Leslie Sinclair's Blog, page 11

Spotlight Meg Lonergan- Segreto and HGTV Magazine!

Hi Friends! We are so thrilled to have our work published in the ever so popular HGTV Magazine! It’s an honor to see our work combined with the signature style of Designer Meg Lonergan to create a picturesque room within an even more gorgeous house!

Meg is no stranger to having her work published!!

“Since founding her company in 2009, Meg Lonergan has become one of Houston’s most in-demand designers, known for creating sophisticated interiors that highlight homeowners’ sensibilities and personalities.”- MILLION DOLLAR DECORATOR

Her out of the box creativity is what creates unique looks for each of her clients. The art piece created on top of this antique mirror forms a unique conversation focal wall, perfect for this dining space!

The HGTV feature is all about color, something Meg does so well! She takes the fun-loving personalities of her clients and creates an eclectic home reflective of this family of five.

This photo of the same room shows how the simplicity of the plastered fireplace is architecturally important without competing with the large-scaled art! By mixing different textures of the same tone, interest and warmth are established without closing in a space. Love the stylized simple vases filled with greenery!

What a great family portrait, and a thought-provoking mix of furnishings. Each room has its own unique theme with splashes of color throughout!

Who doesn’t love Lacanche stoves?! Better than jewelry, this turquoise pop of color is surrounded by soft tones and our velvety plastered range hood, allowing this kitchen’s featured element to shine!

A current trend in kitchen designs is using different types of counter surfaces. Meg and I both agree that when counters are changed the cabinets below should also be different. In this home, the island cabinets are painted Comfort Gray from Sherwin Williams, a departure from the perimeter white tone. We love interesting mixes like this! You can check out more of Segreto’s interesting finishing mixes in kitchens and home designs here.

The little girl’s room has a wonderful balance with the warmth of the pastel colored walls and the rug combined with the vibrant colors on the bedposts coverlets, and bright splatters on the curtains. This little princess can definitely grow up with this youthful but timeless look.

Still colorful, the little boy’s room took a more masculine turn. Love the space-saving feature of the built-in bed and shelving allowing more room for playtime. The addition of the dinosaurs is so cute! Rawr!

Finally, you can see how Meg captures the personality of the people using it. The rich color scheme, layered with velvets, provides sophistication in the master, while the feminine mystique of the girls’ bathroom is playful and fun. I adore the geometric symmetry in both rooms! The octagonal mirrors and the angled built-in bookshelf add to the charm of each space.

Thank you, Meg, for trusting Segreto with your projects!! We are grateful for the opportunity to be featured in this piece with HGTV! For more information on HGTV and their decorating and remodeling ideas, you can follow this link and to see some great designs sneak a peek of Meg’s site here! Be sure to go to the three bars on the top right side of her website to click “design”. This leads you to her portfolio!! Till next time! XO Leslie

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What’s Up With Segreto? More Interior Plaster Finishes!

Hi Friends! Lots of excitement on the horizon both in work and in life. I am having to gear back into the wedding planning mode as my baby girl Sammy’s big day is just around the corner. We made all the initial plans last year, have all the vendors secured and now are having fun with all the details!

Work has been just as exciting! One of our favorite homes to date is with designer extraordinaire Kara Childress for a long time client with a vision. Meeting at the planning stage, this Belgium inspired design was to incorporate natural elements that seamlessly blended one onto the other, accentuating the home’s architecture. The Segretostone counters, plastered walls, ceilings, showers and slurried stone, are effortless complements to the reclaimed beams, flooring and cabinetry. Her interior plaster finishes bring the whole project together.

Europeans have plastered showers for years, but have a different viewpoint on age. Living with cracked, stained and obvious repairs on their century-old surfaces are commonplace. In the US, we crave the look but like things a bit more pristine. With countless hours of testing and research, we feel we have developed a system that will lessen the effect of wear and tear to interior plaster finishes in a shower. Using a beautiful natural stone for an accent wall, a floating bench over the drain and backlit walls, this was quite a collaborative effort with Byer Builders.

The efforts were well worth it, as this seamless design is such a calming organic feel without the multitude of grout lines that tile creates. We love to learn and do the very best for our clients, which is why we take time to study the best ways to go about installing interior plaster finishes. I am proud of my Segreto Team who went above and beyond to ensure this client with a vision was able to achieve the look he loves!

