Faux Finishing

Links to Other Finishes

Faux Painting - Ragging, Antiquing, Metallics, Venetian Faux (31)
Faux Stone, Tile, Brick, Concrete and Block (21)
Faux Finish Retouching and Repair (8)

Faux painting examples featuring faux painting techniques like color washing, faux bois and sponging.

Color washing

can be achieved using a brush, sponge or rag, depending on the quality of the surface being worked on and the required quality of the finished texture. As it's one of the simplest decorative techniques, it's commonly used for large areas, even complete interiors. Although you can use vibrant colors, this technique is usually chosen when a very soft, subtle finish with low contrast is desired. The more colors used, or the less contrast between base coat and top color, the more soft and subtle the effect.

Faux bois

is another name for Woodgraining or faux wood painting techniques, and is used to give surfaces the appearance of wood. The examples shown include applications to actual wood beams that were plastered smooth; drywall coffered ceilings; standard pressed metal garage doors: interior doors previously painted white, a wood ceiling that needed to be recolored and house full of white painted baseboards wood finished to match the interior doors. Other interior doors were not woodgrained but recolored and antiqued to match new kitchen cabinets and to harmonize with a new wall finish

Sponge painting

has acquired a poor reputation, largely, I suspect, because of some of the rather crude examples featured by many "do-it-yourself" books. In reality, the use of sponges is very common when color washing on textured drywall or when seeking to achieve a soft stone appearance. The fact that the finishes don't look like they've been painted with a sponge is because of the way the sponge is manipulated across the surface. Of course, the appearance of an obviously sponged effect can work in certain situations, particularly where you want hints of metalic.

Faux painting metal requires a slightly different approach. You can either use one of the available products specially designed for faux painting metal direct, or make sure to use a good metal primer before faux painting with a solvent based paint or latex paint and a good quality protective coating.

Click on the faux finishing images to the right for larger pictures and more detail about each project. Some of these are big files so they may take some time to show up.

For more information, to see my portfolio, request a free consultation or estimate, or simply to ask a question, contact me - Doug Morris: 480.232.9778 | doug(a)fineartdecor.com.