While the use of many faux-finishing techniques

BY DIANE CAPUANO PAINT & DECORATING RETAILER EXECUTIVE EDITOR
While the use of many faux-finishing techniques has dissipated,
more sophisticated, simpler looks have risen to take their place
T
here was a day when faux finishing
was all the rage. This was in the late
1980s and the 1990s. Consumers
were sponging, rag-rolling, glazing,
color washing and “smooshing” to
their hearts’ content. If they wanted a
more complex faux technique such as
a marble, wood grain or Tuscan finish
that was beyond their ability to create,
they could take a class or hire a decorative painting professional to create the
effect for them.
In 2007, the faux-finishing market
took a sharp nosedive that coincided
with the housing market bust and subsequent economic downturn. Consumers were no longer as enthralled with
the sponging or rag-rolling looks, and
fewer people could afford to hire a
professional to make their foyer look
like a Tuscan courtyard. Paint stores
that were selling faux programs were
not getting the results they had enjoyed
a few years earlier.
Despite the lull in popularity of
some finishes, there were products on
the market—metallic paints, metallic plasters and Venetian plasters, to
name a few—that continued to do well
despite the economic slowdown. They
are doing even better as the economy
recovers. There also are new techniques—simpler, cleaner, with fewer
layers—that are drawing an appreciative following of consumers and
professionals alike.
P D R January 2013
21
Today, these sleeker, more sophisticated and less complex looks represent
the dawn of a new day in the faux and
decorative finishes market. It’s an evolution that assures some dimension is still
being used on the wall to add drama
and visual interest.
“Doing more with less is an important trend at the moment, with faux finishers working in subtle hues with rich
accents,” said Rebecca Spurlock, sales
and marketing specialist for Crescent
Bronze Inc.
Jim Rogers, corporate president of
Modern Masters Inc., pointed out that
many of the decorative painted effects
that are popular today are not accurately called “faux finishes.” “Faux is
replicating something from real life by
using paint,” Rogers said. “What we are
now seeing are more design-oriented
finishes that don’t require a lot of tools
to accomplish. Simple seems to be winning out right now.”
As part of the look of simplicity,
many decorative painters have seen a
shift toward more contemporary finishes as opposed to traditional. However, in many cases, the looks themselves are so unique that they defy a
definitive label. “Faux finishers often
have a gift for combining traditional
and contemporary elements to create one-of-a-kind settings,” Spurlock
commented.
Some companies—a case in point
being Ralph Lauren—have responded to
the evolution of the faux and decorative
finishing market with new products and
techniques that offer more sophisticated
styling for the home.
“We’re seeing new trends that are
going a lot farther than traditional faux
applications such as sponging and that
also extend beyond painting walls, such
as treatments with wood finishes on
furniture and molding, and also in22
January 2013 P D R
The addition of Matte Metallics to Modern Masters’ Metallic Paint Collection™ allows
for dramatic use of highs and lows to create unique wall effects like this metallic stripe.
creasing use on ceilings,” stated John
Trenta, manager of Diversified Brands,
U.S. Channel Marketing, which encompasses the Ralph Lauren Brand.
The four Ralph Lauren Specialty
Finishes are in keeping with these new
trends and continue to be popular with
homeowners, designers and professional
applicators, according to Trenta. These
finishes are: Suede, a unique interior
textured finish that captures the look
and texture of its namesake; River Rock,
offering a subtle texture of smoothly
worn river rock; Candlelight, a finishing
topcoat that adds shimmering richness
and depth to a room; and Regent Metallics, which emulates the look and texture
of hammered metal.
“These finishes, along with Ralph
Lauren tools, materials and techniques,
give you the ability to transform rooms
with distinction,” Trenta said. “They
can provide luxurious results, and do
so in place of more costly or timeconsuming finishes.”
The Elegance of Metallics
As an example of simple-to-achieve
effects that have enduring appeal, Rogers cited Modern Masters’ Metallic
Paint Collection™. The collection features a total of 50 standard pre-mixed
water-base metallic colors—hues such
as Rich Gold, Pale Gold, Silver, Pewter, Antique Copper and even vivid
Burnt Orange, Green Apple and Sashay
Red. By intermixing metallic black
or white, 88 additional shades can be
achieved. Recently, the collection was
expanded further to include Matte Metallics in 15 colors.
“You can use Matte Metallics with
the other selections in the Metallic
Paint Collection™, playing off the different sheen levels of the two metallic
types to achieve a beautiful decorative
effect with visually interesting highs
and lows,” Rogers explained. “You can
create a stripe effect, a stencil effect or
a blocking effect. In fact, blocking is
a good way to represent design on the
wall without going overboard.”
