Enhance Your Walls with Faux Paint, Texture & Artwork

Ready to wake up boring white sheetrock? This article discusses ways to brighten your interior space through a variety of faux painting techniques.

Faux finis (pronounced "foe") is French for looking or imitating something else. Through use of
various techniques, one can create the look of marble, wood, stone etc... over almost any surface.
Faux painting is all the rage in homes across the country. Today's faux technqiues are like artwork for your walls, adding instant warmth, texture and glamour to otherwise boring sheetrock. The most popular of all faux finishes are those that are created with two or more colors (or intensities of color) which help create the illusion of depth.

There are numerous ways to faux finish your walls using such techniques as:

• Antiquing
• Bellagio Faux
• Color Rubbing
• Color Streaking
• Crackle
• Dragging
• Fresco
• Frottage - Antique effect using paint, glaze and plastic sheets.
• Luminoso
• Ragging on / off
• Sponging on / off
• Marblizing
• Metallic Faux
• Wood Graining
• Color Washing Texture
• Color Washing Cloud - Subtle aged effect.
• Pearlescent
• Plaster
• Sandwash
• Striping
• Stripling
• Venetian Plaster
• Wall Waxing

Spa Look

The "spa look" is another popular faux finish obtained through use of Venetian Plaster with a light faux overlay. The Fresco Wall Finish is another option for aged, light and airy appeal.

Wall Antiquing

Antiquing or "aging" is the faux painting technique that simulates natural wear and tear using paint glazes, crackle glazes, bees wax, paper, hammers, sandpaper, or chains to distress and weather an object, wall,... The aged antiqued effect can be achieved by using a latex or oil color glaze or varnish that looks like an aged, brown, color or by whitewashing and wiping most of the white wash off.

The Aged Crackle Finish is one that can look contrived unless done well. Distressing gives a wall an old-time worn feel, adding dimension and interest to a vintage or rustic interior. Wall waxing creates a soft textured surface can also be created with wax, paint and embossing powder. Antiquing creates homes and businesses with the "Old World" or "Italian Villa" aesthetic.

Hand Painting

Another way to add interest to your walls and ceilings is with Trompe L' Oeil Murals or those of the hand-painted variety.

Wall Texture

Texture your wall with tumbling stones or create the look of leather, bamboo, old world, stone, and plasters to set the mood for your furnishings. You can also achieve the look of stone such as granite, marble, slate or mosaic tile.

Venetian Plaster and plaster paint techniques require painted with a sheen such as eggshell or satin or on lime washed walls. Scrumble glazes in (warm colors like:burnt umber, burnt sienna, raw sienna, and yellow ochre) are applied to create areas of light and dark. This technique gives the Old World or Tuscan feel.

Faux Metallic

You can use paint to create a metallic look of copper, bronze, brushed metal, steel or gold and gold leaf.

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