May 13, 2016 | Efex Decorative Moldings, Efex™ In Action
There are those projects sometimes that just seem to take a lot…a lot of effort, a lot of time, a lot of mental energy…whatever. And perhaps, for me, it’s a bit of perfectionism that makes personal projects so much more challenging than they need to be. But I am pleased to share a project of my own that has my children begging me to swap out their bedroom furniture for this newest creation. As always, I find myself wishing that I’d taken a ‘before’ photo but alas, it is not to be.
This bed frame is solid wood, but started life in a very plain state with quite a dated inlaid design in the headboard. The re-design was conceived with the help of Lydia from EfexUSA on a recent visit. We used a combination of scrolls and one of our newer rosettes to transform this bed into something a bit sweeter and a bit more French – perfect for a little girl’s bedroom or a guest room.
The headboard features an R93 central rosette and a ‘frame’ composed of two pairs of SC52 scrolls and one pair of SC05 scrolls. The SC52 scrolls fit nicely up against the curves of the R93 rosette.
The footboard features a pair of SC05 scrolls in the centre and a pair of SC54 scrolls used in-line along the bottom. I liked how these tie the design in with the headboard, while keeping the focus on the main rosette on the headboard.
To get a smooth finish, I applied two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White and two coats of clear waxed, buffed to a shine. I wanted to keep the finish simple and clean. I also relied on input from my daughter who, when I asked if I should distress it, replied, “But Mum…then it would look so OLD!” 🙂
May 2, 2016 | Efex Decorative Moldings, Efex™ In Action
It’s so wonderful when our customers share with us their creations…It’s even better when they share their techniques!
This beautiful piece was created by Franca in Australia and she shares with us her steps and thoughts on the makeover:
“The secretariat was a reproduction piece, quite ordinary and dark so it was perfect for a makeover.
1. A coat of Zinser BIN shellac based primer was first applied to the secretariat to avoid any stain bleeding through the chalk paint layers.
2. As the original piece contained scroll work on the edges, the EFEX appliques chosen complemented the existing scrolls beautifully, inclusive of the beading border on the front of the desk. The EFEX appliques were then glued on.
(Kristen’s note: Franca used our R61 rosette as a central feature and surrounded it with a rectangle of T70 trim. The legs were dressed up with our L1 mouldings and two L1 mouldings were used on the top and bottom – cut along the midline and used ‘head to head’ – as scrolls. )
3. This was followed by two coats of Websters Chalk paint in a custom blue.
4. To add further depth, a 50 / 50 wash of the same custom blue and a grey was then applied sparingly whilst wiping off excess with a rag. The piece was then finished with clear & dark wax where required.
5. The original handles were painted in acrylic silver. Some of the same silver was then lightly dry brushed over the ornate EFEX appliques to give them a shimmer.
In conclusion, From Ordinary to Extraordinary!!!”
Thank you so much Franca for sharing this piece and your steps with us. We love what you’ve done!
Apr 28, 2016 | Efex Decorative Moldings, Efex™ In Action
New Zealand and Australia: Meet M
M: Meet New Zealand and Australia
She was pulled from a rummage box of antique bronze and ormolu embellishments at the St. Ouen flea markets in Paris by the team of Lydia from EfexUSA and Stacey from Faux Studio Designs. She is an original bronze with a sophisticated look about her. She is M.
The original M – antique bronze embellishment
She features a large wreath with two crossed federal flames and a small bow, measures 235mm x 235mm, and is totally French. She’s sexy, bold and has been used to create M1 – our newest Efex bendable moulding.
Efex M1 – finished with gilding wax
Like all of our 160+ designs M1 is bendable and ready to decorate anything you can think of. She is easy to gild with gilding wax, metallic paint, or foils. We layered different colors of gilding wax to achieve the great patina above.
M would look equally elegant on a bedhead, footboard or large armoire. This signature piece is ready to ship, and all of our dealers can order one for you today.
M1 featured on a gorgeous trumeau in Florida.
And stay tuned, M was not the only antique embellishment from that day that will be transformed into an Efex moulding…more to come.
Apr 8, 2016 | Efex Decorative Moldings, Efex™ In Action
One of the best parts of this job is getting to see the wonderful, inventive pieces created using Efex. It’s also thrilling to see our products on display – Facebook, other websites, shops, homes, etc.
Recently, we’ve had the privilege of providing our mouldings to the Melbourne Theatre Company for a beautiful mirror used as a prop for their current production – The Distance.
This mirror was designed by the very talented Tracy Grant Lord. The Melbourne Theatre Company Props Department, headed by Geoff McGregor, made the mirror and the finishing artwork was executed by the MTC Scenic Department.
They used an incredible array of our mouldings, trimming them and overlapping them to suit. If you look closely under the large moulding at the top of the mirror, you can see that they’ve used an L2 leg moulding and simply cut it in half along the centerline to suit their piece. Can you spot the SC3 scroll used on the upper corners? What other mouldings can you identify?
The piece was finished in a light grey tone rather than true white, giving it a beautiful aged appearance.
And if you’re wondering about the two mouldings at the very top of the mirror, I can tell you that these are on the ‘coming soon’ list as a new large rosette and another leg moulding.
Thank you to Michele Preshaw of the MTC for sharing this lovely piece with us. We look forward to working with you again in the future.
For more information on the Melbourne Theatre Company’s season and this play in particular, visit http://www.mtc.com.au/plays-and-tickets/season-2016/. Unfortunately The Distance closes tomorrow, but the rest of the season looks phenomenal!
Sep 16, 2015 | Efex Decorative Moldings, Efex™ In Action
Alison at The Little French Provincial Shop in Gundaroo, NSW is at it again, this time with a gorgeous mirror. 
Using the C31 corners, D8 drops and a P12N pediment, Alison has taken a beautifully-shaped but somewhat plain wooden framed mirror and made it into something really quite special. The piece was finished with Webster’s Chalk Paint and L’Essential Clear and Dark Wax. Here is the mirror in its ‘before’ state…
Thank you for sharing! We can’t wait to see what you do next… 🙂
Sep 11, 2015 | Efex Decorative Moldings, Efex™ In Action
This lovely console table/desk was revived by Alison at The Little French Provincial Shop in Australia and she was kind enough to share her before and after shots with us. She’s updated the look with new knobs and Fusion furniture paint and given the piece added interest with our L4 leg mouldings.
The “Before” shot…
A more detailed view of the leg moulding.
Great work and thanks again or sharing!