Another Modern Masters’ product in
the metallic family—Metallic Plaster—
is also fairly easy to sell. This is a plaster
product that offers beautiful shimmer
and luminescence at a very economic
cost per square foot. “There is still a
large market for Venetian plasters, but
again, people are looking for simplicity,” Rogers said. “We tell people that
our Metallic Plaster is an easier-to-apply
version of a Venetian plaster, and it can
be used to create a variety of beautiful
metallic decorative effects.”
Jeff Krapfl, director of operations
and lead chemist for Crescent Bronze,
similarly continues to see use of metallics trending upward. “With new
24
January 2013 P D R
Faux Effects International Inc. offers the versatile LusterStone ® metallic plaster for
use on walls, ceilings, furniture and more.
Studio Finishes ® Molten Metallics™, recently introduced by Benjamin Moore, is an
alkyd high-gloss product that produces a dramatic metallic hammered effect for accent
walls, ceilings, trims, decorative pieces and new or previously painted furniture.
housing and new construction starts
down in the market, faux finishers play
an important part in the interior design
world,” he said. “A good faux-finishing
painter can reclaim an interior setting
in an older building and turn it into
a showplace. We’ve seen Stephanie
Gabel of Chicago’s Roux Design do
amazing work in settings as diverse
as Chicago’s Logan Theatre or a music
room for a home in one of Chicago’s
trendy neighborhoods.”
For 2013, Crescent Bronze is intro-
ducing a clear coat line offering varying
degrees of gloss. Tailored to suit professional expectations, the new clear coat
options will allow architects and designers to specify the look and feel of a finish, as well as the color. In an expansion
of its color palette, the company has
added White Gold and Fire & Ice, two
variations on Crescent Bronze’s signature gold and silver themes. The former
color is a hybrid product, whereas the
latter offers customers a refined silver
with diamond-like qualities.
Crescent Bronze
makes faux finishing
faux easy.
Stephanie Gabel of Roux Design demonstrates new
and exciting ways to use metallic paints.
It’s so easy to learn new techniques.
Discover the joy, and ease, of using our metallic paints. Stephanie is
your host for how-to videos that will help you make a statement,
enjoy one-coat coverage, and add value with our full line of
pre-mixed paints.
Whether you’re a metallics expert or simply seeking a dynamic new
look, work with the paint trusted by faux finishers since 1922. Visit
crescentbronze.com or call (800) 445-6810.
New segments are being added
to our series of educational videos
at youtube.com/crescentbronze
3321 County Road A
Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901
800-445-6810 | 920-230-3270
crescentbronze.com
ABOVE: Antico Ferro means “Antique Iron” and is one of
many dramatic finishes available from OIKOS, distributed by
DecoFinish LLC in the United States.
RIGHT: Stephanie Gabel of Chicago’s Roux Design creates amazing
metallic effects using Crescent Bronze products.
Spurlock sees both the White Gold
and the Fire & Ice as timely reflections
of a new, emerging aesthetic: “Customers love the sleek qualities a fine metallic finish offers,” she said. “To borrow
a phrase from our friends in the fashion
industry, the White Gold and the Fire
& Ice are ‘high fashion,’ suitable for the
most elegant of settings. These subtle
new pales add exciting choices to the
faux finishing and DIY markets.”
The look of metallic is finding its
way into many decorative finishes.
The newest products from OIKOS,
for example, are textured finishes with
metallic overtones that provides additional beauty and a touch of opulence.
Elias Benalloun of DecoFinish LLC,
U.S. distributor for OIKOS, cited two
new products that are beautiful examples of this trend: Ardesia, a slate-like
texture with a contemporary elegance
that looks beautiful in a metallic finish,
and Antico Ferro, which provides the
dramatic look of antique iron.
“The trend this year is toward more
metallic finishes than ever before,”
26
January 2013 P D R
Benalloun said. “Ardesia and Antico
Ferro are new finishes that we will be
expanding in the next year. You can
apply them with either a brush or a
trowel, and they work equally well in
commercial and residential settings.”
Other OIKOS products that are
bringing shimmery elegance to interior settings include Encanto, which
features metallic-colored accents that
make the wall look like it is covered in
velvet, and Aureum, which looks like
24-karat gold for your walls.
“You can use these finishes for accent walls as well as areas where you
would like a look of drama, such as
a media room, a dining room or the
lobby area of a commercial setting,”
Benalloun stated. “The products are
water-based and solvent-free. Even the
metallic finishes are low in VOCs and,
in some cases, zero-VOC.”
