Interior Decorating Information

Four Decorative Painting Techniques


Tired of plain, boring walls? Faux finishes are a great way to jazz up your space with little cost or effort. Here are a few of the most popular finishes.

Sponging: Of all faux finish techniques, sponging is the easiest, even children can do a somewhat messy reproduction of this technique. In order to sponge, you must first paint the entire area one base color. After this coat dries, then you can take a sponge or even a plastic bag, dip it in paint, and apply the paint randomly to the walls. Although this is a random process, you want to be careful not to get any one area of the wall extremely dark or leave it extremely light or your eye will be drawn to that spot immediately. Sponging is very easy, and for all supplies usually costs between $50-$100, which may also include classes if you want to learn from the professionals.

Combing: Combing is a little more difficult. When combing, you use a squeegee with teeth to comb through the top layer of paint. As with sponging, you want to have a bottom layer so that when you comb there will be a matching layer beneath it. Using a combing technique is also very inexpensive, and you can use the squeegee to make wavy, zigzags, and other designs on the wall.

Glazing: Glazing is actually the product that you put over your first coat of paint. In order to glaze your walls correctly, you should take a class. You may be able to find a home improvement store that offers glazing classes or you may need to talk to a local interior decorator about classes, although these will likely be very expensive. Glazing places a transparent coat over the base coat of paint, making the wall look a bit shiny and transparent. You can use as many coats of glaze as you want to get the desired look.

Trompe-L'oeil: Trompe-L'oeil is French for "fool the eye." This finish fools the eye into thinking that the wall has a marble or granite finish. This is probably the most difficult finish to accomplish on your own. For creating the marble finish, you use a technique very much like sponging, but this one takes a bit more talent. Visit local stores to see if they have classes or tips on achieving this style.

These are the four primary types of faux finishes. The first two are fairly easy, while the latter two are significantly harder. Before attempting any of these, plan well so that you can estimate the cost, and visit your local hardware or design store for classes or helpful hints. Having a buddy to take classes with you or practice with you will make the experience more fun. You can even do one room in your house and then decorate a room in your buddy's house; the fun never ends!

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. This article is provided courtesy of The Do It Yourself Home Decorating Network - http://www.diyhomedecorating.com - a large and growing decorating and decor website featuring articles, tips, advice, and popular decor shopping. This article may be freely published on any website, as long as the author, copyright, website address and link, and this notice are left intact.


MORE RESOURCES:

Colorado Springs Independent

We need Interior decorating
Colorado Springs Independent, CO - Dec 31, 2008
By BRIAN HOREJSI Western lands management has suffered for 20-plus years from a disastrous move toward consensus decision-making. ...


PR Web (press release)

Home Remodeling and Interior Decorating Made Easy with ...
PR Web (press release), WA - Dec 17, 2008
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) December 17, 2008 -- For too long, home remodeling, interior decorating and building has been a time consuming, expensive, ...


Samsung Gives TV Viewers the Skinny With New LED-Backlit Series
TechNewsWorld, CA - 1 hour ago
How many consumers would really be excited to pay a premium to make flat even flatter? Perhaps I just have no taste when it comes to interior decorating.


Interior Decorating for Your Dollhouse
Meadow Free Press, ID - Dec 20, 2008
Before beginning your interior design plan, be sure that you are clear on how the dollhouse will be used. If the dollhouse is to be used as a toy for small ...


Obama, Salazar and the Future of America's Public Lands Interior ...
CounterPunch, CA - Dec 23, 2008
By BRIAN HOREJSI What western lands management has suffered from over the last 20 plus years has been, in my view, a disastrous move toward consensus ...


Interior decorator pursues her true passion
Telegraph-Journal, Canada - Jan 6, 2009
"But it got to be so hectic and my true passion was interior decorating," she said. Partridge had studied interior decorating from a New York firm, ...


Make house the perfect home
Fremont News Messenger, OH - 10 hours ago
The home & garden show will debut its new 20000-square-foot Home Idea Center, which puts everything from interior decorating ideas to outdoor living options ...


Petal Performing Arts Center to host Junior Miss Program Saturday
Hattiesburg American, MS - 11 hours ago
Her career goal is to work in interior decorating or physical therapy. She will give a vocal performance. Rachel Harris: Harris is the daughter of Randall ...


For release in weekend editions Jan. 9 and thereafter
Hays Daily News, KS - 18 hours ago
Hall, 57, started interior decorating as a hobby because she stayed at home and took care of her children. Though she worked some in the retail industry and ...


15569 Beers on the Wall, and Counting...
My Fox Colorado.com, CO - Jan 1, 2009
Then, he packs them back in their cases to build more furniture and begin his interior decorating in another space. "It's gotten to the point I'm out of ...

Interior-Decorating - Google News

home | index |site map
© 2006