Now, more than ever, we want to be certain that what we do won’t have a negative impact on the environment, so the idea of creating a look that mimics the real thing (e.g. leather), is prized.
One of the best things about these techniques is the knowledge that even though someone else may choose the exact same color and/or product that you do, the application you use will create a look that is uniquely yours.
Finishes that are often copied include marble, wood, stone, brick, and even leather.
The following 10 faux painting (a/k/a faux finishing) techniques can be used to design a one-of-a-kind look for your home.
1. Concrete
If you are tired of your plain, sheetrock covered walls, you can create the look of concrete to create a modern, industrial feel.
Briefly, the process to get the look of concrete involves incorporating different shades of white, grey, and black paint followed with the application of a glaze to seal in the look.
Check out this tutorial for doing this in your home.
2. Graining
The artistic imitation of wood is a growing trend, and graining is a good option if you want to get this look too.
This look is created by using a specific “graining” tool that is designed to be pulled through a painted or glazed surface.
Here’s how to use the tool.
3. Strie
A faux finish painting technique that creates a fabric type look is strie. A roller and a long-bristled brush, are alternately pulled through a paint/glaze mixture to create vertical and horizontal streaks across the surface being painted.
Here’s a tutorial explaining the process.
4. Sponging
One of the older methods of faux painting, sponging involves the use of a sponge that’s dipped into paint. This is one of the more time-consuming ways of faux painting as it requires working with multiple layers, however, the results are very often worth all of the hard work.
Here’s a video showing how you may be able to speed up the process.
5. Denim Painting
Love the look of blue jeans? Choose durable paint in your favorite shade of indigo to create a denim appearance on your walls.
This tutorial will walk you through all of the steps towards creating the perfect blue denim walls.
6. Bricking
Make a brick wall in a matter of hours by creating the illusion with paint. Add behind a kitchen table (to create the effect of eating al fresco) or on a “feature wall” to create a faux fireplace. The options are endless.
To see what you might expect if you choose to do this DIY, check out this video tutorial.
7. Ragging
Just as you might imagine, ragging is done by creating a ‘rag’ from materials such as a plastic or paper bag that’s crumpled into a ball and then used to paint a surface.
Here is a detailed description of this faux painting process.
8. Rag-rolling
Similar to the ‘ragging” process, rag-rolling involves folding your rag into a role instead of a bunch. It’s also possible to get this look with the use of a specially designed roller instead of a rag to create a unique look to your wall.
Learn more about this fun method of creating beautiful walls here.
9. Marbleizing
If you weren’t born with a silver spoon, you’ve probably only seen marble walls in luxurious hotels or government buildings. Fortunately, if you love the look of marble it is possible to create walls that mimic the look for a fraction of the cost of the real thing.
Really. This method doesn’t even come close to the cost of Carrera marble!
10. Leathering
Leathering is done by layering paint. Begin with a base paint that can be either a shade lighter or a shade darker than your top paint color.
Next, you apply your top layer using an angled brush, making small x’s across the wall’s surface.
Other methods of creating this look involve using ModPodge (or glue) and brown paper bags (or tissue paper). The paper is torn into random strips, then tacked onto the wall and covered with paint, followed by a glaze.
Here’s a video discussing how to create this look.
Which technique are you going to try?
