Faux Painting Techniques

Faux painting, a decorative hand-created painting technique, has become very popular in interior designs. It captures warmth of textiles, depth, texture and blends of light and color to create one of a kind wall treatments for your home or office. There are numerous techniques, but we will look at five trendy styles.

Glazing: First we have one of the most common types of faux painting, Glazing. This free form finish is known for its subtle variations of color and natural, soft glow. Supremely versatile, it can be adapted to any living environment from modern to traditional. It imparts a peaceful, tranquil feeling that adds to the comfort of any room of you home or where ever you decide. Glazing techniques color washing, combing and ragging are among the most popular.  

Aging:, This technique adds a beautiful worn elegant look to cabinetry, wood paneling, moldings and furniture. Today with the help of superior products aging techniques seem almost magical in its simplicity. Within minutes you can duplicate the effects of years of natural weathering. For example,  Antiquing: sanding down trim or molding, using a knife to shave edges or using a knife or nail to create little worm wholes in wood. Also taking a fine point black marker and create a few specks on the legs or arms of a piece of furniture.    

Stenciling: Stenciling is an easy way to add a custom pattern to your walls. It is widely used in living rooms, floors, bathrooms and furniture. Inspiration can be found in your home by looking at repeat patterns in wallpapers, rugs, fabrics and tiles. Designed to work well with different floral prints, stenciling traces its roots as far back as ancient Egyptian times. I find stencils great over a texture background such as ragging or sponging or color washes.    

Marbleizing: Marbleizing is a timeless decorative finish that adds boldness and grandeur to any space. It can be used successfully in either modern or traditional environments. When marbleizing, choose a surface that might realistically be made of marble such as baseboards, molding, panels, fireplace mantels, columns or tabletops.  It also helps to have a piece of marble that you like to use as a guide for the base and top colors. It works great to add a glaze sealer over your piece. With a little practice, anyone can create this beautiful finish.    

Wood Graining: Also known as “Faux Bois”, wood graining is a timeless decorative finish that adds warmth and beauty to any space. It can be utilized in almost any style of décor from a Mahogany Gentlemen’s Pub to a bleached oak farmhouse dining room. When wood graining, choose surfaces that are realistically made of wood, such as baseboards, moldings, panels, mantels, columns or tabletops. I would like to be very clear on this, Wood graining is one of the most difficult faux finishes and requires some practice. It is best to first try on a piece of spare wood or card board.