These are some samples for a different client who encouraged their kids to select phrases that would be personal and inspiring to them. We are going to paint them on their walls! So cool!!

The warehouse has had a flux of new pieces they are trying to get out. It gave me great joy seeing them literally whistling while they worked! Look to the back at the long looking painting in front of the window. Imagine that painting on a dining room ceiling or powder bath walls!

We refinish a lot of painted finishes but also can transform the look of a stained piece. The homeowner called us in to see if we could paint her dark coffee table. The wood was beautiful, so I suggested stripping, bleaching and finishing it to look more natural. She was all in!

What a difference. I didn’t even notice all the character of the wood when it was dark.

You can see how large the table is. The lighter more natural look really brightens up the space and gives an eased elegance to the room.

Stripping and bleaching are not just for furnishings. Nest & Cot totally transformed the look of these very dark floors by using a similar technique. Floor Designs of Houston did an amazing job! Segreto’s part. Segreto Paint was used throughout the entire home and became the transition color dividing the different floors. One of my favorite combinations. The walls are Kempwood and trim, Radiant Oyster.

If you don’t have inlaid floors but love the ideas of a design, a graphic can be created using stain or paint. Designer Cindi Graham, wanted a three-toned stained design to really set off the new look she had in mind for this study! We lay something down over the floors first to start drawing out the graphic.

Source

Cindi’s inspiration came from this Art Deco-inspired art piece she found on Redbubble. We needed to simplify the design to stay on budget.

I love it when we start cutting out elements. The client really begins to see it take shape.

It was hard to get the whole floor in the shot but what a statement it made in this room. I also love the fact that Cindi has a one of a kind floor for her client. If you’d like to see any more examples of our work, wood or otherwise, you can go here: https://segretofinishes.com/finishes/.

Join Segreto At Chaplewood’s Spring Thing Market located at 11140 GREENBAY STREET

I hope you all liked following me along for the week! This Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday day Segreto will be at Chaplewood United Methodist Women’s Spring Thing Market with art, samples of finishes, displays of our new SegretoStone line and of course the newly releases Segreto Impressions. We even has some super scented candles and playing cards which any design enthusiast would love.

This is one of the largest and oldest shopping markets in the Houston area, and for 59 years portions of it’s proceeds have gone to children’s and woman’s causes both in our area and across the globe. How fun and rewarding to shop with some of the best curated venders all in one place, and know you are helping woman and children all at the same time!

The evening Preview Party  Tuesday, March 3rd from 5-8:30, features light bites and desserts for $15, when purchased in advance or $20 at the door.  Bring your teen and they pay $10.  Children 10 and under are free. Come shop Free Market days Wednesday and Thursday and don’t forget to enjoy a delish lunch in Betty’s Tea Room.

Hope to see you there! Till next week! XO Leslie

The post What’s Up With Segreto? More Interior Plaster Finishes! appeared first on Segreto Finishes.

Segreto Spotlight- Our Head Wood Cabinet Finisher, Jerry!

Hi Friends! I hope you are having a wonderful week! If you have worked with Segreto you have probably met Jerry, our head wood cabinet finisher. With a gift for color, he is as talented with his craft as he is leading and training our Segreto team.

One of 12 children, Jerry grew up in the furniture refinishing business, as his father (now 95), was one of Houston’s go-to people when it came to repairing and staining woods back in the day.

It was a family business for the Bazan Brothers, and little Jerry, to the left in front of his Mom and Dad, is now the second generation, carrying on the trade he learned from his Dad so long ago. He mastered staining, restoring and finishing pieces at an early age and became genuinely passionate about the transformations these pieces took on. I was lucky to hire him 18 years ago and he has been a Segreto staple ever since.

Since the company has grown, our staff doesn’t always get to see every project Segreto works on, rather only the ones they are a part of. Thus, Jerry has taken a hand at photography to share what his team does with the rest of our crew! I love this picture he took while working at the Segreto warehouse!! Today I am going to share a bit of Jerry and some views from his week!!

Jerry is a master of taking a surface and totally transforming it!! Take this door——lovely wood and reclaimed, but………. not the finish Architectural Designer Sarah West had in mind.

The door to this pantry now looks more interesting and aged after his magic. This technique was done without stripping and bleaching the wood first, which not only is a cost-savings for the client but also less mess and smell.

