Fee Fi Faux Finishes: The Where and How

If you’ve ever looked around your house and sensed the blandness of it all, you might be interested in the ease and simplicity of faux finishes. A faux finish adds depth to a room with something as easy as an extra layer of paint.

The beauty of faux finishes is that you can do them yourself. So pull out the paintbrushes and drop cloths—we’re about to learn where and how to add depth without the cost of new furniture or materials (besides paint, of course).

Types of Faux Finishes

There are many different types of faux finishes out there. And it’s not just about your walls—many faux finishes can cover objects to make them look like a more expensive material, like a tile backsplash in the kitchen or a marble tabletop. As you can see on this list, faux finishes can be anything from antiquing your walls to making them look like stone. Faux finishing even includes gilding with metallic foils.

Where does each belong?

You may know what type of finish you like best, but where to put it? Some spaces are more conducive to different looks than others. For example, the wood graining technique is best used on doors and shelves instead of walls. “Scumbling” is a technique best reserved for inside walls. (Scumbling means to cover a surface with opaque or semi-opaque color, according to the DIY Network. It’s similar to sponging, only it covers more densely.)

The cloud faux finish is obviously best for ceilings—unless you want to feel like you’re flying, of course. These crackle finish ideas on Pinterest will inspire you—both walls and furniture are up for grabs with this one. A rustic faux finish is nice in the bathroom. And these guidelines for texture finishes explain how to make your walls connect with nature if you have expansive natural views out your windows.

How to Do It

We’ve found an excellent resource for your faux finishing projects. Over at DIY Network, you can find instructions for just about any technique you need—marbling furniture or columns, fresco techniques, even how to add parchment stripes to your walls.

But videos showing you how to do it are probably more helpful. This online index at HGTV’s website will provide you with videos for nearly every technique, so you don’t have to feel overwhelmed if you’ve never done it before. And hey, if you don’t have the time to paint yourself, you can always hire a professional and tell him what faux finish you’re looking for; he’ll know how to do it without looking at a video!

Do you have faux finishes in your home?

When it comes to sprucing up your interior, faux finishes really add depth and interest to a room. And faux finishes are versatile enough to be used on surfaces other than walls; furniture, doors, cabinets, and shelves are free game too. If you’re bored with your walls, add a faux finish.

Do you have faux finishes in your home? Where do they occur—as a kitchen backsplash, a marbled table, a wood grain door? We want to know—you can even submit pictures! We’d love to see what you’ve done, and we’re sure our other readers do too. So leave us a comment, and you’ll get a comment in return.