ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2006--The House That Faux Built: one of the most creative makeover projects ever completed! Shack to chic! An unattractive Arlington, VA fixer-upper is being transformed using only faux, paints, plasters and imagination to create a living showroom of innovative, affordable solutions in home decor. A sister project is taking place in a church in Chicago, IL. Typical expensive home renovation methods were shunned in favor of transforming what is in place in a dated 1940s brick colonial using techniques few even know exist. The Arlington Project is dubbed "The House That Faux Built," because it sponsors a house to be built for a family made homeless by recent hurricanes. A birdhouse auction will benefit animals made homeless by the hurricanes. Featured are a refrigerator and dishwasher painted to look like expensive built ins, faux "inlayed" wood on an ugly stained parquet floor, 5 ways to transform a grey cement floor to wow, fake stone and tumbled marble techniques right over existing bath tile, iridescent plasters, new cement trowel-on products, faux "slate" right over linoleum, ornamentation steamed on to make "custom" cabinets and furniture, color schemes, antiqued mirrors and trompe L'oiel murals that make small rooms look larger and low ceilings appear taller. The House That Faux Built will inspire, delight, and educate everyday homeowners. It will also appeal to designers, artisans, real estate professionals and contractors. The project will be completed in March. Private fundraising and press events will be held March-May and public open houses in June. In conjunction with these events the book The House That Faux Built: How to Transform Your Home From Shabby to Showplace Using Paints, Plasters and Creativity will be published showing full color before and after photos of the Arlington project and its sister project in Chicago. This is a homeowner's guide to brilliant decorating on a shoestring. Internationally known artisans and craftspeople (from Rome, England, France, and across the U.S.) donated both their time and talents. Included are Nationally published artists including Gary Lord "It's Faux Easy", Pierre Finkelstein "The Art of Faux" and Melanie Royals "Stenciling on a Grand Scale" Product Sponsors include Ralph Lauren, Krylon, Little Giant Ladders, Behr, Benjamin Moore, Faux Effects, Storehouse Furniture and many others.
