Painting Ideas & Tips
  • June 12, 2015
  • Uncategorized

What kinds of faux finishes are available to choose from?

If you’re looking to go beyond ordinary wall paint and make a completely unique statement, then you might want to consider a faux finish. The amount of look that you can get from faux finishes are unlimited however some choices are more popular than others.

Types of Faux Finishes to Chose

Venetian Plaster

For a textured finish that resembles stucco or polished marble, Venetian plaster can be used to give your interior the feel of old-world Europe. The plaster is applied with a putty knife at a 15-30 degree angle to the floor. Once this first coat has dried, the second coat of plaster is applied at a 60-90 degree angle.

Sponging

Sponging is another technique that can add texture and depth to a wall surface. The term sponging actually can refer to two different techniques: sponging on and sponging off. As the names imply, sponging on is when the paint is applied to the wall with a sponge and sponging off is when the paint is applied with a roller and then removed with a sponge.

Whether you choose to sponge on or sponging off depends on how dramatic or subtle you wish the final result to be. Sponging on gives a more dramatic and textured appearance while the end results of sponging off tend to be more subtle.

Ragging

Similar to sponging ragging can give a textured appearance and can either be done with the rag on the method or the rag off method. The end results can be subtle or dramatic depending on your tastes.

Artisan Finish

Another popular finish that gives the appearance of European marble or stone is artisan finish which can be applied to drywall or wood. What makes this style attractive to so many homeowners is the fact that the paint color appears to change based on how the light is shining.

Various applications for artisan finish include tissue paper, crackle, and leaf each giving its own unique look.

Sandstone Finish

Stone finish paints are perhaps the easiest and least expensive choice of all the faux finishes. It involves using paint with a sandy texture that is gritty to the touch when dry. This gives the appearance of a stone wall.

The application is the same as regular paint and, just like regular paint, you can get stone finish paints in just about any color you wish.

Brushed Suede and Leather finishes

In days gone by, many of society’s elite covered their walls in leather. While this would be an extremely expensive prospect today, you can still get the luxurious appearance through the use of a brushed suede or leather paint.

The look is achieved by applying a base coat in small sections at a time with a ½ inch nap roller. Before the base coat dries, the entire wall is covered to smooth out lap marks. Finally, a wide brush is used to apply the suede paint on the wall in a series of overlapping X marks to create variations of color tone.

Of course, there are many more options faux finishes to choose from – you are limited only by your imagination.