Painting faux finishes for decorative homes

Faux wall finishes can be created with paint or plaster and add a decorative touch to your walls. Faux finishing can give dreary walls or furniture a real pick-me-up, and the good news is you can do it yourself!

Faux decorative painting and finishes – that is, finishes applied to walls, columns or furniture in patterns that imitate nature – can really create points of interest in the home. And you don't need an artist's touch to create some great decorative finishes yourself.

The types of looks that can be achieved with painting faux finishes are many and varied, from mottled looks to leather, stone or brickwork. Cracked or aging effects are also possible, as are textured finishes or three-dimensional design flourishes.

Marble faux finish

One of the more popular faux decorative painting finishes is marble, says faux-finishing expert Tony Capomolla. "Marble looks work really well on columns," he says. "You can also create wall treatments that are soft and subtle and that are done with a rag or a sponge finish."

Stucco veneziano finish

Another of the most popular faux wall finishes is stucco veneziano, which involves adding plaster to the walls to build up a texture. "Plaster is applied with a trowel and then polished," says Tony. "It comes in all sorts of colours: you can do light colours right through to black and earth tones."

DIY or professional faux finish?

Tony believes it is preferable to use a professional for faux-finish painting, but if you are keen to have a go, he recommends working in a random pattern so it looks natural. "You don't want a 'stamped' effect," he says. "And start on something small, like a piece of furniture or a column."

To maximise your chances of getting a faux finish right, preparation is important. Surfaces should be sealed and free of cracks. After applying a base coat of interior latex paint in your chosen colour, leave it to dry overnight before beginning to add the glaze.

What you'll need for painting faux finishes

The equipment you'll need will depend on the type of faux finish you are trying to achieve, but generally consists of a mix of paint brushes, sea sponges, rags and artist's brushes. Work quickly to prevent the glaze becoming sticky, and always wear gloves.

For stucco veneziano effects, use pre-mixed plasters from the hardware store to make the job easier. The best implement to use is a flexible trowel; the angle you hold the trowel and the time spent working on an area will impact on the final look. Apply up to three coats before finishing off with a top coat.

As faux decorative painting is tricky to master, it's a good idea to practise on plasterboard before taking to your own walls with a sponge or trowel. Using a visual aid, like a piece of the material you are trying to render or a photograph, can also help you to perfect your design.

For a range of DIY tools and paints to help create your own painted faux wall finishes, find a hardware store in your area: