Ever open a magazine and wonder what it takes to put a story together? In this, the first in a series of behind-the-scenes reports on the making of Sunset Home stories, we give you the inside scoop—from inspiration to execution all the way to (hopefully) editorial success.
Case study #1: Tropical tabletop. This is an idea we’re working on right now—in real time!—for our upcoming August in the West section. It all started with some painted outdoor tables (left) that Katie, our editor-in-chief, spotted at Buzz’s Original Steakhouse in Kailua, Oahu. She loved their breezy, offhand tropical charm and figured readers would too. So our intrepid pair of Home crafters, writer Jess Chamberlain and designer Monica Ewing, got to work on bringing our own version to life.
A small blue Crate & Barrel metal table that lived in the Sunset prop closet became the lucky Cinderella. Monica created a gorgeous pattern of hibiscus-inspired orange and white blooms on a bright blue background. “I love this color combination—it just felt like summer to me,” she says. She found the appropriate acrylic paints (we used Liquitex high-gloss acrylic enamel) at our local art supply shop.
Then came the actual painting process—which Monica bravely attempted in her own office area, attracting the attention of numerous nosy/procrastinating co-workers. The biggest stumbling block: a failed attempt at tracing the pattern onto the table with china marker, a waxy pencil used to mark up photo contact sheets and transparencies. To our consternation, the marks didn’t rub off the way we expected. Undeterred, Monica simply forged ahead and painted over them. “But I would tell readers to outline the pattern with a very small paintbrush instead,” she says. Another of Monica’s tips: Paint one petal at a time, starting at the center of the flower and working outward. “When the paint dries, the brushstrokes are clearly visible, so this technique gives each petal a nice natural texture,” she says. Stay tuned for more of her tips—as well as the final, gorgeous result—in our August issue. — Irene Edwards, Sunset executive editor, Home + Garden
