"The Faux Finish School Completes Italian Villa Studio" profiled by The Artistic Stenciler 

by Rebecca Parsons

The Decorative Finishes Studio and The Faux Finish School of Louisville, Kentucky recently completed a two-year renovation project creating an "Italian villa" studio. Opening in 1987, the new building is completely faux-finished on the exterior using Faux Effects products.

The two-story structure has Corinthian columns, faux stone archways, and a balcony overlooking the historic Highlands of Louisville. The "villa" is lime washed over sienna paint, has open flame gas lighting, faux rusted balcony railings and verdigris planters, faux stone moldings, crackled woodgrain window sills and frames, along with computer generated mural work Martin aged with an eleven-layer process.

Martin states, "I wanted a studio to exemplify what we do. What better way than to build and create a studio from the inspiration of our many trips to Italy." On the inside, the studio boasts four showrooms, three offices, warehouse space, kitchen, bath, drying rooms, and a specially-designed workroom and classroom.

"Students as well as clientele are inspired by the techniques and results we have achieved on the exterior of our studio. Our students love to create their verdigris, rust and fresco samples and then compare them to the surfaces outside. There is no other faux finishing studio like this in the world," says Martin.

Martin Alan Hirsch has won numerous awards for his faux finish works. He recently painted the home of national recording artist, Reba McEntire. Martin's residential faux finish commissions are published in the book "Sophisticated Surfaces." Martin personally teaches the classes at the Faux Finish School, opened in 1992.

Reprinted with permission from The Artistic Stenciler, 1999

Back to "In the News"

Copyright 2001 The Faux Finish School ®
Louisville, Kentucky
Send questions and comments to Decorative Finishes Studio
or call 800.598.FAUX

member of the
Color Marketing Group
The premiere international association
that forecasts colors for manufacturers