Richmond Based H.J. Holtz & Son Receives National Recognition for Faux Finish Work
The 3rd generation company wows judges with mind-bending “wood paneled” room.
Richmond, VA – March 1, 2017. The Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) presented H.J. Holtz & Son of Richmond Virginia with its prestigious Picture it Painted Professionally (PIPP) Award for Decorative Finishes in 2016. The PDCA confirms what Virginia contractors and decorators have known since F.D.R. was president, if you wish to turn a makeover into a dramatic transformation, take the project to H. J. Holtz & Son.
“We are very honored to be recognized by our peers in the PDCA. We had a feeling this project would get noticed by the judges. The award gives us an additional opportunity to pat our craftsmen and women on the back for their hard work,” relayed Rick Holtz, Owner.
The design project that earned the PDCA’s recognition was a room produced for a residence in Charlottesville, Virginia. The homeowners came to H.J. Holtz & Son with a decorating dilemma. They wanted to decorate a family library room with wood paneling but found that the kind of wood-look they envisioned would exceed their budget. As Rick described it, “Our job is to take a room, its walls, its lighting and its space and bring to life the vision articulated by its owner.”
To overcome the challenge of creating a wood paneled room without wood paneling H.J. Holtz & Son turned to an old technique, one that traces itself back to the Renaissance, “Faux Bois.” The French term, meaning “false wood,” involves covering the walls with multiple layers of Old Masters paint, gels, and wiping stains, each layer revealing the colors and textures the human eye identifies as wood. Once completed, the distinctive colors, shadowing, grains, knots, cracks and beveling of cut wood evolve into a warm, wood paneled library.
Touches of H.J. Holtz & Son craftsmanship, like graphic wall reproductions for the armed services recruiting facility in Richmond, the Yorktown Victory Museum in Yorktown and the interior wood restoration of a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Virginia Beach, can be found in residences and commercial sites throughout Virginia.
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About H.J. Holtz & Son. Founded in 1936, H.J Holtz & Son, Inc., Painting, Papering, and Decorative Finishes is an award-winning full service residential painting, faux finishing and wallpapering contractor specializing in meeting the needs of discriminating homeowners through exceptional craftsmanship and customer service. From cabinet painting to faux painting furniture to hanging hand-painted wallpaper to simply painting the exterior of a home, our qualified craftsmen can fulfill nearly every decorative need.
Hanging a wallcovering is always a challenging job, however imagine if you were installing a custom wallcovering that was measured specially for each nook and cranny and every sketch custom designed for your space? There are many companies, such as Zuber, de Gourney, Starke, Gracie and Paul Montgomery that produce hand painted murals. At H.J. Holtz & Son we have the expertise to handle this custom job.
The wallcovering we installed at this project was paper-backed silk with a hand painted chinoiserie by Paul Montgomery Fine Murals. The walls were repaired where needed by a plasterer and we primed the walls using our primer of choice, Gardz. Muslin, a plain cotton fabric, was then applied to all of the walls to help ease any future removal of the wallcovering. To give stability, absorb excess paste, and also let us know where problem areas may occur during installation, we applied a blank stock liner.
The blueprints were checked within the space. We reviewed each panel to see if there were any defects or discrepancies present in design, layout, or painting design. Some were found which is common with any hand painted goods. We determined they were minor so it would be better to repair them and make adjustments after the installation. Our other alternative was to send the panels back and wait approximately 4-6 months for a new panel that may or may not be a significantly better match. Once these steps were completed, we were ready to begin hanging the hand painted silk wallcovering.
We started hanging the wallcovering in a niche on the landing, which was the main focal point. You can see how customized the design is. The peacock is centered perfectly in the niche as the branches and flowers flow seamlessly through the curved wall.
We had the complexity of working with multiple off corners as well as plaster unevenness, which is common on older homes. Because of our experience, we were able to make these adjustments without issues.
Once all of the wallcovering was hung, we went back and reviewed the design. At the homeowner’s request we hand painted and appliquéd additional birds, butterflies, and plants throughout the wallcovering using watercolor and gouache paints.
Notice how beautifully the the custom design moves up the stairs with the wainscoting and how the branches surround the arched doorway.
The finished product is this absolutely gorgeous foyer! We were not only able to install the custom designed wallcovering, but our skilled craftsmen were also were able to add additional decorative finishes.
Collaborating with designers is an important and wonderful way for us to work together to help clients visualize and achieve their goals. On the project below we collaborated with local designers Nan McVey and Margaret Valentine of McVey-Valentine Interior Design to create a gorgeous, refreshed foyer without lifting a hammer or destroying a wall. Nan and Margaret worked with Rick Holtz to launch the project and relied heavily on Jeff Ragland’s team at H.J. Holtz & Son for design input.
In speaking with Nan McVey we understand the process of creating an updated space for our client.
“The client has always gravitated to an ethereal palette. We took the colors from the living room, and translated them into a new linen fabric from Cowtan and Tout for the window fabric and glass/stone trim. We then used the geometric pattern to choose the colors for the floor design, always favoring Farrow and Ball paints. The floor design was a collaboration between The H.J. Holtz team and McVey-Valentine. Several color boards were considered before choosing the perfect one. The diamond accent design replicated the color of the hand forged metal poles that were used for the window hardware. We learned that the Farrow and Ball floor paint did not require a finish coat, which expedited the process for a busy family.”
