This mid-century modern masterpiece comes from our dealer and this weeks trendsetter Stacey Christensen. Stacey is one of those people who enjoys pushing the design boundaries Stacey spent 4 magical weeks this year learning about patina, water gilding, and other ancient painting techniques in Florence Italy.
This project, a mid-century chest. shows how the addition of the Greek Key, T33, can turn a mid-century modern piece of furniture into and exciting piece worthy of any luxury home.
The Greek Key as a symbol has been around forever. So how does one of the oldest patterns the greek key make a mid century modern piece look perfect?
The trick is the simplicity of the key and the proportions. Mid-Century design is minimalist at heart, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be embellished. This is a great example of how the chest gets embellished without looking out of place.
The Greek Key has really never gone out of style, In fact, it has one of it’s best revivals during the art deco period that began our mid-century modern phase.
For more details I interviewed Stacey to find the skinny on her creative process.
Q – How did you decide to mix the Greek Key with the mid-century piece?
I was reading your article about the cover of this months Elle Decor and thought I am going to do that pieces and show how you can really achieve lux for less.
Q – What techniques did you use in painting the piece?
I used wood icing to raise the Efex and give it a hand carved feel. Then I foiled and painted the inside of the key black using an small art brush. Originally I was thinking of a stark white center to contrast with the Graphite but in the end, I did layers of light washes over Graphite Chalk Paint®. To finish the pieces I used dark wax, white wax and black wax and finally hit a few areas of the foils with gilding wax.
Q. I know you are the creator of Recipies for Cabinets and Furniture, the lovely monthly service where we receive a new recipe for painting every month. How did you come up with your idea for Painted Furniture Recipes?
After owing a shop for five years i realized that people really like to be creative I know for myself being creative is where I get by joy. so she gets her joy. So I combined the idea of being creative with the idea of something to give people to hold in their hands an actual recipe card. I really wanted it to be a low price point that could show people how to do the project and at the same time save them the time wasted looking for it on the internet. When you have a recipe card in your hand you can follow it. And of course as a quote we saw recently on the internet by Jacques Pepin said it all.
“So what is the use of a recipe? A recipe is a teaching tool, a guide, a point of departure. Follow it exactly the first time you make the dish. As you make it again and again, you will change it, massage it to fit your own taste and aesthetic. Eventually, it will become your own personal recipe. -JP”
That really does sum up why we love the recipes for painted furniture here at Efex, Unitl next time