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FAUX FINISHING
Faux finishing refers to creating the
look of a material, like suede or river rock, using only paint
or glaze. There are several different ways to create a faux
finish to a wall, but most start with a base coat before starting
any decorative technique.
Most faux finishes require a second paint
color and glaze and brushes/rollers/ or any special faux tools
that create the look. Glaze is used to keep the paints from
drying too fast; giving you more time to work with the technique
and achieve the effect you desire.
Here are some different Faux Finishes:
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Ragging:
You’ll
need:
- Two colors of paint
- Glaze
- Old rags (or you can buy a ragging tool at most
home improvement stores).
1. Paint the
wall with your base color. It is usually good to
use a darker color for the base and a lighter color
on top.
2. After the
base coat is dry, mix equal amounts of glaze with
your second paint color.
3. Working in
small sections, roll the topcoat onto the wall in
a smooth layer.
4. Wad the rag
into a ball and press against the wall. Pull it
away and repeat the process. As you do this, some
of the topcoat and glaze mixture will be removed,
allowing the basecoat to show through and giving
the wall texture. (Note, you can also use the ragging
tool in lieu of the old rags.)
5. Repeat until
you get the desired effect and then move to the
next section.
 For
more information, check out BHG.com
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 Color
Blending:
Another simple
technique is called color blending. Depending on
the number of colors you choose and the technique
of your blending, it can resemble the look of leather
or water.
You’ll
need:
- Two-six colors of paint
- Glaze
- Paintbrushes
- Old rags.
1. Paint the
wall with your base color and let dry.
2. Mix equal
amount of glaze with your other paint colors. You
can use just two colors or use more colors to create
a different effect. In both examples, we used a
white basecoat and then two colors on top. For the
red wall, we used colors that were two shades apart
on a paint color strip. For the blue room, we used
colors that were three shades apart.
3. Working in
small sections, dap streaks of paint on the wall
using the paintbrushes. You can use equal amounts
of the colors or try making one more dominant. In
our examples, we made the darker colors more dominant.
 4.
Using the rags, blend the colors together. It is
easiest to just swirl the rag through the colors,
mixing them subtly.
5. After swirling
the colors together, dab the rag on top of the swirls,
further mixing the colors and creating the effect
you want.
6. Repeat until
you get the desired effect.
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You can also buy Faux Finish kits, such
as Walls With Style, which provide step-by-step instructions
and all the tools you need to finish the job. The kits were
used on the two rooms above and can be purchased at your local
discount department store.
Think you don't have time to create a
fabulous faux look? Some companies, such as Ralph
Lauren, have created a one-step faux finish, if you don't
mind paying a little extra. You can create the look of leather,
river rock, chambray, linen, suede, denim and more using their
paints.
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Faux
Bricks:
This is a fun
technique that create faux bricks on the wall. It's
great for a garden room or for a children's castle
motif.
You’ll
need:
- One color of paint for the grout
- Two coordinating colors of paint for the bricks
(two shades apart)
- Painter's tape (blue, low-adhesive masking tape)
- Roller
- Mini, double roller (roller with two small heads
next to each other.)
- Small paint brushes
1. Paint the
wall with your base color and let dry. The base
coat will be the color of the grout.
2. Using the
masking tape, mask off bricks about 8" wide
by 6" high.
3. Using the
double roller tray, pour a little of each of the
brick colors in the tray. Roll over the taped out
bricks.
4. Remove the
tape while the paint is still wet. (Note, if you
wait until it is dry, you run the risk of pulling
off clumps of paint.)
5. Once the bricks
are dry. dip a small paint brush in two the darker
of the two brick colors. Paint shadowing on two
opposite corners of each brick. For example, paint
a L-shape in the lower left-hand corner and an inverted
L-shape in the upper right-hand corner of the same
brick. Continue for all of the bricks.
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| Courtesy
Katie Skillin (Goldcrest Ward, Highland Hills
Nevada Stake, USA) |
Stenciling:
Stenciling is
another simple technique that can give your walls
flair. You can stencil a border in a baby room,
decorate around a door in an entryway, or give a
little extra detail just about anywhere. It’s
best to paint the walls with eggshell or flat finish
paint before stenciling. Glossy finish paints do
not work well with stencils.
