Niermann Weeks’ Finish Library – The White Family
Joe loves new finishes, and we have accumulated about 500 different ones. The most popular ones we’ve sampled in our showrooms in display boxes.
The difference from one finish to another, however, can be merely a matter of degree, ie. several shades less green tint. For instance, when I showed Joe our 40+ different variations on antique white, then several things happened:
* He became less eager to create yet another antique white.
* NW gave specific names to specific finishes.
* NW actually discontinued some of the minor variations.
* Clients more easily got the finish they intended.
It was a happy day. Our website today shows a mere 30 finishes in “Creams/Tans” and 70 in the “White/Greys” section.
Chalk rust may be the most popular of the surviving antique whites. We call this a crunchy finish, as it’s composed of many different layers of plaster and paint. It’s supposed to look like the remnants of a fabulous gilded finish from the 18th century which has fallen on hard times. The gilding has eroded away, exposing the inner layers of plaster and dirt and rust.
It’s a great finish for a chandelier like our new Vivaldi, hanging here in our DC showroom.
Because of its crunchiness, it doesn’t translate well onto a piece with a larger, flatter surface area, like this Venetian Bed. We’ve developed the more durable Venetian ivory and gilt for beds.
Camel and Silverleaf is a prime example of a whitish finish that does translate well from design to design, regardless of surface area.
It started out on our Neoclassical Urn Lamp which Joe designed with Charlotte Moss.
We’ve now put that finish on:
A custom tall Charlus Etagere
Our standard Annecy Settee and Chairs
Our Versailles Bed
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