrates such leadership.

Color Mixing and Combinations with Orange

Orange is such a fun color to use! On the color wheel, it is the mix of Red and Yellow. Depending on the tint or tone that you are looking at, orange ranges from being very bright and vibrant to a dark rust. In the Amy Howard At home line, we have a great One Step Paint color called Massey Hill and additionally have a Lacquer called Kumquat. Here is a sample color chart that I did mixing the Massey Hill and Bauhaus Buff One Step Paint colors.

One Step Paint in Massey Hill

When I am making a color chart, I usually pour out just enough paint for the palette

I like using a palette to see all the colors

For this color chart, I mixed Massey Hill and Bauhaus Buff adding 50% more for each

*When creating color combinations, it is always great to look at the 

color wheel to see what complimentary colors work well together

Bauhaus Buff, Massey Hill, and Rugo One Step colors

Bauhaus Buff, Massey Hill, and Cartouche Green

Bauhaus Buff, Massey Hill, and Credenza

Inspiration: 

One of our Retailers, Joyce Shelton used the Massey Hill and Paige Blue 

One Step colors for her display cabinet

The Amy Howard At Home Kumquat Lacquer

I love how this room feels very neutral with the tan, blue, and orange 

complimenting each other

Even pattern to mix the colors works well

How we see this color combination in nature

Great headboards

Fun flower arrangement

Great mix for wallpaper

How gorgeous is this crystal 

Love that lamp

With just a bit of the orange appearing, I love the pop that it adds to the room!

Featured Retailer: Restoration Emporium

Restoration Emporium just started its third year in business. They are located in the heart of Kansas City that has been home to the Studebaker company and Stowe Hardware Company in the past. They have 15,000 square feet of retail space filled with items that fall under their company mission of "RE:Store RE:Purpose RE:Finish RE:New."

Their Amy Howard At Home paint display

Their First Friday business model is very unique and draws close to 15,000 people on a sale weekend. "Last weekend, we launched our Amy Howard line at sale weekend and sold out of a large number of colors we had in our stock. We actually have a boutique set up where they can shop paint get help and do little demos!!"

Before: Cabinet

All cabinets taken out, cleaned, and ready to be painted

Basic Black One Step Paint 

After: Cabinet

Beautiful detail

Before: Vanity

After: Vanity

Love to see the piece finished and out for display!

They have a One Step Workshop coming up on Saturday, February 22nd at 10am so be sure to sign up if you are in the area!
Click here to register:
www.payitsquare.com/collect-page/23713

Restoration Emporium
1300 West 13th Street
Kansas City, MO 64101
(913) 915-2124
Contact: Chrysy Huff
REmporium@att.net
Restoration Emporium's Facebook page
Store Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday 11am until 3pm
Sunday 12pm until 5pm

Pigments

Pigments are used for coloring paint, ink, plastic, cosmetics, fabric, food, and others.  Most pigments used in manufacturing and the visual arts are dry colorants, usually ground into a fine powder.

According to Dictionary.com, pigment is defined as a dry insoluble substance, usually pulverized, which when suspended in a liquid vehicle becomes a paint, ink, etc. It is a coloring matter or substance.

Lascaux Cave Paintings, ca 15,000 BC

At the same time as the Egyptians, the Chinese were also used pigments. Vermillion was developed before the Romans actually began to use it. "Vermillion was made by heating mercury and sulphur, producing an extremely opaque, strong red pigment which had almost entirely replaced Cinnabar by the 18^th century. By the end of the 20^th century, Vermilion was replaced by Cadmiums which provide greater permanence." 
Additionally, the Greeks added to the color palette. They manufactured the first opaque white. They also created red lead which was used up until lead was banned in the 1990s. The Romans used colors that they adopted from the Egyptians and Greeks. One of their most important colors was the Tyrian Purple with its high price and value. "The color is prepared from a small color producing cyst within a whelk. Huge quantities of whelks were required and spoil heaps of the shells can still be seen on the sites of ancient dye works around the Mediterranean. In 1908, P. Friedlander collected just 1.4 grams of pure dye from 12,000 mollusks. Due to its price, Tyrian Purple was used to dye the togas of Roman Emperors."