You’ll
need:
- Stencils
- Colored paints
- Stencil brushes
- Painter’s tape (blue, low-adhesive masking
tape)
1. Mark on the
wall where you want the stencil to go. Line up the
stencil with those lines and tape down to keep secure.
2. Hold a nearly
dry brush (blot on a paper towel if needed), straight
on and stipple on the wall. Work from the outside
edges and toward the middle in a circular motion.
3. Go over the
area again to build up color. You can control how
much color goes on by the amount of pressure you
apply and the number of times you go over an area.
4. Repeat until
you achieve the desired effect.
5. Repeat on
the remaining wall and let dry.
For more information,
check out StencilEase.com
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Tissue
Paper:
If you’ve watched some
of the home decorating shows, you might have seen
tissue paper applied to walls and then painted.
This can create a leathery look and add a touch
of sophistication to the room.
You’ll need:
- Sheets of tissue paper
- Paste (White craft glue would work)
- Paintbrushes
- Two colors of paint
- Glaze
- Old rags.
1. Apply the paste to the
wall with a roller. Work in sections large enough
to hold two or three pieces of tissue paper.
2. Tear the tissue paper to
eliminate harsh edges, and then crumple the tissue
paper into a ball, unfold it, and place it on the
paste already on the wall.
3. Using a paintbrush, smooth
it out. However, you want to leave some wrinkles
to achieve the leathery effect.
4. Repeat, overlapping the
sections slightly and ensuring the wall is completely
covered.
5. Let dry.
6. Once dry, paint with a
base coat of paint.
7. After letting the base
coat dry, mix equal parts of glaze with your second
paint colors.
8. Working in small sections,
rag the glaze on the wall, removing with another
dry rag until you get the effect you desire.
9. Repeat until the whole
wall is covered.
Note, you could also do this
project with brown paper bags for a heavier look.
For more information, check
out Trompe-l-oeil-art.com.
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Fabric Walls:
Another popular wall treatment
sometimes is covering the walls with fabric. Fabrics
allow you to use colors and patterns you might not
usually see in a room. You can also match window
treatments, bedding and more. Using fabric may not
be for everybody, however. Since the fabric can’t
easily be removed for washing, it will need to be
vacuumed to maintain its appearance. The Trading
Spaces website recommends using dark colors and
complex patterns to better hide dirt. There are
two methods for applying fabric to the wall.
For Lighter Fabrics like Muslim:
You'll need:
-Fabric
- Liquid starch
- Wallpaper brush
1. Soak the fabric in liquid
starch and then wring out lightly.
2. Apply the fabric to the
wall and smooth it out with a wallpaper brush.
3. Apply the next section
of fabric, overlapping the edges slightly and matching
up the pattern as needed.
4. Repeat until the entire
wall is covered.
For Heavier Fabrics like
Denim:
You'll need:
- Fabric
- Staple gun and staples
- Trim to hide the staples, like a braid or ribbon
- Glue gun to attach the trim
1. Measure all surfaces to
be covered with fabric. Estimate a little extra
and buy enough fabric.
2. Iron any seams in the fabric
out.
3. Keeping the line as straight
as you can, attach the fabric to the top of the
wall with the stapler.
4. Attach all the way across
the top of the wall, using your hands to smooth
it and pull it tightly.
5. Starting at the top and
working down, continue to smooth and pull it tightly
towards the bottom of the wall.
6. Staple along the bottom
of the wall, keeping the fabric as smooth as possible.
7. Trim any extra fabric at
the bottom.
8. Attach the trim using the
hot glue gun at the top and bottom to hide the staples.
For more information, check
out the Trading
Spaces Project files.
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Using any of these techniques can make
your home beautiful and unique. Don’t be afraid to try
something new. Remember, in most of the techniques described,
it’s just paint. If you don’t like the way it turns
out, paint over the technique and try again. Experimenting is
part of the fun of these faux finishes.
A special thanks to Artsparx.com
and Trompe-l-oeil-art.com
for permission to use some example images.
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