The ceiling and beams were similar in process. Starting with dark stained wood, a lighter perspective was given by layering translucent glazes over the existing surface, lightening them without covering up the natural grain of the wood.

This freshly built cabinet takes on the feel of centuries-old furniture. Jerry, truly putting our clients, staff and Segreto’s mission first, patiently trains and collaborates with all of our artisans, sharing ideas and working together with our team to perfect their craft.

In fact, he will tell you one of his greatest joys, is not only to be able to do something he loves every day, and teach others, but also to learn from the many artisans which make up the Segreto team.

What does Jerry like to do when he is not bringing joy to clients by creating beauty in their homes (which for him is 6 days a week)? He loves to lift weights, work out, travel and spend time caring for his parents.

Jerry’s favorite challenge is matching new materials to an old finish where they seamlessly blend together. Like the above shutters which Designer Kara Childress purchased to become a really cool place for packages and mail to be left. Kara can find it, Goodchild Builders can build it and Segreto can finish it!

He makes it impossible to determine the old from the new, even on the MDF Panels!

Jerry is a master problem-solver and inventor, really. He creates processes to take something which is no longer aesthetically pleasing to our clients and transforms it into something of beauty.

Is it the same piece? I love the the new accessories as well!

These carved pieces are actually created from 3-D printing because the radius was impossible to weld with iron. Made from a type of plastic, it was our challenge to create a finish that married well with the brass cap.

Railings are not the only place we use gold. With metallic trending, you will see Jerry’s transformations on furniture, bead details on cabinetry and paneled walls!

If you have worked with Segreto for anything that has to do with wood, Jerry has probably had a hand in the project, whether it be creating the sample- showing the team the steps, or personally implementing the finish.

Without a doubt, he is an incredibly gifted wood cabinet finisher, but even more special is his warm heart and generous spirit! I have loved working and collaborating with Jerry at my side. He has gone on this incredible Segreto journey with me and has made such major contributions to our the trust our clients have in us.

When I asked him to text me a few pictures of his family (can you spy little Jerry) he texted this back to me. “Looking at these pictures takes me back. I love those memories. My Dad not only worked hard to give me as much as he could, having so many children, but he gave me a great foundation in my knowledge and experience in what I do today! “- Jerry

I am so thankful to have such an amazing artist and devoted wood cabinet finisher! Follow us on Instagram @segretofinishes to see more views from Jerry!! Till next week! XO Leslie

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How Can Floral Design Elements Evoke Happiness?

Hi Friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day! I am ready for a bit of springtime- fresh starts and flowers! I love seeing them, being surrounded by them and making them! And then I began to wonder, why?!

My daughter in the lavender fields near Paris.

Rutgers University conducted a 10-month behavioral study that concluded flowers improve emotional health by triggering our happy emotions by connecting us with nature!! At that moment, the fast-pace of our lives melts away and a sense of peace and calm ensues. Imagine how floral design elements can evoke the same feeling!

Hand molded florals made of clay and then molded are applied to this dramatic ceiling to create this raised plaster relief.

It has been proven that flowers, one of God’s many wonderful gifts, stimulate trust and relay our intentions to care for our relationships!

Hand-painted mural in the vestibule to a guest room. The completed room is shown in Segreto Impressions.

It is not only their beauty that positively affects our mood but their colors also elicit positive and calming emotions. Look for pinks, peaches and warm tones to nurture, reds and oranges for sensuality, blues and purples to relax, and bright, contrasting colors to inspire celebration. These colors can be incorporated into floral design elements in your home to give you whatever mood you wish to arouse.

Hand-painted cherry blossom mural over plaster in a formal dining room for designer Sarah Eilers, as seen in Traditional Home.

Flowers can be considered one of the fastest brands of medicine. I know when I receive flowers I am instantaneously happy! Maybe that is why I never changed the floral treatment in my mudroom hallway. Passing through that space multiple times a day really does brighten my day.

Hand-trowled gesso flowers applied on plaster.

The positive moods of those who enjoy flowers are long term. They will be less anxious, depressed, restless and experience more enjoyment, which leads to a happier life!

Hand-painted florals as an accent wall behind a bed for Ashley Goforth as seen in LUXE.

It’s a fact that flowers inspire social behavior, leading to increased contact with others, especially friends and family.

Girls room with a hand-painted floral behind the bed for designer Ashley Goforth as seen in Southern Home.

