Arts and Crafts Sofa restored, rebuilt reupholstered!

A recent Interior Design Project through Homewings

The Owners of this arts and crafts Home want to Carry a nod of the houses period through the furniture, I sourced an Arts and crafts sofa that was in a complete mess and had an uncomfortable shape/design. I almost completely dismounted it, then reassembled it refinishing the lovely oak front with very arts and crafts inlay front. The client has children and this is the houses primary seating lounging area, so we wanted a fabric that was durable, to the darker side of the colour spectrum but still cosy. The space the sofa is going into has a lot of brass furniture and accessories so I found a silk that has a very similar brass tone to it and used it for the buttons and piping which also helps keep the piece from becoming too dark it created creat contrast and definition! should have images of a completed sofa shortly!

Sofa after reinfishing wood front inalys and extending the front of the sofa forward to make it more comfortable.

Detail of newly restored inlay

main fabric

Maisn fabric and silk for buttons and piping to tie in with the room brass accessories and furniture

Recent designs in the works from the turner’s lathe.

I have recently been developing two design projects through Homewings.co.uk

One, a Georgian flat in which we are sticking to the buildings period feature as much as is reasonable. (and a little more)

The Second Interior Design Project is for the living space of an arts and crafts home, where the clients asked for “a nod” to the arts and crafts style of the house. So when it came time for sourcing a few curtains poles, I was less than impressed by the usual and decided to employ a local turner and his lathe, after a little discussion and a few graphics being mocked up with dimensions he was off!

Below are the more traditional classic and larger poles for the Georgian flat. These finals will be brass leafed and then given an antique finish, while the rest will be given an antique mahogany stain before being finished.The below, are for the Arts and Crafts home which features many brass elements including a large antique gramophone, and have just sourced a chandelier that mimics the gramophone! So I decided to carry the theme further by designing finials and brackets that will mimic the gramophone and chandelier!

The finials and the front ends of the brackets will receive a brass leaf, the rest will get an antique oak finish to match with the antique oak table and arts and crafts period sofa I’m just finishing restoring now for the same large open-plan space.

Gramaphone

new brass chandelier

gramaphone

Conceptual mock up graphic

Guest house in the jungle, all reclaimed wood.

This project is to add to an existing simple concrete building with salvaged wood. we are extending the tiny kitchen to make a larger one and a building in water tower needed to house the new water tank above a solar water heating system, and above the bathroom which will have easier upkeep with the concrete structure of the tower. the wood for the rest of the structure, flooring, walls doors and windows will all be reclaimed wood. starting in late Oct. and taking a three week stop during Christmas-newyears. the project will be completed by mid. January.

Beach House, 4 bedroom

Our recent project, just finishing planning stages for a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom house on the Peninsula de Marau, State of Bahia, Brasil. Which will enjoy Oceanfront of its secluded beach.

To view the Animated tour of the model click here.

up cycling, 5 tips

Homewings.co.uk recently asked Julian Maison for tips and tricks on up cycling, see the article on their website here: up cycling furniture.

Making the old, new in 5 steps: Upcycle your furniture like an expert

by Homewings Editorial Team on 16/08/2017 in Interior design 101
tagged DYI, Tips, Home, interior hacks

Want to upcycle your decor but unsure of the process? We know it can be daunting and gathered some expert tips from designer Julian Maison who has a lot of experience on the subject and also produces milk paint for distressed furniture finishes, which he uses for his own collection of vintage & antique reclaimed furniture.

Source: Mak and Jill blog

Read on for Julian’s five most valuable steps to easy and cost-effective upcycling:

1| Identify your style-aim

Upcyling means you get to create your own, new, bespoke look. But that doesn’t mean everything has to change. Incorporate what you already have in your surroundings, pick up on an existing colour and use it in your upcycled piece in order to create a cohesive colour scheme. Identifying what you already have is also handy for deciding on what style to go for. For a flat finish and velvet depth of colour that is often found in shabby chic interiors, use milk paint or chalk paint. For traditional looks, wax and varnishing over a wood finish are perfect, while modernist upcycling sees a lot of high gloss paint instead of restoring wood finishes.

Source: Dish functional designs blog; Angel at my table blog

2 | Know what to find and where to find it

If you’re going for a shabby chic or traditional style, then find items with mouldings, trims, curves and wood. Real wood is much easier to work with than chipboard. If you plan to paint an entire piece over without distressing, medium-density fibreboard, chipboard or laminates are best avoided unless you are more experienced. For a modern, scandi or mid-century vibe stay away from mouldings or trim lean lines, and try to find products other than wood. To find your potential upcycle pieces, websites like Gumtree or Preloved.co.uk can be great. More traditional options are car boot sales, family garages and attics, and charity shops like the British Heart Foundation which have larger locations for furniture.

