Exclusive Interview:

LESLIE SINCLAIR

Segreto Finishes

By William Hanover

The world of decorative painting is limitless, ever-changing and richly complex. Finishes for walls, ceilings, floors and cabinetry can be crucial to the embodiment of a home’s character. Segreto Finishes’ owner Leslie Sinclair constantly explores new techniques and finishes that appeal to a  multitude of styles and personal tastes.

Graduating from the University of Texas with a business degree, Leslie, mother of three, left her corporate job in 1995 to start Segreto Finishes.

Leslie feels that upon entering a room, your eyes should not draw a distinction to one element or finish but should see the surroundings as a whole. By developing a palette that complements a home’s architecture and design, surroundings are given a new perspective.

How did you get started in your business?

I have always loved design, architecture and art and when faux finishing became all the rage I began experimenting on walls furnishings and cabinetry. I bought every book on the topic. There was one hallway in my home where I tested all of my new finishes.  It was a running joke that the hallway became smaller and smaller due to layers of paint with each application that I tested. With the encouragement of the local paint store I left my corporate job to start a finishing business. Segreto was named after my husband’s family and means secret in Italian.

Is what you do called decorative art? Can you describe your field of business?

We are installers of fine finishes. Being one of the first in Houston to apply this old style plaster with a modern twist, we have seen a huge resurgence in this lost art. Creating warmth and depth without much movement, these new plaster finishes work in homes from ultra-contemporary to European. We also paint floors, create murals, finish cabinetry, beams and furniture.

Tell us how your colors and finishes can change a space.

Finishes are the connecting thread that weaves throughout the home. They can marry all of your hard surfaces together, floors, tiles and countertops as well as enhance furnishings art and fabric selections. Think about finishes for you home as the same as finding the right outfit. Choosing the right clothing, accessories and makeup, can not only transform the way you look, but also the way you feel.  

What are some of the most creative pieces you have done?

Stenciling l the ceiling in a room or painting a floor design rather than focusing on the walls in a room. Plaster your range hood or make a wood one read like metal!  Use high gloss paint for your kitchen cabinets and put a crusty furniture finish on the island. Paint initials on mudroom lockers. Take flat beams and finish them to feel reclaimed. Polish a plastered ceiling while leaving the walls more matte!

What are you favorite color schemes?

I do love grays, whites and soft blues.  They create such a soothing backdrop eliciting peace in such a busy world. These neutrals also offer great backdrops to pops of colors and go with almost any palette. Having a strong color in a bar or study can really give your home personality.

Where do you get the inspiration or ideas for decorative walls and ceilings  and floors which is your primary business?

I find my inspiration all around me!  I love the way the light reflects off the trees, the colors of flowers and birds–the movement of the clouds: nature provides so much, including perfect color combinations. I also love to study old architecture and design.

You’re primarily known for murals wall and ceiling designs. What else do you do?

We are using lime plaster to build tabletops, benches and consoles. This hard surface maintains a natural organic feel, while being sleek and polished. With certain design trends moving to a cleaner feel we are plastering showers and eliminating grout lines all together.  Certain plasters work as a sound barrier, insulating factor, and slight fire retardant and are much less expensive than the lathe method of yesteryear.

Applying an allover pattern on walls gives a wallpaper feel, but offers greater flexibility and practicality. Stenciled and decorative designs achieved with paint eliminate concerns common with wallpapered rooms such as seams pulling up or mold growing behind the surface.

You are also a publisher. Tell us about your book.

The Segreto Book Series books came out of clients constantly asking me to purchase my portfolios. So…. I decided to step off a cliff and self-publish. The first two books Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors and Segreto Style were tours of homes with information on why certain palettes and finishes were chosen. My latest book Segreto Vignettes, has chapters on finishing trends, how you can transform existing elements in your home as well as large sections on our favorite rooms; bedrooms, baths and kitchens.

I also write a weekly blog called Segreto Secrets, you can subscribe at segretofinishes.com!