1. Where are Amy Howard At Home products made?
Amy Howard At Home products are all proprietary formulations and filled here in our factory in Memphis, Tennessee.
2. Are Amy Howard At Home products eco-friendly?
All the paints, legno, stains and antiquing glazes, plasters are all eco-friendly.
3. What is the shelf life span for Amy Howard At Home products?
Shelf life for plasters is 100 years; the paints are upwards of 1 year unopened. Once opened the Toscana paints have a shelf life of 6 months. The legno gesso once mixed with water is good for 3 weeks and should be kept refrigerated.
4. Are there certain surfaces that cannot be covered by Amy Howard At Home’s Toscana finish?
When using the Toscana finish techniques, one should make sure the piece is stripped and has a clean surface.
5. Can the Zinc Solution be applied to any metal?
The zinc solution can be used on copper and sheet metal.
6. How can I gain access to the online Amy Howard At Home tutorial videos?
The tutorial videos have sneak previews on YouTube. When you purchase the product from your retailer or at home studio or via the e-commerce site, you will be given a code to watch the tutorials in their full length.
7. How soon will products ship after my order is placed?
Orders will ship within 72 hours of your order. If they are back ordered you will be notified.
8. Can Amy Howard At Home products be overnighted?
They can be overnighted.
9. Is it possible to customize dimensions on Amy Howard At Home Unfinished Furniture?
We do not customize custom pieces in ones or twos. However, we can customize them in quantities of 15 or more.
10. Mrs. Howard, what inspires you?
I am inspired by beautiful things of all kinds. Beautiful linens, silverware, a great finish on a fine antique. A well designed room with a blend of textures and finishes. I love sharing my thoughts on everything from how to projects we are working on to different design projects I am working on.
11. How closely do I need to adhere to your instructions to get the same/similar affect?
I would adhere as closely as possible. The antiquing process however, is as individual as the person doing it.
12. How durable is the Toscana finish?
We do not recommend it for daily use surfaces such as a breakfast room table because it is water-soluble. It is great for dressers, cocktail tables, beds, trim, and side tables. It is to be treated as a fine antique. Do not place water glasses, sharp or scratchy objects on. Never any for Endust or Pledge, only a soft cloth to buff on occasion. Since the Toscana finish is sealed with wax, it is best to not have as a highly used finish on tops of dining tables etc..We suggest using lacquer over it and then waxing. Otherwise, it is a very authentic looking finish for most any piece.
13. Where do you hold workshops?
We hold workshops here in our Memphis store - 901.682.2558 call for a schedule. Also, we have studios all over the US that have project driven workshops that you can attend hands on finishing with instructors that have trained with me.
14. Does the Amy Howard At Home Venetian plaster come in any other colors besides white?
We can make Amy Howard At Home Plaster in custom colors and 12 different colors that are standard. There is an up charge for this.
15. How durable is the Amy Howard At Home Venetian plaster?
The plaster is very durable and can be cleaned with soap and water.
16. I love artwork on furniture but I am not an artist. How can I achieve a similar look?
We are going to have stencils that you can use on furniture. When you go through the antiquing process you can naturally wear it to look old and still have a great look.
17. Are Amy Howard At Home products for trained professionals? Do I need any prior experience?
I highly recommend you attending a workshop and having an instructor there, giving you suggestions on what to do and how to improve your craft. Anyone can do it though, especially with our tutorials.
18. Can I purchase furniture pieces that are already finished?
You can purchase the pieces already finished on our Amy Howard At Home site. We will have several rooms on there for you to view and purchase things. We ship all over the country. We are still a “to the trade” line and have saved our line furniture for designers and architects.
19. What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept MasterCard, Visa, and American Express
20. I completed a piece with the Toscana finish six months ago, how easy will it be to match the finish to create another piece?
We highly suggest that you do the finish on your pieces at the same time. The process of antiquing Toscana is very natural and beautiful. However, getting them to match exactly is not desirable, you do want to make sure that you have the color dye lots the same color.