Years ago, my hubby and I were on vacay in Seattle when we stumbled across Foster/White Gallery, an amazing art gallery with a large location in Seattle and other locations in Canada.  Well, let's just say that we fell in love!  We splurged on a large piece by Tom Burrows and a smaller piece by Dale Lindman.  I would have loved to bring some other pieces home as well (Chihuly, anyone?) if only the budget would have allowed.  As much as we have loved our purchases over the years, I get almost as excited when I get mailings from Foster/White announcing new exhibitions.  It's almost like a virtual stroll through the gallery!  Above you'll find a piece by Stephen Filla, entitled "Its presence is revealed only through its interactions."   Stunning, isn't it?  I love it! 

Here's a brief background on Stephen Filla, as provided on the Foster/White Gallery website. 

"Stephen Filla chooses to work in abstraction because it sets fewer presumptions about final meaning. He believes that there is no right way to view a piece, no 'getting it'; the viewer is to identify with the piece in their own way. Filla works with layered polymer resin and enjoys the added dimension that the clear layers give to suspended paint. His frequent Pacific Northwest wilderness travels, along with travel abroad, allow him to study and collect images for inspiration and material. Collections of Filla’s work include the Target Corporation World Headquarters in Minneapolis."

"Stephen Filla received his MFA in Visual Studies at the College of Art & Design, Minneapolis in 2004. In 1999, he received a BFA in Painting from the University of Minnesota."

I think he's amazing.  Maybe one day I'll be able to add a Stephen Filla to our collection ... and you can bet I'll be calling Foster/White! 

Photo from Foster/White Gallery

Remember when Trading Spaces was all the rage?  I loved to see what the designers would dream up, even if the results were relatively predictable.  I could never have gone on that show because if Frank or Hildi would have showed up to design my room, I would have had a panic attack.  (Hay glued to the dining room walls, Hildi?  Really?  That's the best you could come up with?)  On the other hand, I always felt confident that Vern or Laurie would produce something both attractive and livable ... especially considering the extreme budget and time constraints.  Indeed, both Vern and Laurie went on to bigger and better things.  Vern launched his own collection, is a spokesperson for Stainmaster Carpets and now hosts Deserving Design on HGTV.  Laurie designed a line of fabrics for Hancock Fabrics and was a spokesperson for Olympic Paints. 

Well, Laurie was well-known on the show for her dislike of ceiling fans.  Whenever the homeowner had a ceiling fan, you could be sure that it was coming down.  In what seems to be quite the contradiction, however, Laurie admitted that she has several ceiling fans in her own home.  Why, you might ask?  I don't know if she has explained, but I can.  She lives in Jackson, Mississippi ... which is HOT!  Sometimes you just need a ceiling fan, especially on a porch.  While I don't have any fans in my house - and really don't care for them in general - I cannot imagine not having them on our large front porch or back patio.  It makes the excruciating summer days just a little bit more bearable!  

Are you wondering yet why I'm on this topic?  A friend of mine asked if I had a recommendation for a ceiling fan for her screened porch.  Every time I think about ceiling fans, I think about Laurie!  Anyway, my friend wanted something industrial-looking, almost as though it could have been in an old gas station.  I don't get that kind of request every day - nor am I familiar with old gas stations - so I did a little bit of looking.  Here were my suggestions: 

Acero fan by Minka Aire (not UV-listed for wet locations, so the porch really would need to be sheltered from the elements) 

Gyro fan by Minke Aire

Machine Age Galvanized Fan by Barn Light Electric ...

perhaps with this light kit       

What do you think?  Do any of these fit the bill? 

Photos from Farrey's and Barn Light Electric

PS:  I forgot that we have a ceiling fan in my hubby's "man cave."  I don't really consider that part of the house! 

Yippee!  Baker is having another factory sale ... Friday, August 21 from 8:30 am to 6 pm.  As usual, it's being held at the lower level of Baker's casegoods manufacturing plant at 3487 Tex's Fishcamp Road in Connelly Springs, NC.  According to the postcard, new product has been added since the May event.   I'm curious what prompted this - I've not known Baker to have two factory sales this close in time - but I'm not complaining.  I couldn't make the last one, but I'm definitely headed up to Connelly Springs for this one!  I would be so excited to score Barbara Barry's Iron Tripod Table.  My fingers are crossed!  Anyone want to tag along? 

