Full Metal Jacket

Naples-based Luxe Surface Design Studio can outfit any kind of surface with a full metal jacket.

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Metals have always been an essential element of good design. We’ve come to expect brushed and burnished brasses, nickels, chromes and coppers in beautiful hardware, plumbing and lighting. But what if you want to up the heavy metal levels by way of a floor-to-ceiling installation without having to deal with sourcing a vault’s worth of solid gold? Mariusz Dejcz can help. The owner of Luxe Surface Design Studio applies liquid metal coatings that result in metallic finishes fit for most surfaces, including backsplashes, oven hoods, accent walls and furniture. According to his wife and business partner, Justyna, “Mariusz can work with objects in any shape, size and material.”

After a particularly enjoyable vacation, the Dejczes decided to relocate to Naples from Germany, and they brought their European-made liquid coating with them. They opened their Naples Design District studio and showroom five years ago, and the change of scenery has clearly been good for creativity. While Mariusz has spent hours crafting metal surfaces and panels, producing at least 600 textures in 30 finishes including brass, gold, bronze and copper, Justyna takes on client services, working with homeowners, builders and designers and helps get the word out about her husband’s abilities. “We can create the look of any metal in any number of patinas, colors and textures,” she says. “With every project we work on, we make a brand-new texture. Everything is customizable.”

Because the liquid solution is so delicate and versatile— unlike a large, thick and heavy sheet of metal—the coating can be applied to almost any kind of surface of any size or form, including countertops, cabinets, doors, oven hoods, bars, crown molding, screen dividers and even desks. Clients get the look of beautifully crafted brass doors without the inherent difficulties that come with transporting and sculpting the weighty metal. “We apply the finish, and it looks like it’s solid, but it’s really a very light, thin layer applied over the existing door,” Justyna says. And while it’s incredibly difficult to bend and stretch a piece of metal over a plain set of cabinets, Mariusz can apply his coating (which he calls skin) for wholly original casegoods.

Mariusz has also become noted for his three-dimensional panels, which are metal mixed with liquid resin that make for a striking wall installation, backsplash or cabinet front. Homeowners and designers often commission him to create original works of art, too. Recently, a couple asked for a design inspired by Key West—the island where they met—so Mariusz created a 5-by-10-foot panel in gold, green and blue hues that mirror the coastal setting. Whether it’s massive artwork or the legs of a chair, Mariusz handles the whole maker process. “We don’t have subcontractors,” Justyna says. “Mariusz says ‘My hands are my signature.’ Each product has a different consistency, and he’s very picky. He just never gives up, and he’s always looking for new ideas and solutions to challenges.”