Faux Finishes for a Unique Look
Faux finishes dropped in popularity for some time, but have steadily rebounded since the 1980s. A number of current custom homes now offer buyers a selection of faux finishes and paints. Some popular faux finishes include sponging, color washing, combing, and leather or suede effects. You can also make your own variations to these faux finishes to come up with your own special design.
Faux finishes: Aged wood
A great faux finish for furniture is the wooden, aged look. This look also works on specific types of hardwood floors. Try out your faux finish in a hidden corner before putting on the whole floor. Sometimes, adding a well-worn appearance to your hardwood floor will only make it look old, not particularly fashionable. Decorative paint gives an effect similar to that found on decorative items such as door handles and photo frames. Faux animal skins and metal rivets are other popular faux finishes that can be used to give your walls and furniture a unique look.
Faux finishes: Great for accent walls
You can use faux finishes on accent walls rather than painting the full room. This helps accentuate a specific piece of furniture or area of the room. A good way to make use of accent walls is to match them with the same faux finish you have used on a piece of furniture in the room. This lets you switch the room’s theme without any costly remodeling. Worn plaster faux finishes are also popular because they are similar to the Tuscan style of decoration. Murals on the wall can also work well, so long as they do not overwhelm the look of the whole room. The ceiling can also be a good place to put a mural because it is not as distracting to the viewer, but still permits you to spread your decoration over a large area.
Faux finishes: Use tissue paper for a versatile base
Faux finishes with tissue paper are also popular for creating a fake leather appearance. Simply glue some industrial-strength tissue paper to the surface of your walls. The tissue paper can be a base for any number of metallic or plaster-type faux finishes. Apply the paper to your wall with an initial coat of paint, then add an additional coat of paint as soon as the paper is dry. There are several types of glazes you can use as a sealer to protect your faux finish. Tissue paper is often the easiest to begin with when your are first starting to play around with faux finishes since it does not call for a lot of costly or difficult to locate art supplies.