Sonu Mathew, senior interior designer for Benjamin Moore, likewise
pointed to metallic as a popular trend.
“We are seeing that metallic paints in
varying opacities are trend-worthy,”
she said.
Benjamin Moore’s recent introduction of Studio Finishes® Molten Metallics™ points to this trend. Molten Metallics is an alkyd high-gloss product
that is designed to produce a dramatic
metallic hammered effect for accent
walls, ceilings, trims, decorative pieces
as well as new or previously painted
furniture. The product is available in
six colors: Gold, Copper, Bronze, Gun
Smoke, Silver and Charcoal.
“We have an established line of
Pearlescent Tint Glazes that answers the
call for subtle, sheer effects of metallic
hues,” Mathew reported. “Molten Metallics is bolder in the approach as it’s a
paint product. It offers a solid finish that
can be used inside or outside. Blurring
the line between indoors and outdoors is
certainly a trend in all facets of design,
Ralph Lauren Specialty Finishes include, from left, Suede and River Rock.
and we find that this product allows us
to extend that sensibility to the fauxfinishing market as well.”
The end user’s creativity plays a
role in the results of any decorative
painting project. This is true of Molten
Metallics, which Mathew explained is
a truly interactive product.
“The hand used in applying the
product determines its final aesthetic,”
she said. “The individual painter can
stylize the hammered effect, so we encourage people to play with the product
to understand its full capacity.” Faux Effects International Inc. addresses the trend toward metallic finishes with several key products, but
perhaps none is more popular than LusterStone® metallic plaster. Part of LusterStone’s appeal is that it allows both
the professional and the homeowner to
achieve designer-quality results.
“This versatile product can be
adapted to any décor whether traditional or contemporary—it never goes
out of style,” said Rachel VanHouten,
the company’s executive director.
In addition, Faux Effects has recently introduced additional colors to
our ever popular SetCoat® Metallic
line. “These sought-after designer colors are also available in a ‘matte’ finish
to create various dramatic metallic
28
January 2013 P D R
effects,” VanHouten said. In all, there
are 32 metallic colors available.
Venetian Plasters
The look of Venetian plasters continues to be strong in the decorating
painting market as well, whether embellished with metallic or not. Venetian
plaster offers a look of elegance—and
it doesn’t have to be an expensive option for your customers.
Venetian plasters are offers in a diversity of color choices to customize the
customer’s décor. For instance, Modern Masters’ Venetian Plaster product
features an unlimited palette of colors
that can be achieved using any paint
manufacturer’s color system and tinted
right in the store.
Vella Venetian Plasters Systems
approaches the decorative finishing
market with a versatile, cost-effective
product line that has appeal to the professional and DIY end user alike. Two
of the company’s most popular products, Vella Ultra Premium Venetian
Plaster and Vella Liscio Ultra Sheen
Plaster, are in great demand for finishers looking to create beautiful Venetian
plaster finishes at a fraction of the cost
of many other brands in the industry.
These two products are sold untinted,
but can easily be tinted with the uni-
versal colorants at the paint store.
“For retailers, our line is one of
the easiest to work with,” stated Dan
Schiefelbein, general manager of the
company. “It’s built around the way
they sell at the store level. It’s very easy
for the store owner, the store manager
or the sales associate to tint and shake
the product and give customers the
exact colors they want.”
Other products in the line include
Vella Metallics, offered in such radiant
tones as Lumina Gold, Antique Gold,
Merlin Silver and Magna Pearl, and
a full range of premium waxes. “We
sell a ton of wax,” Schiefelbein said.
“It’s competitively priced and tintable.
You can use it on walls, ceilings, furniture—all kinds of areas. The waxes
can be blended with our metallic to
produce a beautiful metallic finish.”
For those looking to create an economical marmorino effect, Vella offers
crushed marble aggregate that can be
added to a Vella plaster. “We package
our aggregate individually,” Schiefelbein reported. “So, rather than selling
a $200 marmorino, we sell a $10 bag
of aggregate that you throw into the
plaster to create the marmorino effect
or a rough Santa Fe look.”
Two recently introduced products
in the Vella line—Vella Veneer Plaster and Level Wall-5—have begun to
gain traction not only with decorative
finishers but also with painters who
need a smooth wall surface. These
projects are particularly attuned with
the current direction of the market, as
Schiefelbein explained. “It’s a renovation market versus a new construction
market,” he said. “Where there’s renovation, there’s upgrading and refurbishing. That’s why our smooth wall
technology is doing so well.”