Flowers create a positive, welcoming atmosphere, whether placed in a vase or painted on the wall. There are no two ways about it: flowers elicit positive emotions and inspire happiness. Surround yourself and those you love with nature’s own happy pill by using floral design elements in your home! To see some examples of how to inspire flower power with a mural on your walls you can go here: https://segretofinishes.com/gallery-2/. I am off to Trader Joes to select a bundle and put a little extra joy in my life! Here is sharing that bundle with you! Till next week! XO Leslie

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Create a Family Paint Night at Home!

Hi Friends! As you may know, each year I put on a dinner party for my 20- somethings kiddos and their dates. Last week, I revealed my Valentine’s table decor! This week I will show you how to put on a family paint night at home!

Inspired by my son’s trip to a wine and paint night class, I thought it would be a fun event to host at home!

This was super easy to put together and gather all of the items needed! With limited time and a few clicks online, Amazon brought all the supplies to my doorstep, lickety-split!

Here are sources for the supplies!

Plastic tablecloth

Large easels

Canvases 12 X 12

Small easels

Paintbrushes

Paint

Palettes

I also found these fun games at the dollar store. I purchased four, one for each couple and hung them on the door hinges. It was a fantastic way to break the ice!!

Going online there are so many heart inspired paintings. I printed them out as idea boards and sprinkled them around the table.

Depending on how many people you are hosting, everything you need would run between $70-$150. I ended up not using the large easels. $10-$18 per person and you will have lots of leftovers for your next painting day!

Everyone had fun and were getting into their ART! Everyone’s piece was different and the table was full of giggles and conversation.

Here are our final creative works!! We definitely will do this family paint night at home again. It was so engaging for all and achieved my goal of having fun together with those that you love! I wish you the best in love, laughter, and friendship! I hope this inspires some ideas for you to host your own family paint night. XO. Happy Valentines Day! Till next week, Leslie

The post Create a Family Paint Night at Home! appeared first on Segreto Finishes.

Create a Family Paint Night!

Hi Friends! As you may know, each year I put on a dinner party for my 20 something kiddos and their dates.

Last week I revealed my Valentine’s table decor! This week I will show you how to put on a family paint night! Inspired by my son’s trip to a wine and paint night class, I thought it would be a fun event to host at home!

This was super easy to put together and gather all the items needed! With limited time and a few clicks online, Amazon brought all the supplies to my doorstep, lickety-split!

Here are sources for the supplies!

Plastic tablecloth

Large easels

Canvases 12 X 12

Small easels

Paintbrushes

Paint

Palettes

I also found these fun games at the dollar store. I purchased four, one for each couple and hung them on the door hinges. It was a fantastic way to break the ice!!

Going online there are so many heart inspired paintings. I printed them out as idea boards and sprinkled them around the table.

Depending on how many people you are hosting, everything you need would run between $70-$150. I ended up not using the large easels. 10-18$ per person and you will have lots of leftovers for your next painting day!

Everyone had fun and were getting into their ART! Everyone’s piece was different and the table was full of giggles and conversation.

Here are our final creative works!! We definitely will do this again. It was so engaging for all and achieved my goal of having fun together with those that you love! I wish you the best in love, laughter, and friendship! Xo. Happy Valentines Day! Till next week, Leslie

The post Create a Family Paint Night! appeared first on Segreto Finishes.

Valentine’s Dinner Party with the Sinclairs!

Hi Friends! I can’t believe it is already time for Valentine’s Day and one of my favorite family parties of the year!! I am excited to share with you what is in store for the table and this year’s holiday craft for our Valentine’s dinner party!

With guys and gals invited, this year’s tablescape was an explosion of reds and pinks hoping to inspire a romantic fun flair to the night’s events!!

With pulling reds from my Christmas stash and pinks from my collection, I had everything I needed in tableware. It is so fun to see how the same things combined differently can give an entirely different look to this year’s table reveal.

I just couldn’t resist these placemats from my pals at Back Row Home. There are two birds kissing in the center of each mat, adding just the right amount of whimsy! The pink napkins were my grandmothers, and their scalloped edges made the most beautiful floral roses. I was so happy that my daughter Kirby was there to help! Even though I followed the tutorial exactly from my Pinterest board- hers were so much prettier!! Notice first one-hers vs. this one-mine!

Here is a how-to from Lauren Conrad’s Blog. She has a great example of a heart shaped napkin in there as well!!

