Let's talk home improvement. No one rivals Johnny Dynell's interior decor for imagination and innovation. I still see the lovely Empress, skirts spread around her on the striped couches, holding court in the dreamy Versailles room.

Daddy, I have a stretch of wood flooring in my 116 year old Victorian home that was covered with vinyl tile and then industrial carpet (blech.) I ripped up everything to expose the wood floors, but this area was obviously painted and my attempt to sand and use paint stripper came to naught.

How did you paint the floors in the Versailles room? Did you make your own stencil for the black and white tile look? Any tips on types of paints to use and how to make a stencil?

Of course I realize you are busy with new projects, but the quickest missive on the matter would be very greatly appreciated.

Fond Regards,
Carrie

This message has been edited. Last edited by: arabella strange,

Aw gee.
Thanks Arabella.

This is how I did the floors in The Versailles Room if that's the look you want.
I made them look distressed and old.
I let the wood floor show through the paint.
If you want the colors solid and deep and the edges crisp, that's OK too. I made mine look a little messy.

First: Rough up the surface of the floors (so the paint sticks). It sounds like they are pretty roughed up already if you've sanded them.

Next: Pain the entire floor with a light color.
It could be white or an off white to make it look older.
(You don't have to use black & white.
You could use a pale yellow and a light blue or a rusty red and pale yellow. Millions of combinations).
Black & white squares are the classic but not the only look.

I thinned down the paint to let the wood show through. I knew they would get a lot of wear & tear and thought an old distressed look would last longer.

Use an oil based floor paint if you can stand the extra work, longer drying time and smell. It really will last a lot longer.

But...
The real secret is the final coats of polyurethane. If you use an acrylic paint for the squares, that's OK. Just use lots of tough polyurethane to finish it off.

OK: After you have a light base coat down on the floor and it has dried really well, you are ready for the squares.

I'll use this pic as an example.

Roughed up sanded floors.

Paint a thin coat of a light colorand let the wood show through.

If you are going for a crisp line, then tape off the squares.

But I wanted it to be a bit messy so what I did was make a diamond shape stencil.

Then inside the diamond I sponged it in rough & messy with thinned down black paint.

Then just keep painting and sponging i the diamonds.
(After I did the black squares I did the same thing with the white ones).

Then I cut out a fleur De Lis (from a copy at the copy shop) and with black and white spray paint added them to the diamonds.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: daddy,

Then polyurethane the shit out of it!!!!!!!
Use oil base.
A secret that I learned is that glossy is stronger.
Even if you want a flat finish, use like 4 coats of glossy then a couple of flat and that will give you a gorge finish.

If you want give me a call.

I really loved the wood showing through but if you put it on thick it's totally different.

Wow, thanks so much for the wonderful instructional, Daddy! The photoshop pics recreating the Versailles room really bring back memories.

I can't wait to get started. I like the distressed look also, not to mention, I am not very good at the perfect look. Maybe when I am done I will put up a pic. I will probably go with acrylic since its a heavy traffic area, and might not hold up to the longer drying time. I am thinking of maybe the light cream color and a maroon? I don't know yet, I am really having fun with color, an old brown woodwork I painted a magenta-ish glossy and it came out great. I like playing Bob Villa, and you always had that down, with a flair of course. Thanks again for the how to tips.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: arabella strange,

Cream & maroon sounds nice.

I am so luving this section... Daddy you need yer own show...grow a Bob Villa beard an it might be yours! I now demand a bob-villa-daddy photoshop pic

OK while we are on this subject I've always wanted arabic caligraphy around the top edge of my bedroom walls... but amazingly for me I don't know anyone who can do this. I love the look of arabic (an arabs! heh heh). Anyone know a good arab speaking artist. It sounds like a great Craigs List add as a guise for some nasty arab cab driver trade!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Anna Nicole,

Daddy, Please pass me that hammer.

Anna Nicole, I'm wondering if you might find someone in Chinatown, which I know might seem counterintuitive to Arabic calligraphy, but I know calligraphy is an art form in China, so maybe someone is talented enough to do that in another language? My only other suggestion would be to go to the Atlantic Avenue subway stop in Brooklyn and check out those little stores on Atlantic Ave heading toward Brooklyn Heights. Maybe you could put up signs there asking for someone. There's also some great shops where all of the incense vendors get their Nag Champa for dirt cheap, (the Sattya Sai Baba good kind, and tons of Indian brands) oils, Moroccan decor, perfume bottles, and wonderful kohl eyeliner that is worth the trip in itself.

If you didn't want too much writing you could do it with stencils.
There are some great Arabic fonts.
You could write out what you want, print it out, take it to the copy shop, blow it up to the right size, cut the letters out and then stencil them.

Too much fuss all that stencil palarva... i want a hot young artistic Morrocan bwoy up on a ladder in mi bedroom for the full effect u know... and Atlantic Avenue I have walked (Dawn Davenport style) down many a day... its a good idea. Needs to be perfect an not faux arabic. and I want the writing as a line all around above the picture rail around my room so allot really...

Sounds like you just need Chico, who has done most of the boffo tag murals around the nabe. Just get him some examples of the writing you want and I am sure he can tag your apartment walls in like half an hour flat.