Source: Julian Maison (before and after pieces)

Source: Julian Maison (before and after pieces)

3 | Be Brave!

Often taking chances with your upcycling pays off the most. After all, if you don’t like it, you can re-finish it. A pair of dull chairs can be painted a bright primary yellow or red with high gloss paint. If you decide later that the colour is a little too much, applying another coat of paint is easy. With distressed pieces, adding a coat of paint and changing the colour a little each time adds to the final look, so don’t worry and embrace experimenting with different colours and finishes.

Source: Woodwork Lab blog; Wunder Wood blog

4 | It’s all in the details

The smallest details can have the biggest impact. With modern pieces a geometric design as simple as a triangle could be painted on a cabinet door or table top. To do this use masking tape to outline your designs, or use paper to make your own stencils. Adding a secondary colour on trims, moulding insets or an outer edge that ties in with other colours in the space can make a big statement. Stencils are an easy option, as well as changing knobs for more interesting designs. Anthropology and many other companies now carry a collection of creative and stylish knobs that can carry a colour theme or style all on their own.

Source: Etsy; Joanna Henderson blog

5 | Prep your space with what you’ll need throughout the process

With most things in life – planning is key. Before you begin your upcycle, it’s important to make sure you have a space that allows you enough room to move around as you don’t want to end up with paint or varnish down your leg. Use drop cloths, not just to protect the floor but to soak up drips, this will minimise the possibility of your shoe carrying paint off to unwanted places. Make sure you can leave the piece in place for dry time as this will also stop you from rushing through – you’ll end up happier with your project if you stop and think about what to do next.

Source: Remodel lista; DIY blog

You must prep for the look you want to achieve. Sanding, even lightly, will help ensure that your finish will hold and go on evenly. A foam brush can be better for many specialty paints. And remember, as tempting as it may be to try to get away with one thick coat, the first coat should be thin in almost all cases for a stable even surface.

Happy upcycling!

How to optimise your home for Airbnb

by Homewings Editorial Team on 07/10/2016 in Design inspiration
tagged Tips

We asked one of our brilliant designers Julian Maison for his expertise on optimising a home for the increasingly popular online property rental service AirBnB. If you are considering renting out your home this is a must read for getting the most from the experience. These simple hacks will put you a cut above the rest, so over to Julian who knows all too well…

Preparing your rental property can be intimidating, my first experience was through Home Exchange. In 2000 my parents exchanged our family home in Palm Beach (Florida) with a family and their home in the Cote d’Azur. We all had our reservations about the idea of having strangers in the home that we had lovingly rebuilt, grown up in and cared for. We had read plenty of reviews of people who had done the same, as well as a few friends who had had their own exchanges with no problems, so we took the leap of faith and never looked back!

1. A nicely designed space will lead to better reviews

Just as important, happy renters take better care of you stuff! Studies carried out in the interest of public spaces have found time and again, people tend to treat an area based largely on how they perceive it. If your renters arrive and think the place is badly kept, or uncared for, they will treat it similarly. When renters sense someone has really cared and put loving effort into the place, they will take care to treat it in the same way. So make sure your home is well designed with plenty of heart and you will continue to get great reviews and increase the amount of people wanting to rent your space.

Image @ Airnbnb

2. Identify your potential renter

This depends partly on what sort of guests you would like to attract. It is however, largely dependent on other factors such as: your style of space, location, the neighbourhood, attractions that bring people to your area, etc. It is important to have an idea of who you aim to host in your property. Think about age group, couples, families, business travellers, backpackers. This will hugely impact what sort of design and style you use and what your rooms need to include. For example if you are hoping to attract business travellers because your home is located near a tech hub, think about making the room clean, easy to get in and out of independently, a place to hang a suit, and an iron in the wardrobe.

Image @ homewings design

3. The devil is in the detail

Portray an image of what a stay in your home would look like. People have trouble imagining how they would be comfortable in someone else’s home, so plant items that recommend or portray a lifestyle. A good place to start is an activity that people would do at your home, something that they look at and go “ahhh thats just what I need”. Some top tips- open a cookbook on the kitchen counter with a pot of tea, place a novel on the porch chair, turn the fire on and place a comfy blanket on the sofa. Showing the room in two different lights is also nice, one daytime bright, cheery picture and have one by night with dimmed mood lighting.

