St. Petersburg, FL www.splatpaint.com

Step by Step
Meticulous design on a hot staircase.

Waves and foam, courtesy of meticulous design work and 120,000 Swarovski crystals.

Can you count up to 120,000? The Splat crew can. Part of this stairwell decorative project included applying that many Swarovski crystals – Swarovski being an Austrian glass manufacturer – with each crystal getting individualized attention.

The crew spent about a month on that staircase. They painted waves on multiple walls, working to maintain consistency in the design and also trying to keep crystals off the floor. “We created little envelopes and attached them to the walls to catch the crystals, and we constantly changed positions to alleviate fatigue and discomfort,” said company owner Tom Henman.

Speaking of discomfort, there was a ceiling to paint. “The staircase ceiling was done in Diamond Dust Glitter Glaze,” said Henman. “One wall is a glittery sand finish with painted crashing waves, while those hand-applied crystals represent bubbles and froth. It took about a week to draw out and paint the waves, and then then nearly a month gluing the crystals on the wall … one at a time.”

The staircase was narrow, so other trades at the house were often blocked by the ongoing paint job. The steps were bare wood, so despite their best efforts, crystals fell through the cracks. “Every few days, we'd crawl on the floor under the stairs to collect the fallen crystals,” said Henman.

They also maintained COVID-safe practices at this relatively cramped “office”. Oh, and did we say that this part of the house wasn’t air conditioned, and it’s Florida?

Detailed job under stressful conditions for the win!

Applying crystals by hand.   The crew spent a month working in hot cramped quarters.

Key Products

• 120,000 Swarovski crystals, Sherwin Williams paints, Diamond Dust, Shimmer Coat/Novalux Primer