Remember to give me the scoop if you hear of any other factory sales!

Blah, blah, blah ... I'm sure you are all tired of my excuses for being a poor blogger.  Well, I just returned from Las Vegas (it was work, seriously!) and my boys are currently at Camp Grammy ... so look forward to some new posts over the next couple of weeks!  Here goes ...

Let me start by saying that I generally love Benjamin Moore paint.  Benjamin Moore seems to be the paint of choice for many designers, especially in this area - probably because Frank Harrelson, the owner of Eastway Paint, is a color genius.  I'm always amazed by the breadth and depth of his knowledge about the Benjamin Moore color systems.  If you ever need a second opinion on a color, ask Frank.  Seriously, using him as a resource is reason enough to use Benjamin Moore.  Of course, Benjamin Moore has some great colors so that helps matters!  

The one thing that bothers me about all paint, however, is its washability.  I just do not believe that paint is washable, at least not in the flat finish that I prefer.  Although I might be able to get the actual scuff marks, crayon scribbles, etc. off the walls, you can be sure that I'm taking some paint with them and/or leaving a shadow.  Sorry, Ben, but I don't care what you say.  Your Regal Matte Finish washable interior flat latex paint may be many things, but washable is not one of them.  Don't believe me?  Feel free to take a close look at my twins' playroom!   

Well, when Benjamin Moore debuted the Aura paint, the hype was tremendous.  Basically, Benjamin Moore promised that Aura was the best paint on the market - low VOC (volatile organic compounds) and great coverage (only one coat required over almost any other preexisting color), coupled with amazing washability/durability.  Of course, all of these features come at a price - about $55 per gallon, which is roughly one and a half times the cost of a "regular" gallon of Benjamin Moore paint.  Now I was really curious - if Aura lived up to its billing, $55 per gallon would definitely be worth it ... but I couldn't recommend that added cost to my clients without some assurance that it would actually perform as promised.  So I had several rooms in my house repainted using the Aura paint ... and here's my 2 cents and tips!  

• The professional painter had a hard time locating enough Aura paint in the correct base.  It seems that most of the Benjamin Moore dealers stock limited quantities of the Aura paint, due to its expense and the fact that it isn't a quick seller.  So plan ahead - you might not be able to buy today and paint tomorrow.   
• The previous wall color had been a light cream, and I was repainting with a darker, but still relatively light cream/khaki.  In terms of coverage, I would say we needed one to one and a half coats.  One coat was enough in most places, but a few spots required a bit of additional touch-up.  Obviously, your results would vary if you had to paint over a darker color or if you chose a darker color to repaint.  I would anticipate, however, that you will realize some cost savings from needing fewer paint coats to cover the existing paint. 
• The Aura paint is virtually odorless, and I loved knowing that I was being kinder to the environment by using low VOC paint.  Plus, it didn't bother me to breathe paint fumes ... because there really weren't any. 
• So far, the Aura paint has held up extremely well.  After three or four months, I am pleased to report that I have virtually no scuff marks or other dings on my walls.  Some time ago, I noticed some splatter on the wall in the breakfast area ... presumably caused by some sticky toddler hands.   I used a wet microfiber cloth and the splatter came off easily, without leaving any shadows in the paint.  Specifically for the purpose of writing this review, I went around the rooms inspecting the walls very carefully.  I did notice a few very light marks that I had previously not seen.   Many of those marks wiped off with a wet microfiber cloth.  For those that did not wipe off, I did not bother trying to clean them - reasoning that they are virtually unnoticeable and I'd rather let that be than potentially create shadows by using a Magic Eraser or the like.   

The verdict?  I think it's great!  I am so pleased with how well the Aura has held up in our newly painted rooms.  Is it worth the additional cost?  Well, that's a tougher decision.  I can't remember the exact numbers, but for my several rooms, I believe it cost about $200-$300 extra to use the Aura paint over a "regular" Benjamin Moore paint and about $500 extra to use the Aura paint over a "regular" Sherwin-Williams paint.  (More blog posts to come on the competition between Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams!)  That was a doable premium for a few rooms, but it might be a different story if you are painting an entire house.  That being said, I will certainly use the Aura paint again, especially in high traffic areas like my hallways and stairwell. 

Happy painting!  I'd love to hear from you about your experiences with particular brands of paint ...