Decorative Painting

Primal Colors is committed to achieving excellent work that is unequalled in the decorative finishes arts industry. Each project is custom-designed, unique to the homeowner, and to the room itself. By using only the highest quality faux finishing products and supplies, Primal Colors is devoted to providing our clients with the best that they can get.

Primal Colors is the studio of artist David C. Hettel.

We are happy to provide you with the benefit of our experience, and make your space reflect what you want it to. If you are a designer, we work hard to assist you in the creative process. We give careful consideration to the personal styles of each designer, and the preferences of our clients, on each and every project. Rarely do we start a job without creating custom samples an sketches. We will bring out the best that your home has to offer.

We bring custom design and color ideas into each new project. We take time to prepare — in the designing of samples, color schemes, and overall theme of the job. We are in the business of beauty, and we maintain high standards for our workmanship and interpersonal relationships. We enjoy creating beautiful and elegant spaces, using color and texture. Whether it is a unique wall glaze, or a French antique finish on a piece of furniture, we bring beauty to any surface.

Signature Surfaces

Faux finishes are techniques that simulate surfaces like marbling, wood graining, leather, tortoiseshell and other organic materials found in nature. Most of the historic houses and palaces in Europe boast some form of marbling and wood graining because these materials were so expensive to acquire that it made sense to commission a craftsman to give an acceptable rendering of them. In some cases actual marble was too heavy to be installed so that faux marble was a more logical option.

Techniques such as striéing (dragging), color washing, sponging, ragging and stippling are not faux finishes. They are collectively called decorative techniques, or broken color effects. This simply means that a colored glaze is applied to a wall, for example, and then broken up with a brush, cloth, sponge etc.

Gilding, patination, aging and distressing come under the very large umbrella of a finishers' repertoire. Stencilling, découpage and trompe l’oeil are other skills that have to be acquired in order to fully round off a faux finisher's portfolio.

Primal Colors creates custom finishes to enhance the environment you live or work in. From traditional to contemporary, elegant to eccentric, we can create a gorgeous finish for your project.

A few of our finishes:

Woodgraining
Marbling
Gilding all types of leaf
Distressed plaster/texture
Stone and granite
Skim stone
Lime paint
Venetian and metallic plasters
Aged and patinated metals
Denim, suede, linen and silk
Harlequins, plaids and stripes
Raised and embedded patterns
Bamboo, tortoiseshell and malachite
Faux leather
Parquetry and marquetry

Art Deco and Contemporary

We will coordinate your project with your existing décor, and provide expert color guidance for othis areas. We can design around themes, and coordinate complex projects. We provide extraordinary services so that you obtain the full benefit from your interior designer or general contractor.

We will be happy to consult with you for any of your professional needs.

Murals and Paintings

Murals are large paintings, and are most commonly created on expansive walls in private homes, as well as on public buildings.

Paintings can also adorn your palace. David uses the combined techniques of faux finishes and trompe l'oeil in his canvas paintings. You'll be absolutely thrilled when the piece designed for your home or business enhances your new environment.

The advantage to this approach is being able to decide exactly how you want your finished room to look. When you commission a hand-painted design, you can be sure it will be a one-of-a-kind piece that will be admired for generations to come.

Trompe L'oeil

Trompe l'oeil is a French term which means “trick the eye.” Sometimes called illusionism, this unique style of painting gives the appearance of three-dimensional or photographic realism. It has flourished since The Renaissance, and can be playful or intellectually serious.

David Hettel

David strives to work with the customer to maximize the potential of their personal spaces and surfaces, by utilizing the best Old World and contemporary techniques. What sets David apart as an artist in this field is his experience as a Residential and Commercial Decorative Painting contractor. On the flip side, as a painter or faux finisher, David can draw upon his experience as an artist. With the help of a few talented artisans who are hired as needed, David has designed dozens of murals and one-of-a-kind finishes for many "high-end" homes and hotels around Florida and the US, (including recently teaming up with a partner in Santa Barbara, California). David has factory training in application of a variety of mediums from Faux Effects Studio, Vero Beach, Florida, and Firenze Italian Plasters in Miami, as well as extensive training in fine art and art history.

Primal Colors

Primal Colors has built a reputation for excellence, integrity and unsurpassed designs. We create custom Signature Surfaces, to meet the color and design preferences of our clients. These hand-painted or applied finishes include authentic faux textures, faux marbles, exotic wood grains, gilding, decorative patterns, gorgeous glazes and custom hand-painted wallpapers. You’ll be amazed by the richness and color, depth and movement that our finishes can bring to your space. We direct our skill, imagination and creativity into designing environments which are a reflection of our clients’ tastes. Our clients are delighted when they retreat into their private or public areas, where colors, textures, paintings and imagery provide them with a sense of well-being.