Both Veneer Plaster and Level
Wall-5 allow the end user to turn a
rough wall smooth without sanding.
“For the painter, it readies the wall for
applying the paint,” Schiefelbein said.
“For the decorative finisher, they have a
nice smooth wall over which to ply their
trade. There are no limitations. They
can go from a super-smooth finish to a
heavy, accented Tuscan patina finish.”
Product Knowledge
While there is a move to simplicity
in faux and decorative finishes, it’s still
important for retail salespeople to be
educated so that they can converse
knowledgeably about the products and
techniques in this category. This is
especially important if retailers are
serving the professional decorative
artisan or professional painting contractor whose portfolio encompasses
faux and decorative finishes.
Kathy Boyd, a professional decorative painter based in Minneapolis/
St. Paul, had this advice for retailers:
“It’s important to take classes. Make
sure you know the different products
and techniques so that you can speak
the same language when a decorative
painter comes into your store.”
Even with products that are easy to
use, Rogers acknowledged that consumers want reassurance that they can
achieve the special decorative effects
that are depicted on the product packaging. “We’re focusing on allowing our
POP, website (www.modernmasters.
com) and tag readers to provide information and instruction to consumers,” he said. “We provide demo videos
that consumers can play over and over
again until they’re comfortable with
the technique.”
While a hands-on class offers the
best instruction, Rogers noted that online demonstration videos have their
advantages. “Just like with online colleges, you don’t have to adhere to someone else’s schedule. An online teaching
aid never takes a break. You can access
it any time of the day or night.”
Ralph Lauren uses its website (www.
ralphlaurenhome.com/products/paint)
to educate people about the product
types, colors and application techniques
of the brand’s specialty finishes.
“Retailers, homeowners and contractors can find detailed information
on these finishes, colors and techniques
to use,” Trenta said. “The online Design
Studio also provides how-to videos and
how-to guides that walk applicators
through the steps to create amazing
results. There’s also information regarding Ralph Lauren application tools
and what you can create with them.”
In addition, Ralph Lauren supports
its dealers by hosting seminars and
design presentations for contractors,
designers and architects. These programs focus on teaching them application techniques and demonstrating
the business opportunities available to
them with Ralph Lauren paint products.
Benjamin Moore likewise advocates seminars as a way for retailers
(Continued on page 32)
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(Continued from page 29)
to educate and create connections with
customers, according to Chris Connelly, director of product management.
“Additionally, we see a high degree
of value in online video (available at
www.benjaminmoore.com) particularly around instructional techniques.
This can be as simple as how to tape
out a room, down to how to produce
a linen finish. The benefit of online is
there are a number of different issues
to solve from even the most novice
painter, to the most advanced.”
As part of its emphasis on education,
Faux Effects International Inc. (www.
fauxeffects.com) and its worldwide distributors offer end-user training workshops and/or free product updates. “For
our retailers, we offer free product training for staff personnel at our Fort Pierce,
Fla., and our Dallas, Texas, locations,”
VanHouten reported. “We also offer
retailers online access to our resource
center, “Faux Effects-University” for
authorized users. In addition, we provide
live technical assistance online and by
telephone for retailers and end users.”
Knowledge is the best way for maximizing profits, VanHouten added. “Know
the products you carry, and if not reach
out to Faux Effects® to get the answers.
If you know your products and can explain them to your customer, you and
your business are a great resource that
they will continue to patronize. This is
the ultimate in customer service.”
Education and training is also a
priority with the OIKOS product line.
Many of the products can be applied
easily with a brush or roller, including the versatile Multidecor, though
a trowel or specialty applicator will
allow for even more diverse finishes.
“Some of our finishes are more difficult
and need a certified applicator, such as
Raffaello, Marmorino, Ottocento and
Aureum,” Benalloun reported.
Training is available at the U.S. facil-
ity in North Miami Beach, Fla. OIKOS
also offers tremendous educational resources at its website, www.oikos-paint.
com, where there is detailed information
about every product as well as YouTube
videos that demonstrate how to apply the
products—with everything available in
eight different languages.
OIKOS also will be participating in
three U.S. trade shows, sponsored by
the Italian government, and in fact is
the only plaster and paint supplier that
will be participating.
Vella Venetian Plasters Systems has
several means of educating potential
end users about the proper use of its
products, including detailed written instructions, instructional DVDs, YouTube
videos and in-person training. In fact,
Vella will send one of its representatives
to a retail store that makes a commitment to sell the line. More information
is available at www.vellaplaster.com.