Christ Mosaic in Ravenna, 6th Century

 
It was not until the 18th century that we begin to see the use of modern scientific chemistry. "In 1704, a German color maker named Diesbach was manufacturing red lake pigments, which required the use of potash as an alkali. He ran out of his supply and used some which was contaminated with animal oil. Instead of getting red he got purple and then blue, the first chemically synthesized color, Prussian Blue, had been made! Prussian Blue remains a popular color to this day and is also known for its novel ability to fade in daylight yet recover in darkness!"

When looking back, pigments have quite a history that go back to more than 15,000 years ago. Cavemen are the first that we are aware of who used color to decorate cave walls. They used earth pigments as well as soot from burning animal fats.

Later by 4,000 BC, the Egyptians were using pigments. They began to purify and mix colors from minerals. This allowed them to expand the color choices from the earth tones. One of the most famous color is Egyptian Blue which was a "blue glass made from sand and copper which was then ground into a powder. The Egyptians also utilized Malachite, Azurite and Cinnabar by crushing and washing each mineral. Cinnabar was prized as the first known bright red. Vegetable dyes were also developed by the Egyptians, who found a way of ‘fixing' the dye onto a transparent white powder to produce a pigment. This process is called lake making and is still used today to produce Rose Madder Genuine."


Throughout the Renaissance, there was a rebirth for artists in the 14th century. The Italians developed a range of earth pigments "by roasting siennas and umbers to make the deep rich red of Burnt Sienna and the rich brown of Burnt Umber. Earth colors featured heavily in their painting technique, Terre Verte (Green Earth) being the principle underpainting color for flesh tones. The Italians improved the lake making processes of the Egyptians and developed Naples Yellow, another opaque lead based pigment, but it was the development and use of Genuine Ultramarine which perhaps personifies Renaissance paintings in our minds. Lapis Lazuli was first used as a pigment by simply grinding it, but even the best stone can have up to 90% impurities and it was the discovery of how to extract the blue which enlightened the Renaissance palette. The bright, deep blue produced had excellent lightfastness and was the most expensive pigment known to man. This high value was the reasoning behind the Madonna being graced in blue."


"The Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the century produced both new processing possibilities and new opportunities for trade in every quarter of life including artists' pigments. Scientists were driven by the demand for new more permanent colors and were able to utilize new minerals and chemistry to invent many of the colors which we think of today as ‘traditional'."

I love that you can really transform any color with simply adding pigments in their true form. You must remember though that since that our pigments are pure, that a little goes a long way. Our pigments come from France. They are natural and not synthetic which is a less expensive comparison many times. The higher quality natural pigment makes for a more beautiful finish. Amy Howard At Home Pigments & Powders can be mixed with Amy Howard At Home Toscana Paint to create varying shades of colors. Another way to use the pigments is to add them to the Amy Howard At Home waxes and Venetian plaster. The options are endless!

Natural pigment with wax

Mixing the pigment and wax

Mica Powder and wax

Mixing the Mica powder and wax

So many possibilities!

Process Photos:

My clear wax and pigment

Mixing wax and pigment

I like using a flat putty knife.

I cleaned my Bauhaus Buff finished sample piece, before adding any of my pigmented wax.

Dry brushing mixed pigmented wax.

Applying pigmented waxes on furniture

Light Application: I literally dry brush the pigmented wax all over my piece

 After my pigmented wax is dry to touch (approximately 10 minutes), 

I will add my Dust of Ages and burnish well with a brush. 

Then I will lightly burnish with a rag.

Buffing the pigmented wax with the Dust of Ages already applied.

Beautiful and subtle finished look

All of the Amy Howard At Home Pigments are available here!