Be sure to save your decor from year to year. The chandelier embellishments are from the party I hosted last year for a mother-daughter-granddaughter luncheon for my Mom!

With all my kiddos and their dates attending, I had to use smaller folding chairs to fit us around the table. These chairs I purchased years ago from Ballard Design! Fortunately, pink is my favorite color and I was able to add a few chairs I had from my living room to make a table for eight! I did find the marble based, chrome heart from Marshall’s Home Goods for $20.

Using a gold base I had for height, I layered potted roses from Trader Joe’s, glass hearts from the dollar store and brass XO’s from The Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s! The heart confetti scattered on the table can easily be found on Amazon.

The party favors, most from Amazon and the dollar store, were housed in these cute boxes, also from the dollar store! You don’t have to spend a lot to create something custom for your guests!

I found these sweet fur Adrienne Landau Heart Key Charms for the gals on my favorite discount shopping site, Ruelala. They come up periodically for $5.99 and retail for $24 at many sites.

Sprinkle a bit of love wherever your guest might roam!

It doesn’t take much-just these potted plants from Trader Joe’s and these heart shaped candies in a white dish to do the trick!

Cocktail picks are a great way to add a festive flair to any spread. They come in all sorts of color and themes! I always get these white pearl ones-100 @ $6.99 because they will translate to any theme!

For those 20 something guests, the bar set up seems just as important as the tablescapes. These statues, which were my grandmother’s, come out each Valentine’s Day.

This year I have started doing something a bit different for all of our events: each kiddo brings something to contribute. For the Valentine’s dinner, my daughter Kirby brought some veggies, my son Matthew brought some bottles of wine to share, and Sammy brought this cheesecake she decorated for the special night. I can’t tell you how much this helps, creates less for me to do, enables me to relax and enjoy the night! I wish I had started this tradition earlier. The kids honestly have loved to help! NOTE TO MOM: Never dictate what they bring!!

My son Matthew actually inspired the craft this year. He took a date to one of those painting wine nights and this is what his masterpiece looked like. I decided to use it as a back drop for our Valentine’s dinner party and inspiration for our craft. Join me next week to see how to create a family paint night, sweet heart style!! XO Leslie

The post Valentine’s Dinner Party with the Sinclairs! appeared first on Segreto Finishes.

Valentine’s Dinner Party!

Hi Friends! I can’t believe it is already time for Valentine’s day and one of my favorite family parties of the year!! I am excited to share with you what is in store for the table and this year’s holiday craft!

With guys and gals invited, this year’s tablescape was an explosion of reds and pinks hoping to inspire a romantic fun flair to the night’s events!!

With pulling reds from my Christmas stash and pinks from my collection, I had everything I needed in tableware. It is so fun to see how the same things combined differently can give an entirely different look to this year’s table reveal.

I just couldn’t resist these placements from my pals at Back Row Home, There are two birds kissing in the center of each mat, adding just the right amount of whimsy! The pink napkins were my grandmothers, and their scalloped edges made the most beautiful floral roses. I was so happy that my daughter Kirby was there to help! Even though I followed the tutorial exactly from my Pinterest board- hers were so much prettier!! Notice first one-hers vs. this one-mine!

Here is a how-to from Lauren Conrad’s Blog. She also has a great example of a heart shaped napkin as well!!

Be sure to save your decor from year to year, the chandelier embellishments are from the party I hosted last year for a mother-daughter-granddaughter luncheon for my Mom!

With all my kiddos and their dates attending, I had to use smaller folding chairs to fit us all around the table. These chairs I purchased years ago from Ballard Design! Fortunately pink is my favorite color and I was able to add a few chairs I had from my living room to make a table for eight! I did find the marble based, chrome heart from Marshall’s Home Goods for $20.

Using a gold base I had for height, I layered potted roses from Trader Joe’s, glass hearts from the dollar store and brass XO’s from The Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s! The heart confetti scattered on the table can easily be found on Amazon.

The party favors, most from Amazon and the dollar store, were housed in these cute boxes also from the dollar store! You don’t have to spend a lot to create something custom for your guests!

I found these sweet fur Adrienne Landau Heart Key Charms for the gals on my favorite discount shopping site, Ruelala. They come up periodically for $5.99 and retail for $24 at many sites.

Sprinkle a bit of love wherever your guest might rome!

It doesn’t take much-just these potted plants from Trader Joe’s and these heart shaped candies in a white dish do the trick!

