ARTICLE: Faux Wall Finishing Tips and Ideas
By Aaron Walker 

 

If you're looking for an easy way to give your walls a custom look without going to the, sometimes massive, expense of hiring an artist to create murals then faux wall finishing techniques are well worth considering. The neat thing is the number of decorative techniques that you can use to make your home truly unique. Two of the most popular are metallic effects and then secondly glazing.

Before you begin you're going to need a few basic materials. To create a metallic finish you'll need to buy a pre-mixed metallic paint and a roller - this type of paint is best applied with a roller. If you want to create a more unique effect then use a satin or semi-gloss base coat on the entire room. Then draw stripes on the wall and use the metallic paint to create alternating stripes to create that fun faux effect.

If you're feeling even a bit more adventurous then draw a variety of geometric shapes (squares, circles and triangles for example) on your walls and then fill them in with the metallic paint for a room that will really stand out.

Are you looking to create a truly custom room? Why not create a mural of a car, airplane or similar metallic object on one wall and then use the metallic paint to create a realistic faux finish?

Glazing is another faux technique that needs few materials. Before applying the glaze you'll need to apply a base coat in the same shade. Once your base coat has dried thoroughly you then need to apply the glaze to a part of the wall. Comb or drag the glaze whilst it's still wet to create some truly interesting effects. Then apply another section of glaze and comb or drag and keep repeating this step until you've decorated and covered the required area.

Finally, remember that if you don't like either of these faux wall finishes, you can create other unique effects for your walls such as sponging or marbling which are equally as easy to create and won't cost the earth.