NATCHEZ &8212; Faux painting began as a hobby for Natchez native Mel Hicks Shaidnagle. Painting provided relief from her daily work in New Orleans as a paralegal.

Now, having returned to her hometown, she is turning her hobby into her profession and expanding it to include other areas of interior design.

&8220;Normally, I guide the homeowner on what can be done, helping through the whole process of remodeling,&8221; Shaidnagle said, as she walked through the rooms of a Seargent S. Prentiss Drive house where she has done her most recent work.

Others bought the house as an investment. They brought her in to do the renovations, Shaidnagle said.

&8220;I&8217;ve been here about three months. I did the granite slabs, refinished the cabinets, redid the floors,&8221; she said, walking through the kitchen.

&8220;This is Italian plaster,&8221; she said. &8220;I use my own custom glazes. The next room has a knock-down texture, which hides a world of imperfections.&8221;

She pointed to the fireplace, where white wood has been transformed to a rich wood finish. &8220;I gave it a new finish and more dimensions.&8221;

She selected new fixtures throughout the house, gutted a bathroom to remake it completely into a ceramic-tile bath with spa and shower.

&8220;Normally, I guide the homeowner,&8221; she said. &8220;I show them what can be done, helping them through the whole process.&8221;

Shaidnagle became interested in faux finishes through her son. &8220;He started working with a lady who did faux finishes. He is very artistic,&8221; she said. &8220;He ended up having his own business with faux finish and tiles. I think he developed the artistic side in his mother.&8221;

Each project is different, she said. She looks at a room or house, takes the owner&8217;s artworks into account and explores their tastes in colors.

&8220;People have their own treasures, and I try to create a place that enhances their treasures.&8221;

One of the most unusual requests Shaidnagle has had was from Sarah Marchbanks, who wanted to redecorate a room where her husband, Paul, displays his game trophies.

She set out to make the Marchbanks&8217; den have the feel of a hunting lodge and to give some life to the large wild game on the walls.

&8220;In that room I really had to concentrate on the animals,&8221; she said. She wanted her choices of finishes to complement the game.

One of her rules is always to listen to the client and figure out what they want. &8220;A person&8217;s home is their little castle, and you need to protect that,&8221; she said.

One of her first projects on returning to Natchez after 25 years in New Orleans was to build her own home on Lake St. John with her husband, Bill Shaidnagle, a retired U.S. Marine reservist.

He works alongside her in many of the projects, she said.

&8220;He lays my tile, does my backsplashes with me and he provides a lot of the physical work,&8221; she said. &8220;And he has good ideas, too.&8221;