Cocktail picks are a great way to add a festive flair to any spread. They come in all sorts of color and themes! I always get these white pearl ones-100 @ $6.99 because they will translate to any theme!

For those 20 something guests, the bar set up seems just as important as the tablescapes. These statues, which were my grandmothers, come out each Valentines Day.

This year I have started doing something a bit different for all of our events. Each kiddo brings something to contribute. This year daughter Kirby brought some veggies, Matthew some bottles of wine to share, and Sammy this cheesecake she decorated for the special night. I can’t tell you how much this helps and creates less for me to do, and enables me to relax and enjoy the night! I wish I had started this tradition earlier. The kids honestly have loved to help! NOTE TO MOM: Never dictate what they bring!!

My son Matthew actually inspired the craft this year. He took a date to one of those painting wine nights and this is what his masterpiece looked like. I decided to use it as a back drop for our Valentine sorie and inspiration for our craft. Join me next week to see how to create a family paint night, sweet heart style!! XO Leslie

The post Valentine’s Dinner Party! appeared first on Segreto Finishes.

Food & Finishes-Beautiful Living by Terri Havens

Hi Friends! This week we are going to talk about my two favorite things- food and finishes. With my daughter’s wedding coming up and me needing to be able to wear a dress, the right kind of food is just as important to me as that perfect finish!!

I had put Beautiful Living in my holiday gift-giving guide this year and have personally purchased many signed copies for those special someones. Client, Terri Havens hired another client of mine, cookbook editor Roni Atnipp to work with her on not just a cookbook, but a guide to living beautifully. The pages are filled with lovely tablescapes, beautifully styled plates and mouthwatering recipes that are unbelievably healthy.

I met Terri when I worked with her and her husband when they were redoing their lovely home! In fact, you may know of it by this photo of her dressing room selected for the cover of Segreto Style. She and her husband John own Cal-a-Vie spa in California whose Chef, Curtis Cooke, is known for his delicious, low calorie, healthy cuisine. New Orleans transplants, Terri’s knack for southern hospitality, creative spirit and amazing good taste have been a big part of this luxury spa’s success!

Pictured are Terri and Roni at a behind the scenes shoot in an article from Paper City-photographed by Shelby Hodge. Roni has edited a long list of successful cookbooks- 10 in fact. Here are a few of my favorites: Stop and Smell the Rosemary, Perfectly Aged: 40 Years of Recipes and Stories from The Taste of Texas, Luby’s Recipes and Memories: A Collection of Our Favorite Dishes and Heartwarming Stories, and With Gratitude, Johnny Carrabba.

Chef Curtis Cooke is at the hub of Cal-a-Vie’s amazing cuisine! He gives cooking classes at the spa and with so many people asking for the recipes, Terri wanted to share her love of health and wellness with all of us! Having many publishing houses vying to publish the book, she decided to self-publish to ensure it was beautifully presented and as quality-oriented as the spa itself! I certainly appreciate that!

With Beautiful Living selling over 2000 copies in its first month and being awarded Best USA Hotel Cookbook from the international Gourmand World Cookbook Awards no wonder, it is the talk of the town.

I was so excited to have some of our finish boards used for a few of the beautiful table settings and well-plated foods. Deborah Smail’s photography is a work of art on each page. This lime green Venetian plasterboard creates a striking backdrop for the vibrant blue china.

As you know I love setting a beautiful table and the tablescapes are as inspirational as the food is masterful. This tray of Bloody Mary Gazpacho sits in front of a smokey plaster background.

Spying our gold leaf board used as a placemat in the front of the appetizer section makes me want to create a set of my own for my table.

The Buzz Magazines who featured Beautiful Living in one of their magazines sampled one of the recipes! Here is what writer ANDRIA FRANKFORT has to say! “I made the nuts and olives both, and while both are delicious, the olives are truly addictive. The ingredients are simple, and there’s hardly any prep, but they taste like much more than the sum of the recipe’s parts. Which is exactly the kind of thing we need to be making right now: simple, yummy and healthy too. Not to mention, when you make them, you bring a little bit of Cal-A-Vie luxury home.”  Who doesn’t want that?

Wanting a fun and festive board full of color for the ice creams and sorbets, we custom made this one for their display.

Stenciling over plaster truly creates sophistication and depth to any room……and to these beautifully displayed vinaigrettes.

