Suzanne in Mexico's Profile

@Transote, Sorry not to have got back to you sooner .. I've been busy selling my house and so haven't visited in a while !

I'm lucky to be living in Mexico, where natural mineral paints (powders) are available in all sort of colours and in just about every little hardware store in town ! Simply mix with water .. and your off ! I wasn't sure of name brands available in the States, but did do a quick search, and came up with this link, which looks pretty promising :

http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_paints.htm

I'm sure there's a lot more info out there and hope you've already managed to locate the paint you wanted .. or if not, that the above link will help !

If you buy your paint in powder form, be warned that the tiniest amounts make a huge difference in the colour you're creating ! After a bit of practice, it becomes great fun and very satisfying too, knowing that you're not going to be left with any sticky mess after finishing a project. Extra paint can be stored in screw-top jars (I have a nice collection !) and used for the base colour, or part of the colour mix, for your next project !

I have found that anything, once the surface is prepared properly, will take and retain this paint ... when topped with several coats of water-based urethane. ... My concrete floor is still going strong and gets constant wear, being the floor at the back of the house, where the the traffic is all from the garden and patio areas. My wooden tables also take a lot of abuse and are similarly resistant to it all. ... Let me know how you get on !

Transote, I agree with you with regard to latex paint .. it can and does peel. Also, like you, I can't stand the fumes from oil based products.

Many years ago, I started using water-based products only, and have found that one of the the most durable finishes (and the easiest to apply) is a combination of flat paint and water based polyurethane (also suggested by PrettyHandyGirl).

For wooden furniture (if previously glossy) after some sanding by hand, I use a liquid sander and then the flat paint (no latex) which dries very rapidly and can be sanded between coats. Once I have a nice smooth finish, I apply several coats of clear polyurethane ... which you can get in a variety of finishes, matt to full gloss, depending on the look you want.

I do a lot of 'custom' and 'distressed' finishes, and find that working with matt paint allows me much more flexibility when I'm looking to make paint look old or 'worn', since you can easily add flecks of slightly different colours, or tones of the same colour, without any fear that you're going to end up with a streaky, gummy mess or that you'll have brush marks showing (this problem is avoided altogether when using matt paint, in my experience.)

I recently painted a concrete floor using the same products and techniques and have found it to be a way better finish than that achieved by using paints specifically designed for concrete .. which I've been unhappy with in the past.

For me, it's all about the 'controllability' of the project ! Water-based products allow you the luxury of stopping and starting to your hearts content, since a quick rinse of the brushes (and yourself) with plain water is all that's needed (for short breaks, you need only pop your paint laden brush into a plastic bag and it will be fine for a good 24 hours.)

Good luck with the chairs !

Absolutely disagree with the idea of resting "at least the front two legs of a sofa or chair" on the area rug. A rug that looks like a "bath mat" will look that way because it's too small for the space and/ or not relating to the furniture placement in the room. The one in the picture looks good because it defines the coffee table space and allows a nice border of wooden floor in front of the sectional. ... Were that sofa sitting right on the edge of a rug, it would look hideously badly placed. Actually, I'm not sure why this particular photo was chosen to accompany the article, since it doesn't illustrate any of the points therein !

Fabulous ! All of it !

Beautiful! But how sad that it has been broken into several times. That would spoil it all for me.

Love this room. Contrary to what a few people have said, I find the space really inviting and totally livable ! It could be because my own decorating style is very similar, but I don't find anything contrived about the empty picture frame or the vignettes of nick-nacks and collectibles. This is the way many flea market fans and thrift store shoppers actually live. To me, it's more Elle Decor than HGTV and definitely the room with the most personality. I don't think that it matters that a designer staged the place, since the occupant of the space obviously provided the 'atmosphere' , agreeing with the colour choices and making the 'look' possible with all the items already in his possession.