Design
DOUG DANFORTH
DESIGN
AND FINISH
PORTFOLIO:
Out of tune Piano: The finish was badly faded, dull and stained. Simply moisturizing the wood, then carefully resurfacing the finish, followed by applying a faux zebrawood gave personality and new life in good tune.
PC cabinet: A store-bought unfinished piece was assembled and painted after purchase. Applying another ‘culture’ in art and style gave a once common piece a one-of-a-kind appeal.
Entry columns: Formerly white, these ten-footers had great potential presence in this entry. With a realistic finish applied, the new enhanced appeal richly enlivened home entrance.
Plaster lamp: Under this bronzed lamp base lays the ghost of the eighties. The plaster surface had been finished in aqua, tan and peach, a favorite color combination of another century. The shape was a perfect foundation, however, but just needed a little ‘make-up’ help. A black shade lined with gold makes an excellent option for lighting needed mostly for ambient purposes.
Fireplace chase: For a while there, somewhere in the sixties, fireplaces were kept understated and plain – only cutout fireboxes in the chase with molding surrounds seemed to be the norm. Re-establishing a classic period feel was such a refreshing choice. The inset for the media was about the only location available in the room for the flat screen television, and the electronics and storage for DVD’s hide well in the mantle itself, which opens ‘tailgate’ style.
Zebra mirrored side table: A tossed-aside metal piece – with no mirror and very rust-and-dried-paint covered – could easily have been passed up. But the shape was so very appealing. Much belt sanding, and a little more sanding, and just a bit more, and then priming were the care administered. The legs were perfect for taking on bamboo, and the exotics just fell in place. Reverse painted glass mirror inserted – and now it will never be tossed aside.
Art table: An unassuming round ‘game’ table gets new life with artwork inspired by the masters: Geometric shapes and outlines by Mondrian, metallics by Klimpt, and finish by Me!
Bath counter: A built-in situation – bad color, bad medium, bad overall idea. And there are few alternatives that are easy, so repainting and finishing were the best answer. The final crimson finish, and then several coats of clear were the best defense. The more gloss to a finish, the harder it dries. Even if it were to be finished in satin, the best procedure would be to do all the under-coats in gloss, with the last in satin.
Wall mount desk: With a very small room as an office, installing a desk that only touches the wall and takes no apparent floor footprint is a very good answer. The attention is now with the objects that were intended to be foremost in the room.
Office in a box: The clients found this nicely proportioned home PC cabinet finished in white. Consistent with their home, it was antiqued and given great new old knobs.
Kitchen island: Custom-built for a kitchen remodel, the pine cabinetry and posts needed a bit of enrichment and surface strengthening. Several applications of penetrating color, amber glazes, and urethane finish gave a rich depth as well as a stronger surface.
Vanity chair: That same master bath needed a place for the client to sit on her ‘asp’ (as a friend of hers drolly put it). The finish contains part of the finish found with the vanity door. The ‘copper’ head rattler is just fun.
Vanity door:This redone master bath had new ‘everything’, but the hollow core doors just were lacking. With the home done with southwest influence, a stylized American Indian design was applied with a faux burl motif background.
Breakfast table: Institutional green, who ever thought that was an attractive color? This table and chairs were found with that desperate hue, but they were all altered to mahogany and copper as fast as they could be painted.
Site Photo Credits: Danny Warner, Carlos Flannery, Andrea Heitke, Doug Danforth.