one of my favorite trends in newer homes is having the stairway snuggled into the “friends & family” part of the house, instead of building a huge entryway around it (not that there is anything wrong with that, either.) at my lovely client’s home, due to a miscommunication, the pretty custom railing for this stairway received a plain coat of glossy black paint, giving a finish more suited to an outdoor fixture. designer anna baskin lattimore requested a quick fix, to warm it up and mellow it out. using gilt waxes (available at your local craft emporium, or in the toolkit) in spanish copper alongside european gold, the task was easily accomplished in a morning (while the young joneses allegedly chipped away at their summer reading):
it’s not a “hey! look over here!” kind of finish…more of a subtle kind of thing. you know what i mean.
oh, and here’s a before: