faux finish painting techniques

Faux leather is one of the most popular types of decorative finishes. While there are many different methods for creating faux leather finishes the information contained in this article will give you good consistent finishes for the do it yourselfer.

If adding some warmth and texture to a room or two is for you, than a faux-leather wall may be just the project. A great looking faux-leather paint job is easy to create with the right tools and a little direction. Even if your not a very good painter, it's easy to get a professional looking result with just a little effort.

The first thing to consider is what look you're going for. Is it a rustic, relaxed feeling, or something more dramatic? The leather look comes in a variety of colors; light or dark brown, mahogany, even black! Check out your local paint store and see what shades appeal to you.

The key to any faux finish is practice and careful application. Let’s look at the steps involved to achieve a great finish.

1. Apply a base coat of glaze to the surface and allow to completely dry. In a container, mix one part water, one part paint and one part glaze and blend thoroughly. Pour the glaze into a roller tray. Load the roller with the glaze and roll off the excess on the tray. Roll on a two foot square section of the darker glaze in odd shaped patches. Try to reproduce the appearance of a swatch of leather.

2. The next step is to blend the glazes together. Moisten and wring out a chamois cloth. Hold the cloth in a flat sided pom-pom and pat along the edge of the irregular shape, blending the edges as you push the glaze out. Adjust the placement of your hand as you work your way around the edge. Adjust the cloth to work with a clean portion and pounce on the center of the shape, removing glaze to create areas of highlights. Clean out your chamois cloth when it appears that you are applying glaze instead of absorbing it.

3. Next, load a foam roller with more glaze and roll on another odd shaped patch of glaze beside your finished section. Allow about a quarter inch between the two sections. Using a clean chamois, pounce along the edges between the new and older sections to create a seam effect between the sections. Continue to work the glaze and roll on an additional section of glaze as previously described. Repeat these steps until your surface is completely covered.

The process does take some time to complete an entire room which is why you may want to take a couple of days to complete the project. There are many other styles of faux finishes but having seen many different styles I think the faux leather finish is on of my favorites. It will add warmth to any room, but looks especially nice in a den or a study.

The beauty of faux finishing leather isn’t only in the final look of the application, it’s also the fact that you can erase or mask many minimal problems with your walls like small dings and dents. The leather look will automatically draw the focus of your eyes away from the blemishes and allow you to see only soft, supple leather.