“The wall paint design worked off of the same colors. The existing wall moulding dictated the design. One floor paint was a base coat, and the other was combined to make a faux finish within the moulding. The trim color was a tried and true Farrow and Ball color with warm tones.” The patterned floor and and faux paint “pulled together a long narrow space, while giving it some interest and dimension. The textures in the fabric, floor design and faux painting all spoke to each other.” Which leads to an inviting, beautiful space.
Before:
And after!
The transformation is amazing! The diamonds were painted on a smaller scale, with inserted smaller diamonds on point connecting the larger diamonds. A border was also added which creates even more interest on the floor. The mouldings now pop because of the contrast of color and the faux painting in the middle gives the wall depth. The faux painted light fixture matching the wall completes the room.
Nan and Margaret said “One of the luxuries of the job was the ongoing relationship we have had with the client. We value their input, and they trust our judgement. All of these factors worked together to make a winning combination.” We at H.J.Holtz & Son are lucky to have this relationship with designers like McVey-Valentine because together we can make magic.
At H.J. Holtz & Son our talented craftsmen are often asked to create a painted graphic for our customers. A painted graphic can be anything from a pattern to a stripe… whatever the customer desires! Below are some examples of what our talented artists can do.
Recently we did a unique project with Janie Molster Designs, for Initiate-It, a local marketing firm, and it looks amazing! Using a word bank supplied by Initiate-It, our artists spread out across the wall, stenciling the words in chalk within the flow of a swirl. Emulating different fonts, widths, depth and height of letters; they used assorted brushes with different widths and sporadically placed color down the wall.
The finished product is an inspirational “graffiti” wall which showcases the ability of our artists to blend their improvisational skills and creativity into one.
The stripes on this wall is also an example of a painted graphic. The stripes are created by taping off the area, painting, then reverse painting. Notice that the whiteboard looks 3D!
This commercial garage is another example of a painted graphic. At first glance you may not notice all of the different shades in each geometric ribbon, though upon closer inspection you can see all detail that went into these walls. The colors and shape add interest while helping users find their car more easily.
A painted graphic is not exclusive to commercial buildings. In this homeowner’s garage we painted the faux chair rail. Graphic paint can be as simple as a single stripe in a room! In this situation the simple stripe divides the top and bottom color.
Or it can be complex like this this beautiful compass rose we painted in the Southern Traditions Homearama home in Hallsley. You can see the multiple colors used to create the depth of the arms and the light blue accent rings. The compass rose adds interest to the room and centers the light fixture in the nautical themed space.
Stenciling is another type of a painted graphic! Our own logo was stencil painted on the exterior of our building. Using the stencil kept the blue from bleeding into the red and white, recreating our logo at an astounding size. If you would like to explore including a painted graphic in your home or business give us a call for a free estimate.
Take a close look at the photographs below. This is one of the most recent rooms that our craftsmen at H.J. Holtz and Son just painted. We are sure you are saying to yourself, “What did they paint? It’s a wood paneled room.”
This is an instance where looks can be deceiving. Believe it or not, that is not real wood on the walls. It’s drywall painted to look like wood created by a technique called Faux Bois. It dates as far back as the Renaissance period and is essentially the imitation of wood created on or with other materials. In order to create an antique feel in their home library, we implemented this technique.
Why not purchase wood and have it installed? Wood can be expensive and it can take a long time to receive; therefore, it can be more cost effective to have room painted. How do we create this look? It all starts with a sample. We work with the homeowner and create a sample piece of wood to make sure we understand and can execute their vision. Once approved, we can work our magic!
The first thing we do is find the lightest tone in the wood, which is usually a yellow, tan, or off white. We tint the primer with this color and apply it by spraying or hand painting. We then spray the basecoat in the same light colored tone. This is the first in many layers we apply.
We use a flogger, which is a special brush, to create the tiny lines in the wood in a slightly darker tone. When looking a a piece of wood, these would be the last grains you would notice. However we add them first, becoming the next layer in the process.
Adding the lines of the grain are next. This is extremely subtle and we use a thinner to dilute the stain. We use stains because they do not have as much pigment as paint. By diluting the stain it changes the color slightly and lets the other colors bleed through. We used Old Masters Wiping Stains and Gel stains. The stains are oil based so the wall needs to dry for 24 hours before the next layer can be added.
Notice the blue tape around the edges. We are creating panels by giving the illusion of a beveled edge. We use a darker stain on the bottom and a lighter stain on the top to highlight the wood. The wood direction changes in these areas to look realistic.
The most distinct lines of the grain are the last layer. These are the most dominate grains on the wood which include knots and cracks. The third and final brown tone is used in this step. Then we seal and protect our work with a clear coat. In this room we used Old Masters Water Based Clear Finish in a satin sheen. Once finished, the room is transformed into a gorgeous, Faux Bois library. If you are looking to have this technique applied to your home, give us a call for a free estimate!
The transformation of this home was so complete that a few photos just didn’t do it justice. The gray exterior (Benjamin Moore’s Squirrel Tail 1476) and the bright white trim (Sherwin Williams Extra White) resulted in a dramatic improvement in curb appeal.
Adding the lines of the grain are next. This is extremely subtle and we use a thinner to dilute the stain. We use stains because they do not have as much pigment as paint. By diluting the stain it changes the color slightly and lets the other colors bleed through. We used Old Masters Wiping Stains and Gel stains. The stains are oil based so the wall needs to dry for 24 hours before the next layer can be added.
