HGTV.comHGTV.com

Faux Paint Finishes

Smart Design : Episode SDN-201 -- More Projects »
When jazzing up our walls, a paint treatment is one of the smartest designs you can choose. There's a myriad of choices--from a realistic mural to faux texture--and a painted wall treatment is an enterprising way to exercise your DIY muscle.
  • Treatments now have gone beyond ragging and are about layering looks and capturing the emotion of color. With the explosion of designs, colors and tools available, applying a paint treatment can be one of the most personal design expressions anywhere in your home.
  • The new faux still has the benefits that made homeowners stand up and take notice in the past. It's a great cover for wall imperfections because your eyes are drawn to pattern, color and depth--not to the nail pops and seams on a very flat surface.
  • A faux painted wall will last as long as you want to keep it around. Generally, it will hold up as well (or better) as any normal paint job.
  • New surface designs shy away from the randomness of the past. Instead, the layers of paint and glaze are a calculated design meant to show off the handpainted texture and controlled application.
PHOTO

Figure A
  • Although it looks like wallpaper, this stripe has more negative space (seven inches) between the typical five-inch stripes. This gives it a smart look not usually found in wallpaper (figure A).
  • Simulate a damask stencil by mixing an acrylic glaze with a little bit of latex paint and apply it randomly over a stencil for an old-world finish.
  • Don't worry about making mistakes. If you do, it's only paint that can be covered over countless times.
    • PHOTO

    Figure B
  • Murals offer people views or designs that they can enjoy all the time. If a full wall mural isn't in the plans, sometimes less is more. In place of a ceiling medallion and corner moldings, a compass and blowing wind form a scene straight from the farmer's almanac (figure B).
    • PHOTO

    Try your hand at faux finishing by painting a tabletop to look like marble.
    Faux Painted Table

    Materials:

    small table
    paintbrush
    acrylic paint
    sandpaper
    primer/sealer
    marble to replicate

    Steps:

    1. Sand the surface until smooth and wipe off dust.

    2. Apply two coats of primer/sealer, which prevents the original stain from bleeding through.

    3. Study a real piece of marble before painting the design to help make the piece look realistic. Be sure to paint the edges so it looks like a slab of marble.

    Tip: Look for kits that simplify the task with attractive results.

    Guests
    Alix Rockwell Jacobs
    Decorative Painter
    Email: alixjacobs@aol.com
    Also in this Episode
    Smart Design : Episode SDN-201
    •Faux Paint Finishes
    •Displaying Collections
    •Lighting the Way
    •Weathervanes
    HGTV.com
    Services Popular Content About
    Our Sister Sites

    Comparison Shop for Home Decor & Garden Tools at Shopzilla & BizRate

    UpMyStreet and uSwitch.com provide UK comparison services.

    © 2008 Scripps Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.