Bob checks in with artist Polly Forcier from MB Historic Decor to get an update on some of the home's decorative painting. Forcier is working on a Colonial-style mural inspired by the work of Rufus Porter, an itinerant painter from the 19th century. Forcier has chosen the dining area just outside the sunroom as the location for her mural. The natural sunlight pouring through the windows serves as a reference point for the highlights in her mural. She uses charcoal to outline the mural's design and then begins painting. For the details, such as the scene's houses and trees, Forcier uses a series of nine stencil overlays. To apply the paint, Polly uses a special stenciling brush employing a rotating stroke rather than stippling the paint on.

In the sunroom, Bob appraises Polly Forcier's traditional Shaker-style landscape wall mural, giving it high marks for the Colonial-themed home. A final look at the walls in the parlor reveals more intricate stencil work. Artisan Ken Forcier has completed the application of a reproduction stencil pattern that was originally found in an early 19th-century Vermont farmhouse.

Bob talks with Bernadette Upton of Eco-Decor about her involvement with the American Lung Association's Baby's Breath program and how their key prescriptions for healthy indoor air were applied in the showhouse. They discuss the healthy features of the baby's bathroom, including the use of no VOC (volatile organic compound) paints in the colorful mural. Only all-natural products are used in the baby's space�ceramic tile, marble, natural wood, cotton�to maintain the quality of the air young lungs will breathe.

Bob Vila shows a before-and-after demolition view of the kitchen and main living areas of the Miami Beach condo. Bob walks us through the open, loft-like space of the condo now that walls, cabinets, and finishes have been removed. Bob also looks at the former kitchen with its close walls, wallpaper, and dark cabinets. He looks back at the mural-covered wall that previously divided the living spaces and shows the open space that has taken its place. To complete the clean, open look of the updated condo, Bob outlines how the popcorn ceiling is scraped, cleaned, and skim-coated in preparation for a finish coat that will give it a light, modern look.

…the brightest sea blue bullnose or an intricate raised motif mural, remember that holding a single sample will not give you a…
…that you will be happy with in the future. A tile with a high glaze and one-eighth-inch grout lines is easy to keep clean and…