Sprucing up the house

Well, here we are –April 16th–winter has flown by (ha!) and
I’m afraid I didn’t use that wintertime to good advantage to
spruce up some decorating around the house.  With this latest
cold snap–ice pellets last night!–I might have a couple of days
for a winsome project.  Will you help me decide which to choose?

I’m getting my ideas from an old decorating book by Jocasta
Innes—called “Applied Artistry”.  I’m not so sure that’s a grabber-
for-attention of a title, but hey! she’s published, and I’m not, so
let’s see what classy things she’s done around HER house.  Oh,
I mean her “interiors.”

from Jocasta Innes book “Applied Artistry”

Wow–look at those walls!  Goodness.  I don’t think I’m ready
for that idea–but it’s great.  It’d be fun to do something
different for one wall at least.

How to make gesso.   I have no Italian blood, but I might be
able to follow these step by step pictures.  You know, make
sort of a sculptured, stucco looking wall or something.

Is it “g”esso? or “j”esso?  She doesn’t say.
OK, materials:
1. Rabbit skin glue granules

LOL! I can’t go on! Is she serious?  Skip the gesso.

Back to the table of contents for ideas.  Hm–tinting
limewash . . . egg tempera . . . decoupage (been there, done
that) . . .ah! a Trompe-l’oeil Cupboard!  I’ve heard of
that tricky “trompe-l’oeil”—-tricky to say, tricky to spell,
and a trick when you’re done with the picture!   Here is  a
photo of her project with that –a “drinks cupboard”
made from a junk piece of furniture.

trompe l’oeil project in
“Applied Artistry” by Jocasta Innes

After you’ve done the trompe-l’oeil work, she says to
give  “two finishing coats of matt polyurethane varnish . . .”
and my eyes glaze over.   OR,  another finishing option
would be to “antique” the piece with a “water-based
craquelure,  with raw umber oil paint rubbed in . . .”

Seems like a lot of work for a drink.

You know what?  I think I’ll go out and plant my two new
Dutchman’s Pipe vines that arrived yesterday.  I’ll work on
my interiors next November.