Segreto Secrets: Eye Candy for the Soul

Every once in a while a book comes along that you know you will treasure. Leslie Sinclair's new book, Segreto: The Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors, is one such book. Leslie owns Segreto Finishes, a fine decorative painting company in Houston. She left the business world in 1995 to fulfill her passions for interior design, art and architecture and has since become a well known name in the industry. It was exciting to find that she was going to publish a book with her gorgeous work- all in one place for us to peruse.

Leslie's belief that wall finishes should "enhance the room rather than the finishes being the forefront" is a refreshing outlook that I agree with. As a matter of fact, I look at interior design in much the same way- the results should not shout look at me as individual components, but rather should be a cohesive whole that leads to discovery.

Her company specializes in gypsum-based plasters that add a subtle depth to the room. The plaster is mixed from a powder state by hand, with natural pigments or universal tints added to obtain the soft colors.

 

The walls are first primed and bonded and are then ready for the plaster coat, typically taking three days for an average size room. Beautiful!

You want to touch these walls!

Segreto Finishes also specializes in custom cabinetry and wood finishes. Here the designer Leslie was working with was inspired by an old European home. Leslie thinned down the plaster and applied it so that the grain of the pecky cypress became the highlight.

An example of their custom cabinet finishes:

Decorative painting ideas abound in the book. Whether hand-done or stenciled, you get a sense of how to choose the right finish for the space.

This is definitely not a how-to book, but rather an inspiration for interior designs in your home. A thorough Resource Directory can be found in the back of the book, especially ideal for the locals in Houston.

When asked about upcoming trends in the industry, she replied, " Heavy finishes are definitely dated—trying to achieve finishes that have a lot of depth but not much movement are the key." Amen!

To purchase Leslie's self-published book, click here.  

What a wonderful holiday gift for yourself!
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