4. Photographs matter

Renters will scroll through many listings and will undoubtedly forget your listing if it does not stand out! To make sure that you GRAB the attention after some monotonous scrolling, add something quirky in the listing’s images. This could start with a real statement piece of the décor such as the amazing window in the lounge. Alternatively some great accessories always go down well such as a lovely old bicycle leaning by an open back door, or an interesting centre piece on the dining table. I once saw a listing where the kitchen sink had an actual baby in the sink covered in bubbles taking a bath and a big smile on his face! Think later to when a potential renting couple is discussing which listing to go with… The conversation goes, “I liked the one with the baby in the kitchen” or “the one with that cute bicycle at the door” give people something to remember you by.

Image @ homewings design

Are you thinking about renting out a room or your house and not sure where to start with the design? We have a solution! Team up with one of our fantastic home designers to get each room rental-ready with a design and comprehensive styling tips to boost your rental income.

Newest Piece, English antique little cabinet/spice cabinet.

After a light sanding, the first coat of Mont Blanc with a good deal of white glue diluted in as a primer coat.

The second coat, oyster white applied rather thick with chalk powder in the mix for more volume (We will start selling chalk separately soon). The Trim is painted with our Cream and a little Marigold to making a little stronger.

The Trim is painted with our Cream and a little Marigold to making a little stronger. I mixed it with a little lime and dryer than usual, this help with the minor crackly effect you see on the door trims.

For the central panels, we did a Decoupage using collected napkins which include the latin poem on the top left. I later went over the panel with a very thick coating of oyster white mixed almost to a past, being very careful not to cover the decoupage and at the same time making sure not to leave an obvious line where the paint stops and the decoupage begins! Once done placing the piece in direct sunlight on a warm day helps to make sure the thick paint cracks up a bit. Remove from sun once dry (a few hours should do it depending on Current conditions) alternatively us a blow dryer or heat gun (Gently does it now)!

A few days later the Milk paint will have settled and done most the cracking it will do. I then sealed with a clear flat sealer within the panels, and once dry went over the corners with wood stain (almost any stain will do) brushing away with a soft cloth right away leaving the stain in the deeper recesses and crakes, also leveling out the finish and looking between the milk paint within the panel and the decoupage.

I this case I started the distressing of the  paintwork with a damp cloth and switched to fine sandpaper later (leaving for dry time)  There are  (as the expression goes) more than one way to skin this cat so there are many ways to get to the same or similar results.

old surfaces, with different treatments and different woods, as well as current conditions (weather, water etc) change things much like baking a cake. I’ve had to adjust massively working in European conditions to that of south Florida or Brasil.  Milk paint will react differently in 40C temp to 25C and 80% humidity to 40% Summer UV of 10-11 Vs. 5-6. Water that may include much higher levels of chlorine, fluoride, lime, chalk… make sure to test with your material and current conditions before you cover an entire peice

 

 

History of Milk paint

Milk paint has been used by man since cave paintings as old as 20,000 years ago. Milk paint was  made from a composition of milk, lime, and a variety of pigments using what was available. the image below, for instance, show us making pigment from charcoal. When King Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened in 1924, relics found inside the burial chamber had been painted with milk paint. Historically milk paint was used as a method of decoration for centuries. As time passed various recipes and formulas were tested. Variations of substances included oils such as linseed and olive oil, eggs, waxes and honey. Over time, recipes were perfected which could produce a longer lasting finish. Pre-1600’s in Europe, painters and other forms of craftsman roamed the countryside, carrying pigments with them, which could be mixed with a farmer’s or householder’s own milk and other locally sourced materials. Though the traditional recipes have been given a 21st Century upgrade with the help of dehydrators and the like, the historical shades and earthy ingredients are still what essentially makeup Maison e Maison’s Milk Paint!

Before and After Milk paint

Milk paint by Maison e Maison added to vintage console.

We stripped down the cheapy old varnish that covered this console, then added a few coats of Maison e Maison Milk Paint using firstly a coat of  oyster with a bit of glue mixed in, then mixing mont blanc and battleship with a touch of slate grey to give it that blueish hue. and the last coat is applied thin, with more water and darker with much more battleship in mix then mostly removed left only in the deeper parts adding age to the over all look.

http://www.maisonemaison.com/Milk-paint/Inspiration/

 

Milk paint; Before and After, refinishing how to’s…

see more on milk paint refinishing at

www.maisonemaison.com/milk-paint