Your Home: A Living Canvas

by Curtis L. Heuser

Uncover the glory in your home! Use paint to create inspired living spaces that reflect your style and your home's character.

Once upon a time, there was a sad little Victorian house on the corner, abandoned by its previous owners and abused by time. Your Home, A Living Canvas is the Cinderella story of that house and its transformation into a charming, historic home, thanks to the loving care of acclaimed decorative artisan, Curtis L. Heuser.

From the grand staircase to the cozy third-floor master suite, this book takes you along on the complete floor-to-ceiling, room-by-room makeover. You'll learn about the design concepts and inspirations for each space, along with real-world how-to's behind the wall treatments, ceiling features, architectural highlights, and other exquisite details.

A series of 25+ step-by-step demonstrations show how Heuser used murals, trompe l'oeil and faux finishes to blend old with new, reclaiming the spirit of the house's former glory, while incorporating unique personal touches. Covers a range of decorative styles, from the exotic crackle-finish bookcases in the study, to the Italian country villa-inspired kitchen, to a sophisticated dining room that embodies the Old World ambiance of classic European interiors. Offers a wealth of expert decorating advice on using color to evoke mood, displaying your collections, mixing and matching eclectic furnishings, and more.

Whether you're interested in a simple faux finish technique or are dedicated to preserving the architecture and charm of your own historic dwelling, this book will help you create a living environment rich in color, texture and atmosphere ... a place called "home."

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 2007

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book of inspiration for creative interiors done tastefully. The author has such a wide variety of art forms in his home, from faux natural materials to entire trompe-l'œil murals. At times, the projects are more to be admired than duplicated. He clearly has years and years of experience, and loads of talent. But he walks you through many projects as well, making this book practical as well as inspiring.

My favorite room was the one pictured on the cover. As an example of the ingenious details Heuser includes in his home, the mural of the gorgeous trees *extends onto the custom stained glass window*....the branch of the painted tree grows into the branch on the stained glass. Brilliant!!

Highly recommended!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the list of home improvement projects is my desire to get rid of the renter's white walls. As well as the previous owner's bizarre choice of using kick boards as wall lining. I bought this book for technique ideas. The examples are not suited for a tiny home with low ceilings. Still, there is much to be gleened.

[February Four · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the pictures giving you step-by-step instructions on how to achieve certain effects. While the projects in this book require far more artistic talent than I could ever hope to develop, the ideas in it are solid.

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting work in it.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

VERY talented artist!