Debbie Travis' Decorating Solutions: More Than 65 Paint and Plaster Finishes for Every Room in Your Home

So, anyhow, we are thinking about building a new house and towards that goal we started doing three things this summer. First, we put up three poster boards on the wall in the kitchen where we could jot down ideas for each room of the house. Second, on Sunday afternoon we go looking at open houses in the area. Third, we made HGTV our default television channel; if we are not watching anything else that is what we watch, which means that most days we get a double dose of Debbie Travis. Specifically that would be the half-hour "Debbie Travis' Painted House" and the full-hour "Debbie Travis' Facelift." Now, the second and third points are some of the ways we come up with things to put down on the posters, along with correcting aspects of our current living situation and memories of homes past. But I also have to admit that I got to the point where if I did not hear Debbie Travis each day, my day was not complete. It is not just the accent, but the unique cadence to her way of talking that we call "Debbie speak" around the house. The first thing you need to know about Debbie Travis is that she wants to paint pretty much everything (but first, you want to put on a good coat of primer). Understand that and you can appreciate "Debbie Travis' Decorating Solutions: More than 65 Paint and Plaster Finishes for Every Room in Your Home," which is co-written with Barbara Dingle with photographs by George Ross. As Travis explains in her introduction, "Just as the windows are the eyes of a house, the walls, floors, and ceilings are the soul." The point of this book is to convince you that it does not take much to make them beautiful and to give you a wide range of options along those lines. "Part One: Before I Start Painting" is a reminder to do appropriate preparation before you begin decorating. In detailing the preparation and tools of the trade for decorating, Travis provides specific tips and tools for painted finishes, stenciling, plaster finishes, and other techniques covered in the book. There is also a section devoted to choosing color, which along with pattern and texture are the principal elements of any decorating scheme. Here you will learn the basic shades of yellow, blue, green, and red, along with terra cotta, white, neutral colors, brown, and black. You will also pick up tips as to where and how to use each, because the whole point here is to come up with ideas for solving your decorating problems. The bulk of the book is devoted to "Part Two: Decorating with Paint and Plaster." Within this unit there are five sections, each of which is divided into more specific techniques: (1) Walls offers a wide variety of techniques: color washed walls, graffiti, weathered wallboards, tinted Venetian plaster, leather walls, feathering and parchment. Then Travis moves on to decorative wall panels (strie, faux linen, pastel metallic, and frescoed), an innovative dado that divides a room (brushed steel, fantasy marble, faux denim, country ta

Another great book from Debbie Travis. I followed the directions to the letter and have the most incredible floor. Everyone that sees it is amazed at how beautiful and durable it is!

Some amazing decorative effects. The "leather" walls are unbelievable.The author gives both paint and plaster finishes for walls, ceilings and floors. Lots of creative ideas...there's bound to be something you'll use if you like faux finishes. A great complement to "The Painted House" by the same author.One word of caution...don't let yourself be prejudiced by the rather unorthodox color schemes the author uses in some of the photographs. Use the colors YOU like and you'll love the results.I colorwashed my bedroom walls and am absolutely in love with the new look.

I have been a fan of Debbie Travis for a while. Unlike some instructional books for faux finishes which are complicated and use items I will not be able to find in my small hometown, Debbie's instructions are easy and I can find everything at my local paint store. As some have noted, some of the colors used are a bit garish. However, these are just an example. I followed the directions for the tinted venetian plaster (which in the book is a hideous green and yellow combination) in neutral umbers and it came out beautifully. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking to add some color and texture to their home.

Okay - I read the "halloween review" as well. To expand on the comment made by a fellow reviewer: you don't have to use the same paint colors Debbie Travis uses (she has a "thing" for some pretty wild colors)! The book is a guide and a wonderful tool that provides easy to follow step by step instructions on the latest faux finishes and some of the more intimidating plaster finishes as well. With your personal color choices and this book - your home is going to look unbelievable!