Period Finishes & Effects

Decorative painting requires practice, but this book explains the techniques well enough to start you out. The photographs show the technique and final effect very well. I am an advanced amateur, and I appreciate the fact that this book demonstrates the more challenging finishes that I want to learn. I enjoy the historical aspects of the paint usage, and highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the charm of very old interior decorating.

I found the book very well done. There are many techniques that can be used to decorate furnitures and walls and all of them are very well explained. I'll soon try to embellish my house!

I may be a weekend do-it-yourselfer, but, I love looking through this book for period ideas for my 200+ year old Georgian home.The photography is beautiful and it's full of ideas and the history of the colors and methods used is fascinating.

This is an excellent book for the professional designer or decorator looking for a comprehensive catalog of "out of the ordinary" finishes. The finishes reviewed are generally european in heritage, although many were imported to the US during the last 2 centuries. This is not a handbook for the weekend "do-it-yourself" decorator/painter as the finishes illustrated require multiple steps and practice to attain the desired look. The book is an excellent resource when discussing finishes and 'looks'with a professional painter/finisher. Additionally, the photographs are of a fine enough quality to help the reader understand the relationship of the color, technique and texture to the surrounding room. This should help the reader to visually conceive the design before the project execution and thereby minimize 'mistakes'. Enjoy!