Faux finishing is no faux pas
By Jason Sweeney, Special to the Town Crier
 Dagmar Alexandersson, owner and designer of Dax-Studio in Los Altos, shows a stencil that produces a faux wall design. |
You may feel your kitchen has a look and feel that would make Martha Stewart feel right at home - it’s the look and feel of a jailhouse cafeteria.
What do you do when the rooms of your house are in serious need of an overhaul but you don’t want to spend time and money on remodeling?
Los Altos-based interior designer Dagmar Alexandersson can transform a shabby-looking kitchen into one fit for a gourmet French chef. She uses a process called faux finishing to give an otherwise ordinary room an elegant Old World feel.
Alexandersson, originally from Germany, was an art student in Frankfurt with an interest in fashion before moving to Sweden with her Swedish husband. In Sweden, she was inspired by the artistry in the design of Swedish castles.
Her husband later transferred to the Bay Area, where Alexandersson continued pursuing art as a hobby. She found her calling after discovering that her interest and background in art could be put to use giving local homes the look and feel of the castles she enjoyed visiting back in Sweden.
Those Swedish aristocrats had a secret to keeping up appearances. Not every Swedish noble could afford Italian marble; but through a process called faux finishing, royal appearances could be maintained on the cheap.
Today, Alexandersson’s company, Dax-Studio, offers local homeowners the same economical way to redesign rooms used by thrifty Swedish nobility. With a faux finish, a plain-looking bathroom wall can resemble the stone walls of a royal manor.
“You can do so much just giving the kitchen a face-lift,” Alexandersson said. You can get a luxurious kitchen that can increase the value of your home without having to rip out cabinets, floors and walls.
Dax-Studio specializes in faux finishes that combine European flair and technical expertise to provide new ideas in decorating and finishes to the home or work space, according to the company’s Web site. Full-service solutions are provided - from preparing the walls by professional, licensed painters to faux finish artists and interior design suggestions. The diverse and professional knowledge of the Dax-Studio team attempts to save homeowners both time and money.
From the initial meeting to the finished project, Alexandersson’s company works with clients through every step of the process.
Business in Los Altos is good, Alexandersson said. The Old World look is popular with local homeowners, and demand for her services is strong.
For more information, call 766-4366 or log on to www.dax-studio.com.
