If you are reading this article, you’ve probably been searching the web to find the most affordable
and easiest way to “do it yourself”. There are a lot of different faux finishing techniques but before
you decide to start any project or buy any faux painting tools, there are a few important things that
should be thought out clearly before you start faux painting in order to avoid problems that you
might encounter after you have started working. I have been a professional faux painter for 10 years
now and after literally faux finishing hundreds of walls, I think I can help you avoid these problems.
In this room, I used 3 different colors on a light green base coat since the furniture had a pattern.
Before you choose what faux finishing technique you want to do, ask yourself the following
questions:
1) Is the finish going to look too busy? Remember that when you are looking at a small sample, it
is different than looking at it over large areas. That’s why you should always practice on a large
poster board first. You might want to paint a couple of boards and place them on the wall and then
stand back to get the full effect before you proceed to faux paint the wall. If you are going with a
patterned type of faux finish that it does not clash with the decor in your room. Sometimes it’s best
to go with a simple color washing faux finish that incorporates all the main colors in the room and
blends nicely in the background.
2) How high are your ceilings? If the faux painting technique you are going to use requires using a
roller or brushing on more than one color, you should use a scaffold. Carrying up multiple trays up a
ladder is too dangerous. However, if you can’t fit a scaffold in the area, then you will have no choice,
therefore get your climbing shoes on because you will go up and down that ladder a lot of times.
3) If the faux painting method you are going to use requires more than one person, make sure that
both of you will be able to fit in the working area, especially if you have to fit a ladder in there, too.
If the faux painting method requires 2 persons, make sure both can fit in the area.
4) In choosing the faux painting tools you are going to use, keep in mind that in small sections or tight areas, the tools might not fit. Therefore, it’s best to keep those patterned faux finishes to walls
that don’t have too many fixtures.
You don’t want to discover that you will not be able to achieve the finish on your walls due to
insufficiently taking time to consider these important questions first. Through the years, I have
eliminated offering certain faux finishes to clients depending upon these critical factors. I hope and
pray that this article has made you think about some key questions that can save you a ton of
heartache and frustration in planning your next faux painting project.
I understand how difficult it is to properly execute the necessary steps that certain faux painting
methods or systems use, therefore, I have through the grace of God, developed a faux painting
system that I believe addresses all the problems that one can encounter on most jobs. Take some
time viewing all the video samples of the DVD Faux Painting kit on my website to see if you don’t
agree.
Make sure the faux painting tool you are planning to use will fit in those tight areas.
This article was submitted in its entirity by Sandy Silva, President of Murals & Faux Painting, Inc. For more information about Faux Finishing and How to Paint Murals, you may visit her website where you will find pictures, how to articles, and supplies to turn your walls into masterpieces.
