In the world of decorative painting, perhaps no style exhibits greater variety and versatility than faux finishing. Faux—French for “false”—painting can be applied to nearly any surface, giving it the appearance of an entirely different material, such as brick, marble, stone, or wood. In the hands of a skilled artist, the effect can be downright deceptive and add an element of the unexpected. “Faux finishes are subtle and personal, and they make a wonderful contribution to a room,” says John Bubenik of St. Louis firm The Color Craftsmen.
Marble
Get a weekly dose of home and style inspiration
Subscribe to the St. Louis Design+Home newsletter to explore the latest stories from the local interior design, fashion, and retail scene.
“Marble is an incredibly complex type of stone, with intricate patterns and great visual depth,” says Bubenik. Depending on the look of the desired marble, between two and 12 layers of oil or water-based synthetic paints and glazes are applied and manipulated. A three-headed straight brecher brush is used “to drift and soften firm lines”; a samina chiqueteur brush is employed to “pounce on a wall and produce particles of color,” he says. “It should be hard to tell where colors start and stop when you’re reproducing marble.” Consider marbling a wainscot panel, architectural features such as columns, or a piece of furniture.
Wood
Commonly used on fireplace mantels and doors, faux bois imparts the appearance of wood to a non-wooden surface or can be employed to give an inexpensive wood—say, poplar—the appearance of a fine wood, such as cherry. On fine wood, an over-glaze can be used to create a moiré pattern for more depth and enhancement of the illusion. “You’re trying to create ambiguity between the viewer and the surface,” says Charles Blood of Charles Blood Artistic. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the reclaimed-barnwood look: “A wire brush is raked through wood to create gouges, then pickled to give it an aged appearance.”
Stone
Faux stone finishing is more convenient, lightweight, and economical than real stone. With the myriad stone finishes available, artist Breezy Brezany-Adams prefers to work from a client-approved board with visual references. The appearance of depth is achieved with the addition of layers of solid paint and paint with glaze mixed in. An airbrush is used to produce a smooth, even surface, after which a glossy seal is applied to protect the work. Ever mindful of breaking up and transforming what would otherwise be “large, boring spaces,” Brezany-Adams says she’s partial to faux stone in hallways and staircases.
Brick
Faux brick may be painted in a range of hues, so it’s important for homeowner and painter to agree up front on the desired look. Paint and glaze are alternately laid down with the use of such tools as an airbrush and a painting trowel. “You can apply different textures, depending on how you maneuver your trowel,” says Brezany-Adams, “but it’s important not to see the brushstrokes.” Faux brick can be painted on even or uneven surfaces, she says, and works well in an open rustic kitchen, giving the look of “exposed brick, as if the elements have worn away the paint and the brick beneath is breaking through.”
