The brief from Shiraz Tayob – owner of Zui Emporium, a premium fashion boutique in the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton – to decorative artist Charlie Vettori of The Faux Factory was clear: add some subtle glamour to the interior of her fashion boutique. “Shiraz and I shared the same artistic vision,” says Charlie. “We were eager to experiment with the walls to achieve a finish that would delight the eye and cast the clothes in their best light.”

The new Plascon Met Pearl range was perfect to help Charlie execute her brief. Metallic finishes have been big in both fashion and décor for the past couple of years, but the trend for 2011 is for metallics with a more subdued sheen. It’s out with the bling of high-gloss silver and gold and in with a softer, more natural gleam – think the shimmery inside of a seashell or the reflection of light off a piece of quartz. The Plascon metallic range captures this look perfectly.

Charlie complemented their shimmer with tactile, organic colours from the Future Fusion palette in Plascon’s 2011 “Love Colour” Forecast. “Metallics require contrast to offset them best, which is why I have juxtaposed the Plascon Double Velvet Evasive White (Y4-E2-3) with the metallic effects on the feature walls.”

Well-placed lights also play their part. “Clever lighting is important for making the most of metallic surfaces,” adds Charlie, “and should be used to create movement and shine.”
Says a satisfied Shiraz: “I love how Charlie uses inexpensive techniques to bestow grandeur and elegance.”

HOW TO: PAINT IN LUMINOUS PEARL To achieve a mother-of-pearl effect on one feature wall, Charlie applied two layers of Earthcote Pandomo in Toadstool. She then mixed two parts Plascon Met 2 Pearl, a metallic paint with a minky lustre, with one part water and one part acrylic scumble. When the Pandomo was dry, she applied the diluted paint over the stucco using a brush and then scraped it off using a plastic scraper. “It’s almost like applying Polyfilla,” says Charlie. “You use the scraper to push the paint into all the little holes in the stucco.” The result is a contemporary textured pearl effect that resembles raw silk and reflects a warm light onto the clothes.

HOW TO: PAINT A PEWTER PATINA WALL Charlie calls the steely look of another feature wall “pewter patina”. Beginners might find it a challenge and it’s best for two people to work together: one person to paint, the other to place the newspaper. Here’s how to get the effect: Paint two coats of Plascon Met 2 Silver. Mix a grey glaze using one part Plascon Double Velvet Grey Archo (P1-E1-3), one part acrylic scumble and one part water. Apply the glaze to the wall, starting at the top right corner and covering one square metre at a time. While the glazed surface is still wet, and using a clean piece of newspaper each time, lay a piece of crumpled newspaper flat onto it. Lightly brush the back of the newspaper and remove. It leaves an unusual, distressed print.