As usual, another unknown designer term has been introduced to me. Finial. Now that this is my umpteenth completely new word/definition combo, I'm starting to get used to the fact that I'm in learning & absorption mode. When Audrey used finial when describing something to me the other day, I actually got excited when I started thinking about the process of looking up what it means and then sharing it with you!
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fin·i·al
noun \ˈfi-nē-əl\
1 :  a usually foliated ornament forming an upper extremity especially in Gothic architecture
2 :  a crowning ornament or detail (as a decorative knob)
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This is a pretty broad definition, so I found two examples of finials to help us understand this thing better. One is stand alone, and the other serves as a resting place for a candle or some other object. They can also be used as bases in lamps!

I like this new word, and I like what it is! Enjoy!

Mr. Hammer & Mrs. Paint needed some hardware for various projects they have in flight and planned for the very near future. I was going to spend a 12 hour day shopping, so I took it on myself to look for some used hardware. I was successful, in that I found two 4-packs of drawer pulls and a knocker. As I took pictures and then planned to tell Mrs. Paint what I had purchased, I realized I didn't have the vocabulary to tell her. So I asked the internets.

The internets took me here, to Cliffside Industries. Cliffside tells me that the hardware I purchased falls into the "pulls" and "handles" category of cabinet hardware because they require more than 1 screw for installation.

Once I had that tidbit, I had to get creative. From about 5 different sites, I concluded that I found:

• a set of 4 bail or drop pulls (left)
  
• a set of 4 pulls with backplates (right)
  

I hope you're enjoying learning these things along with me!

Wikipedia tells us that a paint wash is a painting technique in which a paint brush that is very wet with solvent and holds a small load of paint or ink is applied to a wet or dry support.

Essentially, you thin the paint before applying it. You can even apply more than one color to get a cooler look and feel. As usual, I didn't know what this was until Audrey advised Shane that she was going to put a wash on some things he built. I immediately looked it up, but then I started looking forward to seeing what Audrey's wash would look like.

So now here's what a paint wash looks like to me:

It's nice, isn't it?!

I may have alluded to this or even mentioned it outright before, but I'm no designer. Not only can I not design, but I'm also pretty sure that any designer I ever tried to hire would quit or fire me after a short span of time.

Working with a designer and a carpenter on this adventure has forced me to learn some things, and I'm going to share them back with you when there aren't projects & other Painted Hammer related things to go on about in this blog space.

Today's word from the world of design is patina. Merriam-Webster's online dictionary tells us this:
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pa·ti·na
noun \pə-ˈtē-nə, ˈpa-tə-nə\ : a thin usually green layer that forms naturally on the metals copper and bronze when they are exposed to the air for a long time

: a shiny or dark surface that forms naturally on something (such as wood or leather) that is used for a long time

: a thin layer
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I understand why designers use the word "patina" for this. Advertising something as "weathered" just isn't as inviting.