“For paint stores, we stand and
deliver,” Schiefelbein said. “If they
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can put 10 people in front of us, we’ll
personally fly out there to train end
users and sell product.”
Promotional Strategies
As a sales strategy for retailers,
Trenta suggested that they use the
finishes in their store to build interest. “Creating vignettes that illustrate
using these finishes, setting up room
examples, and providing collateral that
demonstrates techniques and ideas all
help the consumer visualize what they
can do in their home,” he said.
Connelly also stressed the importance of displaying the actual finishes.
“When it comes to faux and decorative
finishes, it’s about selling customers on
the final look that they are going for,”
he said. “Getting a customer inspired
to do something they’ve always wanted
to do or actually never thought they
could do with paint is always going
to lead to a profitable sale.”
Catering to professionals also is a
way to become a force in the decorative finishes market. Crescent Bronze,
as a manufacturer, is proactive about
reaching out to faux finishers. “One of
the ways we best do this is by aligning
our company with artisans who are
trusted experts in the faux-finishing
world,” Spurlock reported.
One such artisan is Stephanie
Gabel, a well-known and respected
decorative painter from Chicago who
serves as a spokesperson for Crescent
Bronze products. “She is the featured
artist in our popular faux painting series on YouTube,” Spurlock said. “To
date, the short videos have reached
more than 40,000 viewers.”
In addition, Crescent Bronze attends
trade shows that cater to paint retailers and supports and participates in
regional and national faux-finishing
events. Crescent Bronze also offers a
wealth of information via its website
(www.crescentbronze.com) and maintains an active social media presence
using Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter
and also produces a blog with a regular
“Paint Buzz” feature.
“We reach out daily to end users
and make materials such as Technical
Data Sheets about each of our products
accessible from our website,” Spurlock reported. “Community building
across the faux world is accomplished
primarily through word of mouth,” she
added. “Faux customers trust other
faux customers—as well they should.”
Another key to success in the market is to work on building the sale. As
Connelly explained, “It’s important to
remember that a faux finish is a culmination of a lot of add-on sales opportunities for the retailer—whether it
be base coats, glazes or primers, and
additionally sundry items like woodgraining tools, sponges and additional
tools to help make incredible effects.
The retailer that can service all these
needs is the one that is going to maximize his or her profitability.” Q
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BY DIANE CAPUANO PAINT & DECORATING RETAILER EXECUTIVE EDITOR
PAINT & COATINGS
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SALES AFOOT!
(And at Hand)
Y
ou’ve searched your market area,
high and low, for every possible
square foot of wall and ceiling
space that needs a can of paint or a decorative finish. If you’re still falling short of
sales expectations, what do you do next?
The answer, quite literally, could be
under your feet. Or under the fingertips that are drumming atop your sales
counter. The health of your business
may depend upon your ability to find
new opportunities with new surfaces.
So, why not consider selling finishes for
floors, patios, walkways, countertops
and doors (among others)? Many retailers who have done so are finding new
and exciting venues for profits.
Here is a look at some of the products that were created to beautify such
surfaces.
Rudd Co. Inc.
A popular decorative finishing system for concrete floors is SkimStone
(www.skimstone.com), manufactured
by Rudd Co. Inc. since 2000. “SkimStone is primarily geared to the decorative artisan and decorative concrete
contractor,” said Katrina Johnson,
sales manager. “Professionals use the
product to refinish existing concrete
floors and create stunning works of
art for both residential and commercial
projects.”
As Johnson explained, it wasn’t long
before creative artisans began pushing the boundaries of what SkimStone
could do, using the product to refinish
outdated, worn laminate countertops.
Eventually, a SkimStone countertop
made a brief appearance on HGTV,
which prompted DIYers to start clamoring for the product. This heightened
interest in countertops prompted Rudd
Co. to create a whole new product that
was geared to the DIYer’s capabilities.
“What we found out was that while
it was an easy product to apply, the
DIY market needed a simplified version,” Johnson said. “Most DIYers
didn’t want to learn a whole decorative
system—they just wanted to refinish
their countertops successfully. With
that in mind, we set out to create the
Encore Countertop Kit (www.encore
countertop.com). We based it on the
SkimStone system but added a sealer
and a topcoat that were specifically
Decorative Floors,
Countertops &
More Can Enhance
Your Bottom Line
formulated to hold up against common
household chemicals and water.”
The Encore kit has been a hit with
homeowners and has been featured
on several popular DIY blogs including www.bowerpower.com and
www.7thhouseontheleft.com.
From Rudd Co., the Encore Countertop Kit
was used here in Sterling Gray.
P D R January 2013
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