Faux Finishing Tips
Three Tips for Beginning Faux Finishing - Interior Walls
Faux finishing can give a wonderfully dramatic look to any room, but there are some shortcuts and tips that can save you time, energy, and frustration along the way. Here are three of the best I've found.
Paints and Brushes
The first tip is to always use quality materials. It may sound like simplistic advice, but it's critical if you want to achieve superior results with a minimum of frustration. Using good quality paint and supplies will go a long way toward making each of your projects look as good as it can look.
If you're on a tight budget, it's easy to think that skimping a little on the quality of paint will save you a few bucks, but that's not a good idea as a general rule. If you do need to save money, either look for good paint that's on sale or visit a store that specializes in surplus paint, such as a Habitat for Humanity outlet store. You can sometimes get great paint for the same cost as no-name budget brands if you're willing to pound the pavement and shop hard.
The same is true for brushes and other materials. Regardless of what you're attempting to do in life, you'll get a better result with better tools.
Clear the Room
Tip number two is to clear the room as much as possible before you begin your faux finishing project. The more things you can remove from the room, the fewer things you'll have to jockey around to get your work done. You also won't have to be quite as particular about where your paint spatters as you go along. That also means removing light switch and electrical outlet covers from the wall before you begin.
Painter's Tape
The third tip: Don't use masking tape to protect surfaces you don't want painted. Masking tape has a tendency to be difficult to remove, often taking part of the surface with it when it goes. There is an official painter's tape that doesn't have that problem, and using it will save you frustration. You can tell it's actual painter's tape because it's generally blue in color. It will stick to the surface where it's applied until you need to take it off, but being low-tack, you can pull it back off without damaging surfaces. It may cost a little more, but it's well worth the expense!
Faux finishing can be a wonderfully creative process and the results can be truly startling and beautiful, but using quality materials, uncluttering your room, and using official painter's tape can make the process go more smoothly, allowing you to concentrate on the artistry involved in making your faux project a success.
Room by faux artist Kari Barron
Faux fireplace, faux plaster, and faux ceiling by Evan Dahlke, Inland Decorative Paints
Ted Blake and Brian Fisher hauling off spa pieces.
See before and after of the Faux Flip
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