Using Faux Finishes in Your Home to Create an Extraordinary Interior
Do you want home decorating ideas that will turn the inside of your home into something extraordinary? Faux finishes, also known as faux painting, will do just that!
Faux finishes have been used worldwide for centuries. Faux painting was revived and gained popularity in the late 1980′s and early 1990′s with high end homes leading the trend.
Even though faux means “false,” it is important to note that creating a faux finish does not mean that your home will have a fake look. On the contrary, the use of faux finishes and faux painting in your home encourages you to express your creativity and imagination. It is a wonderful way to mix and match the new looks with the old to create a unique, extraordinary living space.
Basic faux finishes include color washing, combing, crackle, metallic, ragging, sandscapes, soft suede, leather effect, and sponging. There are many variations on these finishes.
We usually think of transforming walls with faux painting, but faux finishes can be used to achieve a faux chic look any place in your home. These finishes can be used on just about anything in your home, such as furniture, tile, and floors, as well as on home d?cor items.
A technique to use to ease new furniture into a decorating scheme is to accelerate the effects of time on wood and make it stylishly old by giving it a distressed finish. A faux finish can also be used on wood floors to truly add a unique look to any room. A weathered paint effect is an effective faux finish technique to use on home d?cor, such as candlesticks and picture frames.
If you are hesitant to commit to having a whole room painted with a faux finish, consider faux painting an accent wall that will complement the furniture and accessories in the room.
Whether you do the faux painting yourself or hire a professional, carefully planning a decorating project prior to starting is essential for the successful completion of the project.
By: Lynn Cressy
About the Author:
To help keep your home organized, download a free copy of the ebook “The Essential Guide to Organizing Your Home”. Download it free here: Organizing Tips.
Lynn Cressy has a love for decorating and shopping for home decor. She owns a home decor web site and writes articles on home decorating and organizing your home and your life.
Categories: Distressed Finishes Tags: color washing, Crackle, Variations
What You Should Know About Color Washing
Personally I’d recommend this faux finish for anyone in any room. Why? This faux finish is by far the most popular and most flexible. Just like sponging, color washing can be done in any color combination. Instead of a sponge the finish is applied with a brush in a crisscross motion. Follow the same directions for sponged faux painting. After choosing the colors you’d like to work with, add a glaze into your paint. The can of glaze you buy should have recommendations on the side as to what ratio. Follow the label.
The secret to color washing…
If you can, find a glaze with a very long open time. The secret to color washing is speed. The more the glaze/paint mixture dries the more likely you are to get nasty faux dry lines. How do we avoid dry lines?
1. Proper glaze to paint ratio.
2. Once started, don’t stop!
3. Move in one direction.
4. Move as fast as you can!
5. Keep the edge wet.
6. Ask an assistant for help!
If your back can stand to do another faux coat, wait 24hrs and add another layer of glaze. This time you may vary the color or thin the same color down even further. Repeat the process. Pull the tape. Move furniture back. Plan a party to show off your new faux painting!
Steve Diadoo is owner of Diadoo Painting, a Minneapolis painting contractor and regional expert on faux finishing and decorative finishes. You can view his work at http://www.boringwalls.com
Categories: Painting Tags: color washing