I have never been more excited to start the new year with healthy eating and a new way to view food. With over 120 recipes tested and put in terms we can all understand-sweet Roni’s contribution, we no longer need to sacrifice taste to maintain our waistline! At the launch party, a full buffet lunch was provided with cashew-stuffed mushrooms (31 calories per serving), roasted cauliflower soup with curry oil (152 calories per serving), Asian chicken salad (329 calories per serving), and chocolate mousse with salted almonds (74 calories per serving.)  That is just 586 calories in total including dessert!

Pretty enough to leave on your coffee table, you will want to keep these recipes which include calorie count, salt, carbohydrate, and fat content with each recipe in your kitchen. Beautiful Living, written by Terri and created by a team of people who truly have followed their passions is inspirational to me. After all, following our dreams, doing what we love and helping others is what life is all about! Kudos to the creatives below! I am fortunate to know and love most of them and am so excited for their success! Till next week! xo Leslie

Terri Havens, who has helped so many people obtain their best life through health and wellness.

Roni Atnipp, editor/production manager, who ensured each recipe could be easily replicated, chose paper flown in from Italy and ensured each place setting was as beautifully displayed and unique as the food.  

Elise DeSilva, a principle with Limb Design, whose passions for graphics have matched each recipe with a graphic splendor.

Debora Smail, a New Mexico-raised, Texas-based; culinary, editorial, photojournalistic, digital & film photographer, whose photography in itself is art.

Chef Curtis Cooke, whose creativity in the kitchen has enabled us to enjoy clean eating at its finest!

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What’s Segreto Up to in 2020? Interior Design Finishes!

Hi Friends!!! I hope that you have found the word you want to incorporate into your lives and are well on your way to living your best life in 2020. For motivation, think about what your life would look like with and without your word in one year’s time. Your word will be as unique as the interior design finishes Segreto has to share!

In this newly constructed home, the homeowner wanted a special treatment on her hood, but didn’t know exactly what to do.

Teaming up with Segreto Designer Leslie Simmons, it was decided to give her hood a metal finish. Painting it black first gave it the base for our artisans to work their magic!

Wanting to incorporate some brass without having the hood be too full of glitz, it was decided to finish the majority of the hood to read like an aged silver metal and accent some of the wood details with a brass-like finish!

This pulled all the surfaces in the kitchen together and gave the statement this sweet client wanted as a more budget-friendly option than what a metal hood would cost! I love the transformation-what do you think?

Here is a totally different application for a rangehood but just as impactful! What a beautiful way to give a dramatic impact to a range hood that is inset and runs wall to wall. Rather than running the hood straight across, create a hood shape with a slight architectural outset. Plastered with the same treatment as the walls, this detail becomes a lovely statement.

We are excited about this one!! A Segretostone top with an integrated sink set on a metal basin. With our finishing team on hand, the base can look like anything from brass to chrome to bronze! The sky is the limit with all the artisans at our warehouse!!

Because each Segretostone fireplace is custom, the size can be altered to fit the space. In this instance, the firebox and wall are determined so getting that perfect scale so the fireplace will look natural was a fun challenge!!

With an elaborate art collection and eclectic Mediterranean style home, drama and color were these homeowners’ wish for their formal dining.

Marrying the colors from the painting, rug, and console, this persimmon tone was selected for this impact space.

This powder room for one of Allan Edward’s spec homes has to be one of my all-time favorites!! It was decided to stencil the powder in a silver metallic. It gives just the right flair and “wow” factor for this transitional architecture!

I love the effect of the linear design; it feels like a soft rain shower to me! Stenciling is a great way to give a wallpaper look without any seams and the colors are limitless!! When you look at the cost of paper and installation it also typically is a more affordable option and much more custom–no two are alike!!

Remember– “Your life is your canvas, and you are the masterpiece. There are a million ways to be kind, amazing, fabulous, creative, bold, and interesting.” – Kerli

Big thank you to the talented gals at Huff Harrington Home for this complimentary article about Segreto Impressions, our new book about our interior design finishes! I have always been a big fan of their blog, design work, travel trips and store, so I got goosebumps when I read what they thought of our new baby-Segreto Impressions (which can be purchased here: https://segretofinishes.com/books/)! They have a brick and mortar store in Altlanta but also have a great on-line shopping experience. Thanks, Huff Harrington!

Til next week! Xo Leslie

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