You can use a faux painting technique to give your kitchen walls a unique look that can transform your kitchen overnight – and you can do it yourself!
Even if you’ve never painted and know nothing about applying paint to “fake out” the look of your walls, you can visit your local paint store or home “do it yourself” store like Home Depot or Lowes. They will probably have instructions and all the paint you need – some even have free classes that you can attend to learn any of the techniques you would want!
It’s actually quite easy once you get the hang of using the brush or sponge for your particular technique and you can create wonderful looks such as a faux plaster or Tuscan look, the look of suede, a subtle color wash, or the popular look that sponging and rag rolling create.
One thing to keep in mind is that for most of these techniques you will need to buy special paint that will help you create the look. In addition, you might need special tools and make sure to get the appropriate size brushes. Your local store should be able to help you on that. Don’t try to replicate the faux finish if you don’t have the right tools or paint as this will only lead to frustration.
It’s a good idea to perfect your faux painting style before you actually start working on your walls. You can do this buy getting large pieces of cardboard (you can probably get big boxes or scrap from a store for free) and priming them. Then practice the technique on the cardboard. Once you have perfected your technique, you can hold the piece of cardboard up to the wall to get an idea of how it will look once the wall is done. This will be a good way to decide if you really want to paint the wall – better to find that out before you spend a lot of time painting!
Some great looks you can get with faux painting include:
Suede Painted Walls - Your guests won’t be able to resist reaching out and touching these walls with the soft look of brushed suede. This look goes fabulous with a contemporary or classic look that has soft plush furniture. This faux technique uses a brush and roller in a 2 stage process.
Color Washing - The soft shades and textures created with a color washing technique go great in antique and contemporary kitchens alike. Create the look of leather or an old world fresco finish using a variety of techniques with decorator paints and glazes.
Sponging and Rag Rolling - create a great texture on your wall without the mess of plaster. These finishes can be soft and subtle or harsh for the look of stucco. Paint is textured using a sponge or rag depending on the desired look.
Textured Stone Finish - Use a trowel and special paint to get an aged plaster finish in a variety of patterns. Great for a Tuscan or old world kitchen. You can also use this finish to embed small objects like tiles or beads to add a unique creative touch.
